Most of us give hardly a second thought to what actually happens when we turn on the water faucet and enjoy the wonderful sound and (hopefully) refreshing taste of clean, cool water. Unfortunately, we all have suffered from a lack thereof and at these times it becomes painfully clear how dependent we all are on this simple chemical compound.

The licensed inspector must be very knowledgeable in this area as there are hundreds of potential problems in any structure’s plumbing. In this issue we will touch on a few of the major ones.

Of course, the inspector must find leaks wherever they may be. He hopes they are in a visible location though all too frequently they are in a wall (a moisture meter comes in handy here), under the house, or even in the slab! It is imperative the inspector run the water while he is under the house if pier & beam.

If the house is in a hard water area, the inspector knows leaks will be more prevalent and dishwashers and water heaters will have a shorter useful life. I mention to the buyer that they should consider leasing or purchasing a water softener if they are moving into one of these areas – otherwise the plumbing system will suffer accordingly.

Older homes with galvanized steel pipes will most certainly have more problems such as electrolysis, corrosion and scaling. This type of pipe has a service life of 60-70 years (much less in a hard water area) and can be the cause of a very big plumbing bill; i.e. total system replacement. It is best the buyer be made aware of this potential cost if he is purchasing a home of this approximate age.

Lead piping is not a significant problem in this area although lead-based solder was in use until 1997.

Existing houses with the old lead solder do not pose a significant health problem in my opinion as a calcium/lime buildup inside the pipe quickly prevents the solder from leaching out into the water.

Another item the experienced inspector will check for is the presence of back-flow prevention devices. Basically these devices make sure the water will flow in only one direction. They need to be installed on all outside faucets (homes built since about 1977), in-ground sprinkler systems, dishwashers, toilets, and automatic pool filling equipment. Without them, contaminated water could flow from, say, the inside of a toilet tank into the potable drinking water of the house, causing a myriad of health problems. It is no fun to start brushing your teeth and have blue water flow from your lavatory tap.

Traps, those curved drain pipes under the sink, are very important & must be in place at all fixtures connected to the sewer system to prevent noxious, combustible sewage fumes from coming into the house. Some of the older types of traps are no longer permitted by the building codes, and a good inspector should seek these out.

Concerning water heaters, it is critical for the inspector to look for missing or improperly installed pressure relief valves and lines. Without them the water heater is a bomb ready to go off with deadly force. A small 30 gallon water heater will explode with the equivalent of two pounds of TNT! Needless to say, it is also imperative the flue pipes are installed properly and draft well.

A final note, some water pipes are found in attics or under older homes. It is a thoughtful inspector who brings this to the attention of prospective home owners so they can insulate the pipes against possible freezing in the Winter.



Courtesy of Precision Inspection (512) 282-0455

Tagged as: water heaters, water softners