The plumbing check is a very crucial step for every old home, whether you are planning to buy one or living in one. The proper renovations in the older home ensure security and save a lot of unnecessary costs involved in future problems. You can’t be sure about the previous owner’s seriousness about the plumbing work in the house. Choosing a professional plumbing service can save you from landing in the hot water. All sorts of sewer cleaning and drain cleaning are also advised before actually finalizing an old home.
Here are some of the common aspects that needed to be checked for the old home plumbing to avoid any issues later:
#1. Copper Pipes
The older homes built from around the 1930s till nowadays have the older piping of copper with the involvement of lead-based soldering in between. The old homes have such a kind of pipeline with a mixture of copper and lead. This needs to be checked on priority while inspecting an old age home as the lead pipe can have very harmful effects on the body of young children. There have been some laws as well to avoid the use of lead in water pipes. But, in old homes, this is a very common problem and hence needs to be checked.
#2. Old Sewer Lines
The sewer lines in a house carry out the waste through the underground pipes and end up in the main sewer. Often, the old sewer lines start to erode, start leaking at joints, and face tree roots. Because of the usage of clay and cast iron in the making of the sewer pipes, there are high chances of breaking and are vulnerable. This should be properly monitored and corrected by some plumber.
#3. Old Water Heaters
The old homes have outdated water heaters that have been non-functional for several years. You should be aware of the water heater installation and usage timeline. The life of a tank water heater is around 8-12 years and hence it is advised to replace the same if yours is falling in the same age range. The tankless water heaters are modern-day water heaters and a better alternative to replace the old ones. The cost-effective way is to ensure that the water heater is serviced in the old home.
#4. Complete Plumbing
The entire pipes and water lines etc. in the old homes can be thoroughly inspected and the plumber expert should be assigned to put up all sorts of extra efforts in fixing the entire old house. Older or faulty items like toilets, dishwashers, etc. can be replaced with modern efficient models. The entire plumbing check in the old home may save from water leaks and other problems in the future.
There might be a chance that the plumbing, sewer cleaning or drain cleaning hasn’t been done in the old home. Often people avoid these crucial steps to save some money or don’t find these worthy enough. But, one should be sure to get the house inspected with the right home inspector and ensure correct piping and plumbing.