When Should You Consider a Plumbing Inspection?

Plumbing issues can be a major hassle and an unpredictable expense. Even a minor plumbing leak can result in a substantial increase in your water bills and lead to issues like extensive water damage and mold growth. Drain and sewer clogs can also put one or all of your plumbing fixtures out of order until you get the problem fixed. The best way to avoid potential plumbing problems in your home is with regular inspections, and this article will explain how often and in what situations you should schedule a plumbing inspection.

Recommended Interval for Plumbing Inspections

Experts generally recommend scheduling a full plumbing inspection every one to two years. If your home is no more than 10-15 years old, having your plumbing system inspected every two years will normally be sufficient to help you avoid major issues. For older homes, you’re much better off scheduling an annual inspection just to be safe. The only exception is if the house was renovated and had all of the plumbing replaced within the past 10 years or so.

While having a full plumbing inspection performed yearly isn’t always necessary, hiring a plumber to inspect and service your water heater annually is always a good idea. This is especially the case if you have a tank water heater that’s more than eight to 10 years old. Once tank water heaters reach this age, they typically have issues that can cause them to not perform as well and can lead to a fairly significant reduction in their energy efficiency. Older water heaters are also prone to leaking and can suddenly burst once they start leaking. Your water heater will perform better, be less likely to stop working, and last longer if you have it inspected and serviced every year.

Situations Warranting a Plumbing Inspection

Various other situations also warrant having some or all of your home’s water, drain, and sewer systems inspected. This includes if you experience frequent plumbing issues, are buying a new home, are planning on selling your house, or have a rental property that new tenants are going to move into. In the following sections, we’ll look at the benefits of having a plumbing inspection performed for each of these scenarios.

Frequent Plumbing Issues

From clogged drains to leaky faucets and running toilets, we all have to deal with plumbing issues from time to time. When you are continually facing various issues and calling a plumber for help, you need to be concerned. Frequent issues are usually either a sign that part of your plumbing is outdated and beginning to fail or that you have a major problem with your plumbing.

For instance, frequent leaks usually mean that your water lines are fairly corroded and are just going to keep developing more leaks until you get your house repiped. Similarly, low water pressure often means that your pipes are clogged by mineral deposits as a result of hard water.

Having your sewer system frequently back up is especially problematic and can happen for a few different reasons. If you have a cast iron sewer line that keeps backing up, it often indicates that the pipes are severely rusted and corroded. Tree root intrusion is another common problem that will result in frequent backups. Sewer lines can also settle over time, resulting in a belly (a sag) forming in the line that prevents it from draining properly and leads to it clogging frequently.

Buying a Home

If you need to get a mortgage to buy a new house, the bank or lender will generally always require that the house be inspected as a condition of them lending you the money to buy the property. The issue is that many places have fairly low requirements for becoming a general home inspector. In many cases, all the person has to do is take a course and then pass a basic certification exam to become licensed. In some places, you can work as a home inspector without any licenses or certifications.

In many cases, a general home inspector will miss existing issues with a house’s plumbing. If the inspector regularly works with the seller’s real estate agent, they may overlook and fail to report plumbing issues so as not to jeopardize the sale.

Scheduling a plumbing inspection after buying a new home is just a good idea. It can help you avoid nasty surprises and unnecessary expenses. If the home inspector’s report indicates any type of plumbing problems, it’s worth hiring a plumber to perform a specialized inspection before you close on the house. That way, you can determine the full extent of any plumbing issues and then either require the current owner to fix them before closing or negotiate to get the cost of the repairs taken off the closing price.

Selling Your House

One thing home buyers often dread is closing on a house only to find out that it has major plumbing problems or other issues that require extensive and costly repairs. Having your plumbing system inspected before listing your house for sale can be beneficial. The inspection record can be a good selling point since it will give prospective buyers peace of mind knowing that the house’s plumbing system is in good condition and doesn’t need any major work done. Having a specialized plumbing inspection performed also makes you seem more trustworthy to potential buyers. Another good thing about the inspection is that it will reveal any issues so that you can get them fixed beforehand and get a better price for your house.

Renting Out Your Property

Being a landlord can be lucrative, but it can also be a major hassle at the same time. This is especially the case if you get a call from your tenants in the middle of the night informing you that the plumbing is leaking, the sewage system is backed up, or they don’t have hot water. Having a plumbing inspection performed before re-listing your property for rent is an easy way to avoid this situation by ensuring any issues are identified and you can get them fixed before new tenants move in.

Tenants are also not necessarily as careful as someone would be with their own home. Some tenants could end up causing unseen damage or issues that force you to pay for repairs out of pocket down the road. If you have the plumbing inspected as soon as the tenants move out and the inspection reveals an issue like the sewer line being clogged from the tenant flushing wipes, diapers, or feminine hygiene products, you may be able to deduct the cost of the repair from their security deposit. If the cost of the repair exceeds their deposit, you also have the option to take them to court and force them to cover the full cost.

Black-Haak is a family-owned and -operated company with nearly 70 years of experience serving Fox Valley residents. We offer premier plumbing solutions and services and can help you find and overcome any plumbing issues in your home. To schedule a professional plumbing inspection, contact us today.