When you are buying a house, you must check its plumbing before purchasing. Most people check the space of the house, its types of rooms, and its location. They usually forget the plumbing, the most important part of a home. When destroyed, the plumbing can make life hell for the whole family, and it can create situations that can have lasting trauma. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you by purchasing only the house with the perfect plumbing.
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Flush Away
It may seem silly, but you must flush every toilet you see in the house while you are still checking it out. This ensures if the flush actually works, if they are dysfunctional, or if there are any leaks nearby. If the flush water is discolored, you may need to check the flush water container to check if no dead rats have been left to decompose in there. If the water builds up in the toilet when you flush it, the toilet might be clogged, and it either needs to be fixed or get a strong pump. The toilet is one of the most important parts of the house, and you can learn a lot about a house just by flushing every toilet you see.
Shower
You must also switch on any shower, even if you risk getting your clothes wet. This allows you to test if the water is too strong or too weak and if it’s warm or cold. You can see if the shower head is damaged and all the water is stuck to sprinkling in the wrong direction. Make sure that the water is coming from the shower head only, and not from leaks along the pipe that leads to the shower head. Make sure that the shower is completely functional. Also, observe the water once it hits the tiles of the bathroom. This will reveal if the water is dirty. You learn more about a house through its showers.
The Water Heater
Check if the house has a water heater. Water heaters aren’t necessary for warm locations, and you can have them installed once you own the house. If the house already has a water heater, it can be more trouble than convenience. Some water heaters, when getting old, cause leaks and other accidents. You must check if the water heater is functioning properly, has no damage, and isn’t old. Ask the realtor some basic facts about the water heater like its age, when it was last serviced, etc.
Pipe Type
Observe the type of the pipes in the house. Are they plastic? It is important to know what types of pipes are in the house. There is a scary scam where homeowners intentionally make pipes old and prone to damage, so once you’ve bought the house, the pipes will malfunction. Then the homeowners’ friends can pose as plumbers, get inside your house, and kill your family. Make sure the pipes in the house will last for a long time, or have them fixed by a trusted plumber before you move in.
The Shut Off Valves
Check if the shut-off valves are completely okay. A proper house with an appropriate system of plumbing has shut off valves. Shut off valves are used to block the flow of water from a certain water fixture so you can fix a fixture. If you have a leaking faucet that needs to be replaced, the shut-off valves will make sure the water doesn’t shoot out like a fountain in your bathroom when you remove the faucet to replace it. And speaking of trustworthy plumbers, you can entrust a situation like this to people at the Temecula Plumber. They can also fix shut off valves.
Everything Hidden
Check the nooks and crannies of the house, even the underground if it’s accessible. Making water flow and observing where to and from it flows isn’t enough to make sure the plumbing of the house is completely intact. You have to actually see the plumbing itself. See the workings of the pipes underground and check for anything suspicious like evidence that the house has had improper repairs or even construction. If the realtor is honest, they will allow you to inspect every part of the house they are selling. Visit the basement if it has a basement.
Rain Drains
Make sure the rain drains are clean and clear. Leaves and debris can block the rain drain when nobody has been taking enough care of the house for a long time, and this can cause rain to collect in your rain drain. If the house is in a location where it is rainy, or the rains are strong, such blockages can quickly build a flood that will flow back into your house. It will cause interior damage and can bring in gross things from outdoors like dirt and animals like snakes. You don’t want a house that’s almost come straight out of a Tim Burton movie, so check the rain drains.
The Sewer Line
Insert a camera in the sewer line. The customer isn’t just right; the customer has a right to being inquisitive. The realtor may think you’ve gone cuckoo, behaving like a surgeon inserting a tiny camera in someone’s intestine, but filming the inside of the sewer line is extremely important. You will be able to see leaks and other things that could cause problems in the future. A home can get uncomfortable when there’s something wrong with the sewer line, so make sure there is no problem in there.
The Pipes Once More
Once again, check all the pipes. Even if the pipes don’t have to be replaced soon and they are in perfect shape, you still shouldn’t buy the house if those pipes are made of lead. Lead is extremely bad for children. The construction of houses with materials that are made of lead has been banned, but some old houses still have the lead and make sure the house you’re checking out isn’t one of those old houses. If you do not know how to determine which is lead and which is not, ask the realtor or bring someone who knows how to identify lead. Make sure those pipes are not lead.
Be completely inquisitive of the house you are buying to ensure it has perfect plumbing and it has a high potential of giving you a happy and perfect life once you live in it. Flush every toilet, open every shower, and observe how the water flows. Observe the water, and check all of the pipes.
