Why You Should Get the Plumbing Checked Before Buying a New Home

Too many times after getting your dream house we find that the homeowner didn’t know the existing condition of their plumbing system. Don’t’ forget that buying a home is a big investment. Knowing if you have galvanized water pipes, copper drain pipes, lead closet bends, or an inferior piping system can be handy when negotiating the sale of a home. What is more, each home’s plumbing system can have its own issues and applications. Here is what you should focus on before purchasing a home:

1. Main sewer – drains clog for a reason, but it’s not always obvious. If you’re purchasing a home, this is doubly important. You can’t always be certain whether the home has had drainage problems, and if so, whether the previous homeowner knew the reason for the clog. A simple camera inspection could make you aware of a hidden and very costly problem prior to the purchase.

2. Condition of the water heater -it will provide hot water for your whole family, so size is a priority. Check the water heater’s location. Water heaters are often in a closet, outside in a water heater enclosure/shedor garage. Ideally, these units should be easy to reachand have proper venting. A water heater hidden in a crawl space is hard to inspect and maintain. Take a look at the location and try to imagine the potential damage if the heater leaks. For example, is the water heater next to a living area with wood floors or carpet(s delete “s”). A water heatercan last for about ten years and many last much longer with regular maintenance. If the water heater appears old, the chances are good that it will fail soon.

3. Toilets – one problem homeowners often neglect to have fixed is a leak at the base of a toilet. The leak often appears small or insignificant, but over time the water will begin to rot the subfloor and even get between the subfloor and the finished floor. The fix can sometimes be an easy one, pulling and resetting the toilet with a new wax ring.

4. Insulation of pipes–Having pipes wrapped is energy efficient for hot pipes.

For more help contact Keithley Plumbing at www.keithleyplumbing.com or by calling (626) 449-0387.