If you get stuck with a home with damaged plumbing, you can lose thousands in property damage and repair costs just to have them fixed. Get it inspected for sake of your budget and legal purposes, even if it seems to be in decent condition. When you have a successful inspection and have all plumbing matters fixed and addressed, you’ll have something to negotiate for and know whether or not the purchase is worth it.
These include:
Having your plumbing inspected beforehand will prolong its life and help you avoid costly repairs in the long-run.
Your soon-to-be-home will need thorough plumbing inspection to deliver your water and eliminate your waste. Once carried out, you will be able to uncover things such as
Buying a new home in full with additional costs in repairs will leave a big dent in your finances. There have been cases where a homeowner can be living at a residence for a year or two without recalling any problems to their plumbing system. Those relocating and purchasing a new property in a new location may be at risk of over $40,000 in damages because sewer lines underneath their home have been rotting and were in need of a replacement without their knowledge.
Having the right inspection done gives you full awareness of the price you are about to pay. Finding a secure and liveable space shouldn’t include surprises and additional money loss. After viewing the plumbing inspection results, you’ll have a clear choice of either walking away from the offer or paying a negotiable price for repair fees. When you request a plumbing inspection through Plumber To, you are guaranteed an in-depth analysis of your home’s plumbing system at a reasonable cost.
Regular home inspectors do not inspect multiple areas for plumbing. When you hire a home inspector, there are certain things they do not include in their reports: plumbing is one of them. They do not check the water or sewer systems, they’re job is to provide a basic scan since they aren’t trained experts.
The very first thing you must have inspected are your home’s necessary fixtures, which are the toilets, showers, bathtubs, and outdoor faucets.
Before calling a plumber, you can check your house’s water pressure by turning on and observing every tap and faucet. They should be able to drain easily and are not leaking. If if you are seeing issues, you could have a clogged drain. You can also do a test by filling your sink up and draining it out. The large amount of water going down will help detect leaks. A common place for a leak is the drain stopper, which will require the nut to be tightened. Some sinks that take more time to drain out will have hair stuck. Hearing a glugging sound, you may have a venting issue, as air is getting sucked through the trap in the sink.
A plumber will go through this protocol for faucets and sinks:
You need to consider whether there are cracks in the tiles, stripped joints, and the various types in most homes.
To test metal showers, you can simply check for leaks by turning it on.
To test glass door showers, point the showerhead towards space between the door and the wall and turn it on. If you do not see leaks after several minutes, your shower has passed. If there is a leak, you can get it repaired by caulking the inside of the shower where the base and wall intersect. Be sure to correctly seal the tub or shower base around the floor. Leaky glass doors will only let a small water leak, so be aware in order to prevent further damage to your subfloor.
Showers with tiles floors are known to be at risk of leaking and usually take a while to even be discovered. To inspect tiled showers, check for breaks on the floor or patching on the ceiling downstairs. You can test by filling the shower at least two inches using a rubber shower dam. This will help uncover leaks, although it would take longer to notice if the ceiling is leaking downstairs. If a tiled shower has a leak, you cannot simply repair it by fixing the caulked areas, you will need a plumber to completely remove and replace the tiles.
When inspecting the bathtub, you can fill it to the top when the water pressure is at its highest.
In addition, a plumbing inspector will conduct a similar shower inspection by checking:
Most homeowners try to tolerate common toilet issues like a leaky base, but will not realize that this could mean making its way past a newly finished floor and rotting the subfloor underneath. Make sure to check for the following issues:
A plumbing inspector will conduct a toilet inspection by checking:
Before buying a home, you must ask questions about its sewer-system. The sewer line is usually buried deep underneath the foundation and is most commonly overlooked. If you are purchasing an older home, you could have tree roots growing into them causing serious sewage blockage, overflow, water contamination, and foul odours you’ll need to pay to have fixed. If you have a professional plumber uncover sewage issues before your purchase, don’t close the sale until the owner has it repaired or offers a lesser price.
Ask if your home has a septic tank, and ensure it is working properly. You’ll need to know where it can be found, the size, the lines running towards it, and the latest service date. It is the seller’s responsibility to make sure there are no signs of seepage. This includes odours or standing water which can cause health hazards if not addressed.
You will want to know if your sewer or water leaks underneath the property. If you purchase a home without having the sewer tested, even a simple sewage backup will have you end up paying it to get fixed.
Pipes are usually out of sight problem, since they’re hidden behind the walls of the home. For a thorough drain inspection, have the plumber check the drain for leaks, check the function of the various drains, as if you have a main drain clean-out, line damages or clogs, and its connection to the sewer – whether it be a septic tank or municipal sewer. You should also make sure they are not galvanized and corroded, as homes before 1980 are susceptible to these. You should be aware of these factors when inspecting your pipes:
Your inspection will typically include:
Lead can be a serious health risk if not replaced. Older properties may not have changed their lead pipes to copper or PVC, which has been revealed to produce high levels of water toxicity. Potential sources that can be contaminated by lead poisoning include:
A water meter inspection is one of the most important and will save you a lot more in the long run if it’s working properly. A faulty water heater is an expensive one to fix and is not only a functional problem, but a health hazard as it could cause serious carbon monoxide or gas leaks. Older water heaters especially are more prone to tank leaks, and could lead to basement flooding. Your plumber will conduct different inspections for those with gas or electric. It is essential that your machine is producing hot water, and also without any signs of corrosion. You must keep in mind the following for a water heater:
With these in mind, you will be able to know how soon and necessary it is for a replacement to manage your budget. Your plumber will inspect the following with your water heater:
You should include your home’s backwater valve and sump pump, which help protect from flooding and other serious damages.
Sump pump: your sump pump is responsible for removing access water from the basement. A french drain is also a substitute, acting with the same purpose. The sump collects water at a pit, and any issues can lead to the float arm not being able to remove the water. Your plumber will do the following when checking your sump pump:
Backwater valve: your backwater valve is responsible for making sure your sewage and other wastewater are running out of the lateral while preventing a reversal flow. The plumber will visually inspect for signs of damage or malfunction, as well as open the cleanout to look for blockage and check the gate.
When searching up for a plumbing inspection, many will recommend a sewer, pipe, or drain camera inspection. This can eliminate guesswork and won’t cause evasive tactics to your new home – making repairs go much faster. Plumbing camera inspection service will look into the hard to reach areas, including underground to check the need for hydro jetting a line blocked by tree root overgrowth. A sewer video inspection can look into trench clogging and give you an estimate in fixing costs.
Licensed plumbers Toronto residents count on. As a plumbing technicians, we are here to protect your home and business, meanwhile saving your money for the long run.