Plumbing problems can be frustrating and annoying. Once neglected, they may require expensive repairs. However, having a professional plumber conduct a whole-house plumbing inspection once a year is one way to avoid these problems.
While nobody likes spending money on plumbing, scheduling regular maintenance and inspection can help you avoid expensive repairs over time. A whole-house plumbing inspection provides your system with the extra care it deserves to function efficiently. It also gives you a better idea of your plumbing system’s overall condition.
If you’re unsure about whole-house plumbing inspection, this comprehensive guide will provide further information.
An Overview Of Whole-House Plumbing Inspection
A whole-house plumbing inspection is a thorough and detailed check of your plumbing system. Professional plumbers similar to https://www.mrrooter.ca/mississauga/ will inspect your sinks, pipes, and anything related to your plumbing system for signs of damage.
Depending on the inspection’s results, plumbers will recommend the best possible solution to ensure your plumbing system works efficiently. However, a whole-house plumbing inspection isn’t a simple process.
So, before you schedule one, it’s best to know what’s involved in the process and read a plumbing glossary to be familiar with plumbing terms:
Test Plumbing Fixtures
Plumbing problems may appear anywhere, including showers, sinks, toilets, and faucets. Plumbers will start the inspection process by testing all your plumbing fixtures to determine whether they’re in working order.
Assess Sump Pump
Not all homes have sump pumps. If you have one, sump pump evaluation is one of the services rendered by plumbers. It’s often included in their whole-house plumbing inspection checklist, which aims to know your system’s condition.
Generally, a sump pump helps keep your crawlspace or basement dry during a flood. Hence, a regular inspection will give you peace of mind during extreme weather conditions.
Check The Water Pressure
The water pressure in your home must have a perfect balance. While low water pressure will make it hard to get water from the faucets, high water pressure, on the other hand, may cause damage to your pipes. During a whole-house plumbing inspection, proper water pressure can help prevent various plumbing issues, including pipe leaks.
Examine Shutoff Valves
Your property has shutoff valves, usually connected to your water supply and other plumbing fixtures. Such valves enable you to turn off the water to several plumbing fixtures. Therefore, it’s vital to ensure that they’re working properly.
Meanwhile, what’s involved in a whole-house plumbing inspection may vary widely depending on the plumber’s approach. Nevertheless, you can guarantee they’ll test and examine the shutoff valves. Remember that plumbing emergencies can happen anytime. With properly functioning shutoff valves, you can quickly stop the water flow in your home.
Inspect Water Heater
Another thing involved in a whole-house plumbing inspection is inspecting the water heater. Regardless of the type of water heater, it must be inspected regularly to ensure safety for you and your family and check if it’s working properly. When plumbers inspect your water heater, they’ll likely check your water heater tank for any signs of rust and sediment buildup.
Check For Leaky Pipes
Even if sewer and water pipes are made to last longer, they can be worn or damaged. For this reason, leaks and some plumbing issues may happen, resulting in unwanted and costly water damage.
Thus, using advanced plumbing tools and equipment, plumbers will inspect your property’s sewer, sink, and shower drains. Such tools make fixing or diagnosing any drain or pipe problem easy. Moreover, plumbers may suggest a sewer line replacement or main water repair, depending on the issue.
Benefits Of Whole-House Plumbing Inspection
A quality whole-house plumbing inspection offers many significant benefits. With the know-how and experience of a plumber, you can guarantee that these professionals will help you understand your plumbing system’s current condition. Also, they can teach you how to deal with early signs of plumbing problems to keep your plumbing system functioning well.
Here are the other benefits of a whole-house plumbing inspection:
1. Peace Of Mind
If you often worry about your plumbing system’s condition, a whole-house plumbing inspection is an excellent idea. It may help keep your house in good condition, allowing you to live comfortably with your family.
If you’re selling your home or buying a new one, a whole-house plumbing inspection is recommended to know if there are problems and determine the necessary repairs. Besides, no one knows what lies between the walls. A plumbing inspection makes it easy to know the property’s condition and helps you upgrade its value over time.
2. Uncover Early Signs Of Plumbing Damage
Once you consider a whole-house plumbing inspection, one of the benefits you can experience is being able to detect the early signs of damage in your plumbing system. Professionals can check for broken pipes or leaks in areas you might not notice.
The best thing about it is that once they identify the damages, they can quickly treat them to avoid the worst-case scenarios. Doing so can help you enjoy savings and eliminate future inconveniences in your house.
Besides savings on repairs, you can also save more on your water bills, especially if there are hidden leaks inside your home. A small leak may seem like a minor plumbing issue, but it can cause a spike in your water bill.
Hence, if you don’t want to pay more for your water bills, it’s best to address water leaks quickly. In addition, waiting for more significant plumbing issues to happen instead of preventing them immediately may cause more inconvenience to you and your family.
In addition, some plumbing repairs can be time-consuming, and it’d be hard to stock up on water for showers, drinking, cleaning, and cooking. This is why it’s better to treat problems while they’re at the early stage to avoid added cost and inconvenience.
3. Get Expert Advice
Expert plumbers don’t only inspect your house for plumbing problems, but they also provide advice on how to keep a plumbing system in good condition for a long time.
Typically, plumbing experts will give tips and advice. These include saving energy and water and fixing minor plumbing issues immediately. With such advice, you can be sure that your plumbing system will be efficient and won’t cause headaches.
4. Add Safety
Apart from checking your pipe’s condition, a whole-house plumbing inspection will also make your house safer. Plumbers perform an overall checkup of every pipeline installed throughout your property.
Furthermore, they can inspect whether or not faulty pipes are causing other issues in your home. For example, if there’s a hidden leak, mold growth may occur in surrounding areas. Once it happens, your family’s health will be at stake, particularly those with asthma.
Another thing that plumbers check is whether there are gas leaks or water heater leaks. Keep in mind that small gas leaks can harm you and your family. Meanwhile, some gas leak symptoms are headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and difficulty breathing.
Gas leaks can also be fatal. Therefore, when you let plumbers check the gas line, you can be sure your property is safe from gas leak problems.
5. Better Air Quality
Including air quality among the benefits of a whole-house plumbing inspection may seem weird. However, what homeowners should know is that a property’s plumbing system has a direct impact on indoor air quality.
Plumbing issues, including valve glitches, water pressure concerns, and cracked pipes, can cause water leaks. Consequently, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria, mildew, and mold when neglected.
Mold and mildew can produce irritants and allergens, negatively affecting indoor air quality. These can also cause allergic reactions, such as skin rash, red eyes, sneezing, and runny nose. So, if you or one of your family members has allergies, you might want to consider a whole-house plumbing inspection to avoid water leaks in the future.
6. Maintain Property Value
If you want to sell your home in the future, one of the ways to boost its overall value is to take good care of it. Potential homebuyers are willing to pay for properties in sound shape with no risk of flooding from a clogged toilet or dishwasher.
You may even experience little or no difficulty securing your preferred market price because a well-maintained property with an efficient plumbing system is worth the money.
When Should You Schedule A Whole-House Plumbing Inspection?
It’s tough for homeowners to know when to hire a plumber because some try to tackle plumbing issues themselves. While do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions can help you enjoy savings, it’s wise to leave your plumbing needs to the experts.
Furthermore, DIY solutions may worsen the problem, resulting in expensive repairs. Once you notice plumbing issues, such as water damage and leaks, it’s time to schedule a whole-house plumbing inspection.
Aside from leaks or water damage, there are some situations where you must consider getting a plumbing inspection from professionals. For example, suppose you’re planning to sell your property or want to ensure your plumbing system is in good condition.
Hence, scheduling a whole-house plumbing inspection can be a preventive maintenance strategy to help lessen the risks of serious plumbing issues. A thorough inspection of your plumbing system can also save you from hassles and headaches.
What Happens After A Whole-House Plumbing Inspection?
A whole-house plumbing inspection can uncover various things, such as fixtures that are no longer up to code and other significant plumbing issues. After the inspection, plumbing experts will discuss the outcome with you. They’ll discuss the plumbing problems they find and recommend the right solution.
Plumbing professionals will also address simple plumbing issues, including clogged drains, and prioritize necessary repairs immediately. Depending on the results, plumbers will give you an estimate for the repairs and services.
How To Choose The Best Whole-House Plumbing Inspection Service Provider
Once you’ve decided to have your whole-house plumbing inspection, it’s time to choose the most suitable service provider. You have to remember that not all plumbing inspection experts are the same. So, if you don’t want to regret anything, keep the following in mind and hire the right plumber:
Do Your Homework
Research is the key to finding a good service provider. You can start your research by browsing online. Most plumbing companies offering a whole-house inspection have their websites and profiles online. You can also ask for referrals from other people who have considered a plumbing inspection in the past.
Read Reviews Or Testimonials
To work with the most reputable plumbing inspection service provider, you should read reviews or testimonials online. If possible, read both negative and positive reviews to help you make an informed decision. When clients have the same complaints, it’s best to search for another service provider that can provide you with better service.
Check The Experience
While you can always rely on new service providers for a whole-house plumbing inspection, it may come in handy to opt for professionals with years of experience in the industry. Highly experienced plumbers also have many clients they’ve worked with throughout the years. They know that if they mess up with their work, it’s their loss.
You can guarantee that experienced plumbers will do a great job and won’t cause you any inconvenience. Plus, these professionals are friendly, hardworking, and can complete a plumbing project on time.
Pricing
Another thing to consider when looking for a service provider is the pricing. Plumbing professionals vary widely in terms of fees. While others ask for a flat rate, some may charge per hour. Depending on your budget and estimates of your preferred provider, settle with the one that offers reasonable pricing.
If possible, avoid providers offering too-good-to-be-true pricing. The cheapest isn’t always the best, and the most expensive doesn’t also guarantee a quality service. Therefore, comparing every service provider’s pricing carefully is wise before choosing one.
Wrapping Up
A whole-house plumbing inspection means an extra expense, but its countless benefits make it a worthwhile investment for homeowners. It provides a clear picture of your plumbing system’s condition, enabling you to know what to replace or repair.
However, hire a reliable plumber who provides top-notch quality service to get your desired results with a whole-house plumbing inspection.