Consult A Plumber Before Buying A New Home | Irving, TX

Buying a new home in Irving, TX is exciting, but you should always have a plumber check the house over before completing a sale. Even a home that looks like it’s in great condition could have unknown plumbing problems lurking somewhere. People sometimes find that they don’t notice any issues until the sale is closed, unpacking is finished, and the family is settled into a new routine. Avoid surprises in your new home in Irving, TX by hiring a plumber to evaluate the home.

Water Damage

Potential homeowners can do a visual inspection themselves. Look for rusty pipes, cracks, leaks, and noticeable wear and tear. Anything that isn’t brand new has some signs of wear and tear, but you shouldn’t see obvious problems with casual inspection. The physical appearance of pipes and plumbing fixtures can actually tell you a lot about the health of the home’s infrastructure. Keep an eye out for water damage as well. Yellow or brownish stains on walls and ceilings may be a result of water damage. Mold and mildew are also signs of a problem.

Pipes often run through walls and ceilings. Many ceilings are painted white or another very light color, so water stains show up well. Water may drip from the ceiling in cases of severe or ongoing leaks. Most leaks won’t be that severe though, especially in a home that’s up for sale. Look for water stains, watermarks, and cracks or bulges in the ceiling. A watermark may not be a deal-breaker if it comes from a fairly minor leak, but call a plumber if you have any suspicions. Hiring your own plumber is a good idea even if the realtor says the leak was already fixed. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially with a major investment like buying a home.

Water Pressure and Quality

Always test the water pressure. Make sure to turn on the tap on every sink in the house and the shower just to cover all the bases. You should be able to fill a glass of water quickly and take a comfortable shower. Pressure gauges can produce a very accurate reading, but they aren’t really necessary. Low water pressure is usually quite noticeable.

You should also turn off every water tap inside and outside the home and let them run for a few minutes. Keep an eye out for rusty or discolored water that could indicate contamination or deteriorating pipes. Fill a clear glass with water to examine it more closely. If the water looks good, you can also take a sip to make sure it tastes right. Don’t drink the water if you think there could be a problem. Call a plumber to evaluate the situation and possibly get the water tested to make sure it’s safe.

Clogs

Small clogs are an annoyance and may cause drains to slow down. Gurgling noises can also be an indication of a clog. Large clogs can actually force water to back up into sinks and toilets because the water can’t get through the blocked section of the pipe. Serious clogs can take a shower, toilet, or sink unusable. You should make sure that no clogs are already hanging out in your potential new home’s plumbing. Even a small obstruction can lead to bigger problems down the road that will then be your responsibility to fix.

Sewer Systems

The sewer system is also an essential part of any home’s plumbing. It’s also part of a home that most homeowners don’t have the experience or tools to deal with efficiently. It’s very difficult to detect problems without the help of a professional plumber to conduct a sewer inspection for you. Home inspections are a very common part of residential real estate transactions.

Most people want to have confidence in their decision before purchasing a new house, and home inspections are a vital part of the process. However, a general home inspection may not be enough to find problems in the sewer system. Even if you plan to buy a home with some issues and plan on making repairs, you should still know what you’re getting into. Most home inspections focus on the structural aspects of a house, and they are very thorough. Most of the sewer system isn’t located within the above-ground structure though. Plumbers use specific tools combined with their experience and education to evaluate sewer and drainage infrastructure that’s often located underground and out of the typical areas home inspectors are concerned with.

It’s a bad idea to skip sewer inspections because problems in this part of your new home could end up costing a lot of money and time in the future. Sewer pipes can be damaged by invasive tree roots, corrosive substances in soil, pressure and moisture saturation changes, and anything else that could disturb underground pipes and fixtures. Your plumber can use a specially designed camera to search inside pipes for possible corrosion, breaks, cracks, and blockages. Inspections can go beyond a simple diagnostic and find the exact points where residential pipes meet public infrastructure and even determine the lateral length. They can also locate potential areas of overlap with other homes in the area. There are a lot of details to keep track of.

If your new home will need a sewer system update, you might want to consider trenchless sewer line replacement. This method of installing sewer pipes is less disruptive and much less time-consuming than more traditional methods. You won’t see nearly as much damage to the yard and landscaping projects, which can cut down on expenses. Traditional trenched sewer pipes are harder to repair or replace.

Call the professional plumbers at Tioga Plumbing & Electric to find out how they can help you with almost any plumbing problem in Irving, TX. They can answer questions and help you make an informed decision before buying a home so you won’t run into plumbing surprises later.

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