New Home Buyers Plumbing Checklist

Toilets

Start your check with the toilet, it can be really frustrating to find out that the toilet system does not work well. Flush the toilet to ensure that it drains properly and without any leaks. Go ahead and open the lid of the cistern and see that the water flows out without any problem and it is able to fill up with the right amount of pressure. As the toilet flushes, see that there is no leakage from any area, sometimes there may be cracks where water is escaping. Do this for all the toilets in the house.

Shower

The shower is an easy way to note the water pressure, turn on all the showers in the house and take note of the amount of pressure they have. If the pressure is low, there could be leakage or blockage in the pipes. Also, see to it that the water from the shower is draining well without any collection of stagnant water. While the shower is on, take note of the color of the water, sometimes it may appear rusty which would indicate problems with the pipe and the overall quality of water supplied to the house.

Pipes

Check all the pipes that are visible in and around the house. First of all, you want to be sure that there is no leakage. Old pipes are likely to have cracks or they can develop leakage at the joints. Inspect the joints for signs of leakage at times you can notice lines of rusty water running along the wall from the area of the leakage. Also, you want to ensure that the pipes are of the right size. Small pipes can affect the pressure of water and they can eventually burst because they are unable to contain the amount of water passing through them. The normal size is ½ from the sink to the tap and ¾ from the source of the water to the home.

Heater

First of all, ensure the heater is working, that it can heat water and water actually runs into the heater. Then you also want to check for corrosion, run the water, and look at the color and feel the temperature. It helps if the owner of the home can tell you when it was last serviced.

Sinks

The sink should be able to contain water without leaking but most important the drains should be free from blockage. Ensure there are no smells coming out of the drain and when you run the water, there is no gurgling sound as it goes through the drain. 

Walls

Look at the walls and ensure there is no sign of dampness caused by pipes leaking on the inside. Sometimes even the water may be coming out of the wall. Do you want to ensure that your new home is free of plumbing problems? Contact our experts today!