Bethany and Joe in Smyrna, GA contacted us with questions about buying a home (a new-to-them home). They went through the process of having a home inspection – And the plumbing section of their inspection report was rather lengthy.
Some of the things in the report were a couple of water stains underneath sinks, a drippy faucet, and a toilet that was loose. Alot of times those inspection reports have a laundry list of stuff listed; but, 80-90% is very low fear level- not very critical or expensive (things can be fixed relatively simply).
Inspection Report Doesn’t Cover Some Important Plumbing Items
There are 3 plumbing items NOT usually on an inspection report (that should be checked BEFORE purchasing!).
#1 Sewer Line Inspection (most home inspection reports forget this)
The BIGGEST one that is NOT inspected is the sewer main. You don’t want to move into a house and, a week later, find out that there’s a problem with the sewer line and it’s going to cost you $$$$ thousands of dollars to replace it.
For a very small reasonable cost, we can come out with our sewer camera equipment and look inside that pipe and make sure there are no obstructions or other issues from the house to the street.
Common Sewer Issues:
- clogged pipe (which can cause sewer to back up into the home, and/or can cause toxic sewer gases to fill your home)
- tree roots growing into the sewer line (called root intrusion), which is the #1 cause of major sewer and drainage issues
- broken, cracked, collapsed, or misaligned sewer pipes
#2 Water Heater Age
You want to know the age of the water heater. Your standard type water heater has a lifespan typically of about 10 years. (Sometimes they live to 12-15 years.) But if the water heater is 10 years or older I would recommend replacing it, or at least budgeting for that in the very near future.
#3 Sewage Pump Details
Sewage pump systems, you want to know about these ahead of time. If the basement functions through a sewage pump system, then you’ll want to know
- when the pump was installed
- when it was repaired last
- complete list of all repairs made on the pump
- if it was ever replaced
- what kind of pump it is (and what that type of pump is capable of doing)
Home Inspection Reports Don’t Cover Some Important Plumbing Items
These are the 3 plumbing things I recommend checking if you’re looking at buying a used house. Know as much about the plumbing system as you can BEFORE making a purchase.
In the process of Buying a Home?
Are you buying a home, or know someone who is buying a home? Contact Trinity Plumbing. It’s extremely important to have the sewer line inspected BEFORE purchasing.
Recently Purchased a Home?
Know someone that just purchased a home? Contact trinity plumbing – We’ll fix the laundry list of plumbing items that were on the inspection report so you can have peace of mind and enjoy your new home.
