Buying a new home means that you have the responsibility to make sure that the house you will move into is ready for habitation. And the plumbing is one of the most important features of your home, so you need to have the property inspected by a professional plumber before you move in, even if your home has already undergone an inspection.
Here are some reasons why you should have your plumbing inspected when you buy a new home.
A Traditional Home Inspection Is Not Enough
It’s common for a home to undergo a professional inspection prior to being sold. This inspection is done by an inspector who checks the plumbing, roof, windows, heating elements, and other parts of the home and checks them off as up to code or needing repairs.
Even if you were present during your home’s inspection and hired the inspector yourself, the OK given by a home inspector that the plumbing you have in the home shouldn’t be enough to give you peace of mind. Inspectors are not plumbers and are not trained to look for less-than-obvious signs of plumbing wear, such as outdated fixtures, deep-rooted leaks, or issues with sewer systems that aren’t seen by the naked eye alone.
Hire a plumber to fully inspect your home’s drains, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, water heater, and sewer system to get professional approval on all of the plumbing in your new home. If your plumber notices any minor issues, you can make arrangements to have repairs done after the inspection is finished.
Fixtures May Not Have Been Winterized
Plumbing fixtures need to be winterized when the temperatures drop so water doesn’t freeze in pipes. Ice causes the pipes to contract, expand, then burst or crack. A plumber will check your home’s pipes to make sure they were properly winterized in previous years.
If your pipes were not winterized properly, your plumber will repair any cracks or damages to existing pipes and properly insulated exposed pipes and water fixtures (such as under your sinks and the water heater) to protect your plumbing during winter.
Fixtures May Be Dated
Plumbing fixtures in the home, such as the existing toilet and water heater, may be dated and need replacement or repairs. A plumber needs to check your water heater to make sure it doesn’t need to be drained. A water heater should be professionally drained or flushed once a year to prevent sediment from getting into the appliance and your pipes.
Some of the pipes in your home may be dated as well, especially if you’ve purchased an older home that has primarily original piping. Some old piping may be connected to modern plumbing materials, causing loose fits and leaks.
Your plumber will update all plumbing fixtures so they are up to modern codes and replace outdated copper, galvanized, and other piping that would otherwise cause leaking or flooding issues in the future.
Pipes May Be Clogged
Pipes may be clogged in your new home, allowing debris and sewage to back up into your home’s plumbing system. A common reason for pipe clogs is tree roots, which embed themselves in pipes in search of water. You may not even notice a tree root is affecting your pipes until a pipe is broken or you experience plumbing issues in the home. Your plumber will run a snake down your pipes to check for untreated clogs, replacing broken pipes and removing potentially destructive clogs they discover.
It’s best to make small clog repairs as soon as you buy your home rather than have to pay expensive repairs in the future when you notice signs of plumbing problems. Call the experienced plumbers at Billy Bell Plumbing Inc. to inspect your new home’s plumbing system.