Know Before You Buy: Are The Pipes Going Bad?

The plumbing in your home is of critical importance. Without it, you won’t have running water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. If your plumbing experiences problems, you not only risk not having the steady supply of water you need, but you also will have to pay dearly for the repairs. Plumbing work can be some of the most expensive repairs your home needs.

If you are shopping for a new home, you need to be careful so you don’t end up with a house that has bad plumbing that will cost you thousands to repair or replace. Unfortunately, you can’t see the signs of the problems as obviously as, say, a crumbling roof or peeling paint. You need to know the signs so you can avoid a bad buy.

Here are a few of the top signs that the pipes in a home could be going bad:

Rumbling Near the Water Main

Make sure you turn on the faucets in all the sinks and tubs when you are touring a potential home. When you turn on each faucet, the only thing you should hear is the beautiful, soft sound of water flowing. However, if there is a problem with the pipes, you may hear a loud rumbling, and the faucet may even vibrate. You can also hear this rumbling when the toilet is flushed.

In very bad cases, you may also hear rumbling if the water isn’t running. If you hear rumbling whether the water is on or not, that’s a good sign the house needs re-piping or some other repair. Make sure you talk with an experienced plumber to get to the source of the problem before you commit to buy the house.

Sewage Smell

You should never smell sewage inside a home. If you do, it’s a sure sign that there’s a problem with the pipes somewhere. It could be that a pipe is leaking, or it could be that a pipe is clogged and materials are backing up or getting stuck and causing smells to emanate.

Be on the alert for sewage smells near the bottom floor of a home. However, know that you can smell these unpleasant odors anywhere in the home if there is a problem. Call a Mission Viejo re-piping company to investigate the cause if you notice these odors.

Water Damage

Leaking pipes can cause extensive water damage throughout the home. You can find signs just about anywhere, including damp drywall, brown or yellow spots on the ceiling or walls, or even small puddles of water on the floor or carpet. Know that mold and mildew are also signs of leaking pipes, and they can spread far from the original source, so long as there is moisture present.

Water damage is almost a sure sign that a house needs re-piping. However, if there is a small amount of water damage, it may be that a connection is not secure or something was improperly installed and just needs to be corrected.

Poor Water Pressure

Problems in the pipes will cause water to leak out or will inhibit water flow, which can cause the water pressure to drop noticeably. You may not have a point of comparison if you are shopping for a home, but you can notice if the water is coming out of the faucets weakly. Turn on all the faucets and shower heads and pay attention to how far you have to turn up the water to get a good flow.

Talk with a Mission Viejo re-piping plumber to find out if you’ve got a piping issue or if you need to make other corrections to the plumbing. The older the house, the more likely it’s going to need re-piping.

Don’t get taken by surprise after you move into your new home and start having problems with the plumbing. Be on the lookout for these signs that the pipes might be going bad. Then you can consult with a re-piping company in Mission Viejo to know what kind of problems you’re looking at before you buy. The home may still be worth it for you, depending on the extent of the damage and the cost of repairing it.

Integrity Pipe is a California re-piping company that can help you make sure you are making a good investment. Our experienced plumbers can inspect your home and let you know if you need to re-pipe or if you need to make some other plumbing repairs. We’ll give you a good idea of the cost to repair the home, as well as feedback about the impact that making the repairs or leaving the problems in place will have. Call us in Mission Viejo today if you think you may need to re-pipe or if you want to get an expert opinion.