As a homeowner, it can be easy to miss potential problems in your home’s plumbing systems and drains. Until something fails or floods, residential plumbing is typically not a high priority.
Regular plumbing maintenance and home plumbing inspections can help homeowners avoid costly repairs, water damage, and the stress of the middle of the night emergencies.
There is no better way to stay safe and comfortable in your home than by having a professional home plumbing inspection to protect your most valuable asset — your real estate.
Why are Home Plumbing Inspections Important?
While homeowners can be vigilant and check for plumbing leaks and slow drains, professional inspections are beneficial as skilled and trained plumbers understand how your home works and can identify hard to spot issues by camera inspection, as well as addressing the less pleasant aspects of a home plumbing system, such as leaking drain lines underneath the property.
A plumber’s experience and expertise allow them to properly address uniform plumbing code needs, hidden leaks, excessive pressure, and other issues that may contribute to failures in the future. Plus, licensed and skilled plumbers perform work safely to protect your home and family.
What Does a Home Plumbing Inspection Include?
A quality home plumbing inspection will include checks on pressurized water and visibly accessible drains. Homeowners should consider scheduling a sewer camera inspection in conjunction with the home inspection to view the condition of the sewer line and address any potential issues such as roots and heavy scale buildup.
Kitchens
During home plumbing inspections, our plumbers will assess the condition of the kitchen plumbing. We will check the water shutoff valves and water supply lines underneath the sink for signs of leaks or corrosion, assess the exposed drain line, and the kitchen faucet. Common signs of active or past leaks include corrosion and moisture present in faucets and shut off valves.
If the faucet is loose or losing pressure, a home plumbing inspection can identify if it needs repair or replacement and installation, and consider the major factor contributing to the leak. Sometimes it is age, but also excessive water pressure can cause worn seals over time.
Inspections will also assess if drains are running slow and discuss any signs of heavy grease buildup such as odors coming from the drain, fruit flies, or leaking drains.
Bathrooms
The bathroom also has water shutoff valves behind the toilet and underneath the lavatory sink. Inspecting all of the shutoff valves and fixtures in the home on a regular basis can help save major water damage. Shut off valves do not get regular use and can wear over time due to high water pressure. These can burst in the middle of the night and flood an entire home in little time. In fact, our plumbers recommend changing them every 5-7 years.
Home Inspections can identify slow toilet leaks or determine if the tank parts need to be replaced. Toilet leaks can waste more than 2,000 gallons of water a year and lead to excessive water bills.
Our expert home inspection can also check the showerhead for scale buildup and provide tips on how to maintain proper water pressure with easy household items, vinegar and hot water.
Water Heater
Water heater leaks are another cause of flooding and water damage in the home. Aging systems and excessive pressure can lead to leaks. During routine residential plumbing inspections, the age of the water heater and signs of potential problems can be identified to make a recommendation for the best course of action.
Water heaters over 6 or 7 years may be losing efficiency and costing more in utility costs. Our plumbers will also address any city or uniform plumbing code regulations, as they change on a regular basis.
Exterior of the Home
Plumbers will look for signs of water and gas leaks on the exterior of the home. Moisture presence, pooling water, or foundation damage can be caused by slow leaks, due to inadequate piping under the foundation or in the irrigation.
Dying patches of grass, hissing sounds, bubbling water on the ground can indicate dangerous gas leaks needing to be addressed immediately.
Underneath the Home
If your home is on a raised foundation, it is likely that your home has exposed drain and water pipes underneath the home. As long as there’s access, plumbers are able to crawl under the home (with all the spiders) and check for signs of leaks and damage. Understanding what you are looking for is important, which is why it is integral to hire a licensed professional.
What to Do Between Inspections
Homeowners can be proactive by performing regular leak checks to visibly accessible plumbing. Pay attention to utility bills and listen for strange noises. Additionally, ensure that the home is outfitted with carbon monoxide detectors and that you know the signs of dangerous gas leaks.
If signs of moisture are present, call the team at Bill Howe for a professional leak detection. Water leaks not only cause water damage, but facilitate mold growth and lead to structural damage within the walls if not addressed immediately.
Otherwise, prevention is the best way to avoid problems that could damage the home or cause health issues. Our expert plumbers will walk through the inspection with you and make recommendations for repair, as well as educate you on do-it-yourself tips to help avoid clogged rains and water leaks in the future.
If you have not scheduled a home plumbing inspection, or it has been a few years, call the team at Bill Howe Plumbing. With over 35 years of service in San Diego plumbing and drains, we know what we are looking for and will help you to protect your property.
Call 1-800 BILL HOWE (245-5469), visit us online with Live Chat, or book your service with convenience with our online booking tool today.
