Buying an Older Home? Use This Plumbing Checklist Before You Buy

Buying a new home can be daunting, especially when you are considering an older home. You may be concerned about hidden costs and repairs that may be revealed after you buy. A thorough home inspection can help uncover possible issues, but home inspectors may not see issues hidden behind walls or under the home in the plumbing. Before you buy, there are some areas that should be inspected by a professional plumber.

Complete Plumbing Inspection

Plumbing problems are not always apparent, especially during a standard home inspection. You need a plumber that can evaluate the type of piping and possible plumbing issues that may surface in the next few years. Some of the plumbing elements that should be inspected before buying an older home include:

  • Water heater performance
  • Type of piping – old lead pipes and polybutylene pipe often will need replacement
  • Video camera inspection of sewer lines
  • Septic system evaluation
  • Inspection of sump or ejector pumps
  • Check for leaking fixtures or pipes
  • Test water pressure and draining performance
  • Water quality testing and well evaluation

Having a professional evaluation of all the plumbing in the home can reveal any possible issues that will need repair or replacement. This can give you a chance to negotiate with the current owner to have plumbing issues resolved or a lower sale price to cover your costs.

Older homes can become money pits if there are hidden problems, especially with your plumbing. It is worth the investment to have a separate plumbing inspection performed to investigate all the items on this checklist to ensure you are making a wise purchase with your new home.

Posted on behalf of:
Kiddco Plumbing, Inc.
106-M Oakgrove Road
Sterling, VA 20166
(703) 435-4441

3 Ways to Maintain Your Sewer Lines

You probably don’t think much about your sewer lines. Those large pipes that transport waste and used water from your home quietly do their job year after year, often with no care at all. But if they do have a problem, it can be a messy, expensive issue. There are ways you can maintain your sewer lines and help avoid sewer backups and emergencies. Here are three ways to maintain your sewer lines and keep them working like they should.

  1. Watch what you put down your drains. Sewer line clogs don’t usually happen overnight. It is months, even years, of fats, grease, hair and other items that go down the drain that accumulate in the pipes. Use hair traps in your bathroom drains, don’t dump grease down the sink and don’t flush down non-biodegradable items. Have clogged drains repaired by a plumber before your pipes are permanently affected.
  2. Protect your sewer lines from damage. Driving over sewer lines can cause damage. Make sure you know where they are in your yard. Also, tree roots pose a risk to sewer lines. Plant trees away from sewer lines to avoid root infestation that can break your pipes.
  3. Routinely clean your sewer lines. Your local sewer/septic service can clear your sewer lines of sludge to avoid clogs. Schedule routine cleanings using hydro-jetting to remove tree roots and accumulated debris in your sewer lines.

Just doing a few maintenance tasks can go a long way in protecting your sewer lines. You can also have your sewer lines inspected with a digital camera to proactively repair problems before you have a backup. With some care, you can avoid many sewer line problems and the possibility of a sewer line emergency.

Posted on behalf of:
Seagraves Plumbing Sewer & Septic
4980 Plant Atkinson Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(494) 792-2221

Buying an Older Home? Have the Plumbing Inspected

When buying an older home, it is important to know what home improvements may be needed in the future. Apart from the sale price, you must consider possible expenses that you could incur due to the age of the home. When was the last time the roof was replaced? Is the furnace or HVAC system in good shape? Are there any underlying issues you need to know about? While a home inspection may reveal some of these problems, it may not uncover everything. Plumbing is one of the areas you may want to have separately inspected before you buy.

If the home was built in the 1980’s or before, it is a good idea to have the plumbing checked out before you buy. From the interior plumbing to the sewer pipes and septic system, there are many components that can be outdated. Replacing a septic system or the sewer lines can cost thousands of dollars; interior plumbing issues can lead to water and mold damage, as well as the expense to replace pipes and fixtures. Some areas that should be inspected include:

  • Camera inspection of exterior sewer lines
  • Water heater – is it efficient? When will it need to be replaced?
  • Interior pipes, drains and fixtures
  • Septic system and drain field inspection, if applicable

Having a local, expert plumber inspect the entire plumbing system is worth the investment before buying an older home. It can alert you to any potential issues so you are aware before you buy. If there is a major plumbing problem, you have the option of negotiating with the seller to have the issue fixed, changing your offer price or deciding that this may not be the right investment.

Posted on behalf of:
Seagraves Plumbing Sewer & Septic
4980 Plant Atkinson Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(494) 792-2221

Protect Your Investment With Hi-Tech Video Camera Inspections

Because drains and pipes are hidden underneath your home or business, they are easy to forget. However, drains and pipes eventually clog and over time are likely to deteriorate. In these cases, the concept out of sight, out of mind, can cause serious issues. You’re in luck – you no longer have to wait until something expensive breaks and causes expensive damage to your investment.

Video camera inspections of pipes, drain and sewer lines and septic tanks are preventative maintenance steps that can save you money and grief. Technology has improved so much that your plumber can use high tech video cameras to take images of the inside of drains, pipes and sewer lines to identify not only debris and dirt that requires cleaning, but fractured pipes, collapsed drains and tree roots just waiting to cause future damage.

For business owners, downtime caused by water or sewage damage can interrupt service and negatively impact profits. Leveraging regular camera inspections can pinpoint problem areas and help you prevent these potential financial catastrophes.

For home owners (and new home buyers), the financial loss and emotional strain caused by water or sewage damage to home and property can be devastating. Making  video camera inspections of your plumbing a part of your regular home maintenance can prevent heartache.

You can expect 3 basic steps in a video camera inspection of your drain lines, sewer lines, and septic system. First, the plumbing contractor will find an access point to insert the camera. Second, he or she will view and identify trouble areas inch by inch along the path of the camera as it is pulled or pushed through the line. Last, your plumber will provide a report including video footage that details the condition of your drain lines and sewer lines.