Buying a new home is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. If you’ve found the house of your dreams in the Middletown area, don’t forget to cover all the bases to avoid more stress down the road caused by major plumbing problems. Here are a few things you can check for when looking at potential homes:
In the bathroom
- Check to see how fast the toilet flushes.
- Check around the base of the toilet for signs of water damage, such as black or white stains or rolled vinyl.
- Check for a “soft floor” by standing straddled over the toilet and rocking back and forth on each foot. If the floor feels spongy, it’s probably rotting or weakened.
In the kitchen
- Check to make sure that the dishwasher connection isn’t leaking.
- Look at the inside of cabinets with a flashlight for signs of water damage, warped cabinet bottom or stains.
- Turn on the faucet and see how well the water flows. If it’s slow, there may be a buildup of calcium and mineral deposits in the pipes.
In the basement
- Check exposed piping for signs of leaking or recent repairs.
- Check the date of the water heater. The first four numbers of the serial number on the water heater are the month and year. Any heater over 15 years old will need to be replaced soon.
- A rusty water tank is a sign of pending problems.
In the yard
- Check for standing water. Excess water in the yard may be coming from a damaged sewer line and may contain waste from the home.
Get a Plumbing Inspection to Look for Deeper Problems
Even if you’ve checked all of these things, your best bet is to have a licensed plumber inspect the home before you close on it. A general inspector will do a visual inspection of fixtures, but a plumber can go much deeper.
A plumber can do a video inspection of the underground sewer pipe, which may be a good idea in older homes with clay or concrete sewer pipes. They can also tell you what type of piping is in the house and whether any of it is a known risk for failure. They’ll check your meter, outside hose bibs and gutters, and can detect signs of leakage in crawl spaces and basements that you may have missed.
Call Putman Plumbing before you buy – so you’re not regretting your purchase after it’s too late.
