Plumbing

By Roland Thomas
Real Estate Broker /Consultant / Instructor

Remember that your real estate agent is not an expert nor or they licensed to advise you in many areas.
Here we are not presenting answers, but questions that you as the potential buyer should address and satisfy for yourself.

The agent can not determine that you will like the taste of the water or like the neighbor.
It is up to you to determine your comfort level and seek professional advice regarding this extremely big financial investment that you are about to make.

One such professional is your plumber.
I am not sure but I imagine that plumbers in all states are required to be tested and licensed. Do the research and deal only with licensed experts.

As regards plumbing:

In buying an existing home, you find that pipes are made of a variety of material from copper to lead.
Lead has been determined to be extremely hazardous to health.

There is a new type of a new type of water system you may have never seen before that is composed entirely of clear, flexible pipes that are basically hose pipes.

They are usually connected to a plastic control box with shut-off valves for each part of the house.

The hoses run up the inside wall and through the attic. There will be a feature article on this sight, about this system in the next few months.

Pipes in older homes might also be insulated with any hazardous material from asbestos to urea-formaldehyde!

Current EPA regulations forbid a variety of hazardous materials to be used in construction, but that does not guarantee the material was not used prior to the EPA ban or several years after the ban it may have been bought as salvage and installed illegally

Look under each sink including the kitchen sink to determine if the plumbing has ever been repaired or replaced.

1- Ask who replaced it.
If it were not a licensed plumber, it may cause future problems.
2-Look for corrosion or mineral build up around the faucets.
3-Look for water spots under the sink and behind commodes.
4-Turn on all water including the dishwasher and flush the commode with an "average amount" of paper to determine if the commode drains properly.
5- Is the water pressure in the tub diminished when you flush the commode?
6-How long does it take for the water to get "hot" after you turn it on in the kitchen and bath rooms?
7-How far is the hot water heater from the kitchen and baths?
8-Is the hot water electric or gas?
9-Is it properly vented?
10-Is it sitting up on a platform to prevent problems if the room is flooded?
11- If it is gas, is the heater sitting in a draft where it could easily blow out if the doors were opened and the wind was blowing?
12-If it is electric, is it properly wired?
13-If the original heater was replaced, who replaced it?
14-If the house is on a crawl space, you may want to personally climb under the house and check yourself.If you are not going to do that, make sure the building inspector will do it.
You need to check for current leaks,signs of old leaks, mold, rotten wood,or any previous damage caused by water.
On several occasions I have seen a tile floor in a bathroom that did not show signs of damage but when you inspected the floor from underneath, is was a totally rotten and could easily fall through.

15-If the house is on a cement slab you need to ask the inspector how they are gong to assure you of the conditions of the pipes in the cement.

16- While under the house someone needs to determine if the drain pipes slope from the sinks and other outlets toward the bigger pipe that leads to the outside of the house and to the sewer or septic tank.

17- If this is new construction ask to be present when the cement slab is poured.
mark pipes in case there is need for future repair but mostly be there to assure that pipes are adequately attached and they have no bends or curves that could cause blockage.
AND make sure there is a slope in the pipes downward toward the outside drain.

18-In existing or new construction, make sure there are "cut off" valves before each outlet to enable you to turn the water off for repairs without having to shut of the entire water supply.

19- more to come