Shopping for a new house? Whether it’s your first time buying a home or your fifth, knowing what you’re getting into before you sign on the dotted line is always a smart financial move. All too often, people purchase properties only to find out later that they require a great deal of costly residential plumbing and heating work. While many Saskatoon plumbers will assess the plumbing and heating setup in a house for a fee, there are some simple ways to identify common plumbing issues that could cost you a significant amount in repairs, down the road.
What Water Pressure Can Tell You
Whenever you go to look at a house, it’s always a good idea to run the water in the sinks or a shower to see the strength of the water pressure. If the pressure is weak, you can typically conclude that the residential plumbing is old, and that the galvanized steel or cast iron pipes that were commonplace in houses plumbed before the 1960’s have started to corrode.
Slow Drainage is a Concern
Like water pressure, the rate at which water drains in a house will give you an idea of whether or not there could be a larger plumbing issue. Slow drainage could be caused by much more than just a blocked pipe. In some cases, it’s a sign that the house has old drainage pipes that need to be replaced. This is something you could confirm with the help of Saskatoon plumbers, but especially in older homes, replacing a main drainage pipe can be costly because they’re often difficult to access. If the drainage pipe is in the floor or behind a wall, you’ll have to hire other trades people to get to it.
Water Stains are Signs of Larger Residential Plumbing Problems
When you walk through a house, be on the lookout for water stains on ceilings, walls and baseboards, in kitchen and bathroom cupboards, around the shower and any other place where there’s plumbing. If there’s blistered paint on any of the walls in the home, that too is a sign that there’s been a leak in plumbing. In addition to water stains, check the floor around the base of the toilets and bathtubs or showers. If the floor springs back when you apply pressure, it’s a good indication that water has been leaking from the fixtures. These types of issues will not only require you to hire a plumber, but also a trades person to repair the rotten flooring, all of which can add up quickly.
Beyond the visible signs, make note of a mildew smell. A musty smell is a guarantee that there is or has been some type of moisture issue in the past, and whether it was caused by leaky plumbing, flooding or anything else, it’s never a good sign.
Check the Furnace Filter
A clogged furnace filter can put a lot of strain on a furnace. Take a moment to remove the furnace filter (hopefully there is one installed) and see how dirty it is. It’s a simple test that will give you some insight on how well the previous owners took care of important plumbing and heating systems in the home.
If you find a house that you really like but you’ve identified one or more of the plumbing and heating warning signs I’ve mentioned here, you can always hire Saskatoon plumbers to confirm your suspicions. They can also give you an idea of what it will cost to repair or replace the plumbing.
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Plumbing Category on THE Saskatoon Directory of excellence.