You know that your heating and air conditioning will need maintenance if you’re to avoid an expensive broken air conditioner. You know you need to call a plumber if your pipes burst or you’ve got a leak you just can’t seem to get under control. But do you get regular plumbing inspection to make sure you don’t have larger plumbing problems later? What should you expect if you get a plumbing inspection?
The Water Supply
The first step in a plumbing inspection should be to see what type of water pipes you have, what their general condition is from a visual inspection, and how your various fixtures are working. This will mean turning on all the faucets, both hot and cold, and making sure everything is connected correctly and flowing well. It will also mean a check of the outside connections, too.
Water Heater
When it comes to plumbing problems, few things cause as much headache as the hot water heater. It’s a delicate, high-pressure machine that requires regular checks for safety and can quickly become dangerous if issues are ignored. Even if the hot water heater isn’t an active danger, it can cost you a lot of money in wasted efficiency if it isn’t being maintained properly. Your plumbing inspection should include a careful check of this important appliance.
Drains
Drains are often a headache, and an inspection should help you identify small problems before they become life-changing bigger ones. Plumbing inspection will include a check of water pressure, drain flow, and a check for any leaks in the drains. It also includes a check of those vents that release sewer gases and keep water from being pulled from the drain traps.
Basement Issues
Some houses with basements have a main water drain that is located at street level. In this case, basement piping is actually below the main drain. This means all basement sinks, tubs, or toilets have to be pumped up to meet the main drain. Sewer ejectors are the devices uses to accomplish this, but these devices frequently have issues. Sometimes they break, and often they are not installed correctly or vented in the right manner. Your plumbing inspection will check and note what’s going on in the basement.
Septic Systems
If you are not on your municipal sewer system, then you probably have a septic tank buried in the yard. These systems are great when they work and a nightmare when they don’t. If you maintain, inspect, and drain them properly you can expect them to work just fine. If you ignore your septic system, you can expect a very costly and potentially dangerous issue to develop down the line. If you have a septic system, make sure you get that inspected, too.
If you want to avoid large plumbing jobs, your best bet is to get plumbing help in the form of regular plumbing inspection. While it will cost money to have this done yearly, it will save you money if it keeps you from developing a catastrophic plumbing issue; not to mention that it will save you the hassle and stress of dealing with a major leak, septic tank back up, or damage to your home from a plumbing problem.
