It’s natural to feel excited when you’re handed the keys to your new house.
But before packing your stuff and moving into your dream home, it’s imperative you identify plumbing issues before moving in.
Many homeowners miss problems with their pipes, drains, sewers and toilets, jumping into a house that they might later discover is rife with plumbing issues. Even small concerns can turn into major problems soon if left unchecked!
Estimating the time and cost of repairs beforehand can save you a huge amount of worry and headaches that can come from surprise plumbing issues.
Our plumber in Melbourne explains…
Water leaks
You might have been so enamoured with your wall decorations, huge windows, and brand-new flooring while inspecting your new home. And while these are great, it’s easy to miss the cracks beneath the surface: leaks.
Left unsolved, leaks within your floor, ceiling, and walls can lead to mould, mildew, flooding, and worst of all, structural damage due to the water that slowly weakens your house foundation and building materials.
The problem, of course, is that you can’t exactly see this without diving into your walls and cabinets… which is why periodic plumbing inspections are so important!
Dysfunctional water heaters
Every home needs a functional and highly effective water heater. It’s hard to imagine daily life without it.
Regardless of whether yours is a tankless or storage hot water system, it’s always good to know when it was installed and what condition it’s in.
When checking the hot water in your new home, ask yourself:
- Is the water temperature consistent?
- Are there any tank or connection leaks?
- Does it have a low or high water pressure?
- Is the hot water system running well overall?
Some of those are pretty easy to pick out on your own. But problems like internal leaks are too risky to investigate yourself – instead, call a hot water plumber.
Broken pipes
Sure, there are things you can do to prolong your pipes. But let’s be real here: you can’t stop pipes from breaking.
Before moving to a new house, it’s always best to inspect existing pipes for wear and tear. Pipes that are exposed to various weather conditions or handle higher water pressure are especially vulnerable to damage.
Unfortunately, many homeowners take an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to pipes. Unless it’s obviously broken, it never crosses their mind to get their pipes inspected.
You can’t really blame the previous owners for that. That said, you don’t want to be the people the pipe finally gives out on!
Left unchecked, your pipes my need replacement due to breaking. Avoid the stress of further pipe damage by checking ahead. Only a thorough inspection of your home’s plumbing will reveal the true health of your new house’s pipes.
Toilet leaks and clogs
Many toilet problems don’t appear on your radar until you’ve already moved in.
Some common toilet problems include:
- Your toilet running continuously after being flushed
- Leaks in your fill tank or inlet valves
- Weak flushes
- Water-wasting cisterns
When flushing your toilet bowl, are you hearing a strange gurgling sound? Does water not subside after flushing? Does wastewater back-up? These are signs that you have a clogged toilet or drain, one of the most common toilet problems.
The clog might be caused by inadequate water flow, too much waste or debris, or poor drain lines. Who knows?
Why, your plumber does!
Clogged sewer lines
A blockage in one drain is annoying.
But blockages in all of them simultaneously? That’s a major problem!
Sewer lines drain waste water out of your home and into the city sewer system for disposal or treatment. Every drain in your house connects to the one sewer connection pipe.
Needless to say, if something goes wrong with this single connecting pipe, you can expect drains throughout your house to start backing up!
In addition to the usual suspects, tree roots, debris and broken pipes can also cause clogging in your sewer line. In many cases, this type of damage can result in major clogs necessitating sewer line repair or replacement from an emergency plumber.
DIY sewerage work is indeed a dirty job – not to mention, potentially a deadly job as well. We don’t recommend it!
Call your 24-hour emergency plumber in Melbourne today!
Whether you’re moving into a new home or worried about the state of your old one, regular plumbing inspections are a must. Who knows what problems might be bubbling away under the surface?
If you need an urgent and thorough plumbing inspection for your home, be sure to give the Watermaster team a call!
With 20 years of plumbing experience, you can trust our team of plumbing professionals to get right to the heart of the problem. Book a plumbing inspection today to uncover any hidden problems in your home.
In addition to inspections, we also offer immediate service for the following:
- Repairs and maintenance
- Installations
- Renovations
- Replacement of burst pipes
- Fixing leaking toilets
- Blocked drains
- …and any other plumbing services you might need!
Have any questions? Contact your local plumber in Melbourne today on 1300 156 650 or fill in this form and we’ll be in touch.