Do It Yourself Plumbing Inspection

When purchasing a new home, it’s important to check out the plumbing. Here’s a brief checklist of things you can check out yourself, before hiring a licensed plumber or home inspector to check it out for you. There’s no reason not to do a quick check on your own, just to find any obvious problems, but you shouldn’t go ahead with a purchase unless the house has been checked by a professional. Here are a few tips for doing it yourself.

Go over all exposed pipes – what you’re looking for are obvious leaks, especially for pipes that go through walls or the foundation. Check for corrosion or other signs of rust. This could prove to be a problem with either the pipe, or the water itself. Make sure you get a good look at the shutoff valves and the copper and brass fittings. If there are any indications of corrosion, it will appear here first. Sometimes, it could be as simple a problem as mismatched metals that are reacting with each other poorly. This is an indicator of bad plumbing. Make sure this gets fixed, or it will definitely cause leaks.

Water pressure is another problem area. If there’s low pressure, there’s probably a problem with sediment in the line, or a fixture. Check shower heads and faucets for this too. It could be an aerator problem as well.

Check all the drains to see how long it takes for water to drain. The speed of drainage could indicate if there is a blocked vent, or a clog. Full swirling drains are good. Bubbling drains are bad, and should be checked out by a licensed plumber.

If the house has a gas water heater, it should be checked for rust flakes in the burner chamber. The flame itself should be blue, not yellow. If the flame is yellow, or even flickers yellow, there could be soot in the gas-air mixture, or the jets could require cleaning.

The water heater should also be drained to check the sediment level on the bottom. This may be a job for a licensed plumbing contractor, to prevent damage to the unit. If it’s an electric water heater, make sure it’s turned off, or you could do serious damage to the unit’s heating element.

Give each toilet a flush to make sure they’re working well. Check for toilet leaks. Check the tanks for broken or missing parts. This should actually be the first thing you do, so that you’re still around ten minutes later if there’s a problem. If the toilet is still running after five minutes, there’s a slow leak somewhere that should be checked out. Check the toilet bases for rocking, as well. A loose toilet could be a sign of a broken seal or bolts that are either too loose or too tight. You might need to fix that toilet.

Check tiles around all the plumbing for cracks. This means especially the shower area, and around toilets and sinks. Check for rotting backerboard by tapping on tiles. If it sounds hollow, or seems loose, it could be the first sign of a problem. Check the caulking between tiles and around the shower and tub. It could need replacing as well. If the shower has sliding doors, check them for rust. Gaps and tears in the gaskets could lead to needing a new door. Don’t forget to unscrew the shower head to check for sediment.

Turn every plumbing fixture in the house on and off several times. Are there any leaks? Are they stubborn – difficult to turn? Check the set screws as well.

In the laundry room, check the washing machine hose for any leaks or cracks. It could be brittle, so give it a firm shake. The dryer vent should also be checked for tears. Also, if the floor around the dryer shows signs of lint, it could be a sign of a problem with the vent hose – probably a clog.

Probably the most important tip for doing your own home inspection is to carry a clipboard or a pad of paper with you as you do your rounds. Don’t trust yourself to remember specific problems; write everything down so there’s nothing left to chance. Getting all the information down on paper is also helpful for getting a big-picture of the entire house, and any plumbing problems there might be.