Just as the name implies, a plumbing inspection is a service provided by a licensed plumber who will come to your home and inspect all of the various facets of your plumbing system. In most cases, the inspection starts at the meter coming off of the city main and continues on through your yard and home and back out to where your drain connects to the city sewer system. Most often, this is a service that is requested when you are thinking about buying a new home and want to know that the house has good plumbing, or when you are about to sell your home and want to know that there are no issues that could hold up an offer on your place.
Plumbing Outside Your Home
Most homeowners don’t think about all of the plumbing fixtures and pipes that are on the outside of their home. There can be vacuum breakers to ensure that your water is never contaminated, hose bibs and valves for controlling outdoor spigots, water features, irrigation, and even swimming pools and spas. There is also the main valve that turns off all of the water service to your home. This valve is rarely ever used, but it can be very important if you even have an issue with the service line running to your home.
Plumbing Inside Your Home
Plumbing fixtures like faucets, showers, and toilets are what most homeowners are familiar with. But there is a lot more that makes up the plumbing in your home. A professional plumber will inspect all of the piping that is exposed in your home, including any that is in the basement or in the attic. If your home has a crawl space, the plumber will access that as well to be sure that you have no small leaks that could turn into a larger problem. After the pipes are inspected, each fixture its tested as well. Often times, a skilled plumber will find several tiny leaks that you were never aware of such as a leaking toilet flapper.
The next aspect of a plumbing inspection is often a surprise to homeowners. The plumber will inspect all of the drains in your home to be sure that there are no partial clogs that could become costly blockages. If there is a single drain that is slow to clear, the issue is in that particular drain. But should all of the drains be slow to clear, then there is an issue with the sewer pipe that carries all of the water and waste from your home to the city sewer.
The final piece of the inspection is devoted to your water heater. This is an appliance that most homeowners forget that they even own until it fails. But a cold shower is a quick reminder that water heaters need care and maintenance from time to time. The inspection includes not only looking for leaks but testing the temperature of the water and the pressure relief valve to be certain that it will function in the event of an emergency.
What To Expect After The Inspection
After your plumber has completed the inspection of your plumbing, you can expect to get a report that itemizes any issues that were found. These items can be small such as replacing washers in faucets or a toilet flapper. Larger items might include maintenance on the water heater such as draining the tank and cleaning it or a professional drain cleaning to eliminate build-up and future clog issues. With this comprehensive list, you can then make a well-informed decision about purchasing the home or about making any repairs if it is a house that you are going to sell. Remember, the small investment that you make in paying for a professional plumbing inspection can easily save you a lot of money in the future.
