The Importance of an Edmonton Home Inspection

You may be looking for a new home. We can be as swept away by the novelty of this change in our lives, such as buying new furniture and planning the landscaping. However, we must do our research before buying a home. Responsible homeownership means taking good care of your home and inspecting it regularly. Do you know that a new homeowner should inspect residential plumbing? You will find the usual stuff, such as toilets and drains. It also includes any fixtures that can lead to water or sewerage. The plumbing of your home includes your sump pump and water heater and the water lines that connect to it. For water to flow freely in your home, these items must work together. If one element in the harmony is disturbed, it can cause a whole host of problems that could end up costing you thousands of dollars. It is best to inspect your home to avoid any hidden costs or headaches.

What is Included in a Home Inspection?

A home inspector will usually assess the home’s structural health that you are buying. For example, how strong are the walls? How secure is the roof? How well is the insulation of the roof? The inspector will check the cooling and heating systems to ensure they are safe and do not pose fire hazards. The requirements for a home inspection are quite extensive and cover most of the essential information needed to determine the health of your house.

According to the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors National Standards of Practice, the following is a summary of what your home inspector must look at when inspecting your new home.

• Structural systems (foundation, framing etc.)
• Exterior systems (garage, front doors, porches, decks etc.)
• Roof systems
• Plumbing systems
• Electrical systems
• Heating systems
• Fireplaces and solid fuel-burning appliances
• Air conditioning systems
• Interior systems (walls, ceilings, floors, railings etc.)
• Insulation and Vapour Barriers
• Both mechanical and natural ventilation systems

Is there anything that is not included in a home inspection?

There is a general inspection of the plumbing system in a regular home inspection in edmonton. This is where things get complicated – most home inspectors don’t conduct a complete plumbing inspection when assessing the risk of your new home. While an inspector may find a toilet that is leaking through your floorboards, it’s possible that they also miss a failing sewer or a problem with the water system. When you buy the house and find plumbing problems, you will have a bigger problem and more costly to fix. Home inspectors are not allowed to dig into your sewer lines. This is a major problem. It is difficult to predict the cost of repairs when your home’s sewer lines are clogged. It depends on whether or not the backup can be snagged out. Or if the entire front lawn must be removed to allow access to the pipes. However, the cost of a sewer line inspection is negligible in comparison to how much money and time it will take. You’ll need to spend money to fix them. Only a licensed plumber can see all of these details.

Home inspectors can be qualified and experienced in assessing the health of your house. But, much like you prefer a cardiologist for your open-heart procedure to your general practitioner, a specialist will inspect the complicated nature of your plumbing.

Important Points to Remember about Your Home’s Plumber

Plumbing in your home goes beyond the taps and toilets. You have a lot more hidden within your walls, basement, and underground. Every element matters as each plays a part in the smooth water flow through your home.

Did you know that a plumber could do a camera inspection of your sewer? You can think of it as a kind of gastroscopy for the home. The plumber runs a rod from his camera through the sewer and inspects the pipes from inside. It is common for homes to be resold due to problems with their sewers. The seller might find a small problem that they can resolve quickly, or it could reveal that the sewer is in excellent condition with no issues. The peace of mind that it provides is priceless.

It is important to know about sewer issues. A blocked sewer line can cause backflow, sometimes known as sewage. Backflow is when sewage backs up into your home, most often onto your basement floor.

You don’t have to give up if you find a serious sewer problem in the home that you want to purchase. Sometimes, you may be able negotiate a deal that works for both of you. A common resolution is to either negotiate a lower price or keep the price the same, but the seller would repair or replace the sewer at their expense.

Broken Water Lines

Broken water lines can take a while to be detected. These are the pipes that bring water to your house. They can crack or become leaking. It is amazing the damage water leaking can do to your home. Water can seep into your wood structure, drywall, floors and cause mildew and mould growth. A plumber will have the experience and skills to spot problems that an untrained eye misses and assess your water lines’ condition and health.

Depending on its age, there are several types of water pipes that homes can have. Some materials are better than other and some are just not right. Galvanized water pipes should be replaced immediately if you are considering buying a home. It is good to start saving money for replacements if your home has Poly-B (grey/black plastic) water lines.

Regular inspection

You should inspect your water heater regularly. To prevent sediment build-up on the heater’s inside, drain it every 6-12 months. If your water heater is not in good condition, you might have to take cold showers until it’s fixed or replaced. You may be able to negotiate a lower price if you catch it early enough. You should be looking out for water leaks around the water heater. They are a sure sign that your water heater is past its prime.

The sump pump is the most important device that can prevent flooding from your home. A floating device inside the sump pumps tells it when and where to pump water away. If your sump pumps stop working or the problem is not addressed, it will only take one rainstorm or thaw for your basement to flood. Keep your pump in good working order, especially during the spring and summer thawings. You can ask your home plumber for help if you are unsure of what to look out for.

You should have shut off and isolation valves in your house. You should place isolation valves at each water line’s end that connects with a fixture. This includes all toilets and the hot and cool lines to each faucet. You can shut off water from the valve you have installed without affecting any other water supply. Every home also has a main shut-off valve for water coming into the home. This valve must be in good working order within your home. You may not be able stop water flow if the main water valve fails. It should be checked and cycled frequently to make sure it doesn’t leak.

You should also inspect the drain lines inside your home. As they hide behind walls and floors, drain pipes can be easy to forget about. To test each drain, it is a good idea. You can fill your kitchen sinks with water. Then, pull the plugs. Do they drain quickly in a whirlpool, or slowly as the water flows through? If they drain slowly they may need to be cleaned or other problems may be under the basement floor.

After you move in, it would be terrible to find out that your basement has to be broken up to fix the drain pipe underneath the floor. Although it may seem absurd, this is very common in homes that have cast iron drain pipes. Make sure you do your research before you purchase.

Why should you use a plumber?

Many plumbing horror stories might surprise you. There have been many strange things found in people’s pipes. It could be anything from children’s toys to dentures. It is likely that you don’t have any idea of what the previous homeowner thought it was wise to dump in the kitchen sink or toilet. You might find your home blocked with unusual things. This is a frightening thought. Smaller animals have become stuck to the pipes on the roofs, and unfortunately they didn’t make their way back out. This led to blockages, and eventually, unpleasant odours. Homes can even rot from within due leakages. These are not visible signs to the naked eye. It is not possible to identify all the parts involved in making sure your home’s plumbing is safe and working well. Regular inspections are a must for any homeowner. It is even more important for those who purchase homes that they don’t know. You don’t need to trust your home to a plumber.

Only licensed plumbers are qualified to do the job correctly. It is crucial to examine the plumbing system before buying a home. Include this information in your contract, if possible. You will be glad you did. This will give you the assurance that your largest investment, and most likely your biggest, in life, your home, is going smoothly. There is nothing worse than buying a lemon-colored car. You don’t have to wait for your basement flooding to discover underlying plumbing issues.

You can have confidence in the plumbing condition of your home by having it inspected before you buy. Plumbers who are qualified know the ropes. They’re so confident in their knowledge that they’ll guarantee your work. It’s your goal to be able to move into this new phase of your life with confidence knowing that you don’t have to worry about unpacking. A plumbing inspection removes one more stress. To avoid any costly plumbing surprises, you can trust a licensed plumber.

Plumbing companies are well-respected for their years of experience. Our knowledgeable plumbers are experts in their field. Their extensive training and years of experience means they can spot red flags as soon as they enter your home. A plumber who is not as experienced in plumbing problems may need to spend days or months diagnosing the issue.

It’s simple: Don’t risk your money. Your home is too valuable an investment to risk. You can be sure your home inspection is 100% complete by having a plumber inspect it.

All property types benefit from a plumbing inspection

It could be your home, or the place where you want to run your business. You should remember that commercial properties require the same care as homes. There are many benefits to getting a plumbing inspection done before you move your family or business.

Residential

• Your home inspector may have missed some details. Uninspected sewer lines could lead to thousands of dollars in repair costs. Make sure you have a thorough inspection
• You and your family deserve a safe home.
• You don’t have to worry about returning from vacation to a flood-prone home.
• It is possible to save thousands of dollars by catching issues before they cause damage.

Commercial

• Protect your valuable assets from unanticipated plumbing surprises
• You can save your company money in the long term
• Avoid falling for costly repairs that could easily have been avoided by performing a routine inspection of your plumbing system.
• You can avoid downtime for your company. Repairs are not only expensive but can also take several weeks, depending on the extent of the damage. You can avoid the shock cost and loss in revenue that comes with a plumbing problem.

It is possible that you have not had an extensive plumbing inspection performed on your commercial or residential property. Should you encounter any plumbing emergencies as a result, do not risk furthering the damage by trying to repair it on your own or hiring a “jack-of-all-trades”. Even though this may work sometimes, a licensed plumber will be able to diagnose and fix the problem. The licensed plumber can help prevent future issues and teach you how to maintain your plumbing properly. Never delay in getting a plumber to inspect your plumbing. You can prevent future plumbing emergencies if your home is already inspected.

Plumbing is a modern miracle, but we forget this. You can access water from your home by simply turning the handle of a faucet. Voila, an endless flow! Many elements are necessary to ensure that our homes have working pipes and plumbing systems. One component could cause problems that can affect the entire system. A new homeowner, particularly a first-time buyer, cannot take on all the responsibility. Your life is already full of responsibilities. It is important to have experts inspect the plumbing in your home. A plumbing inspection will help you take care of your home and yourself. For peace of mind, a responsible homeowner will know that a plumbing inspection can be very beneficial.