Buying a previously lived in house can leave you with many interior surprises. Inspections generally over include aspects of the home that can be easily seen. They often do not include a thorough plumbing inspection. Your plumbing is run throughout your entire house and is even run underneath the foundation of your house. A single plumbing problem can require you to tear out walls, piping, and even the foundation of your house. Although this cannot always be prevented, there are steps that you can take to minimize your plumbing costs overall.
Schedule regular inspections
Plumbing inspections are a great way to understand the functionality of your current plumbing system. As you move into your new city, create a list of local plumbers. From here, begin looking at local plumber reviews. You want to narrow down your list of the best local plumbers to a single plumber that you will trust for your regular inspections. This might even be the same commercial plumbing company that you used for your initial home inspection. Regular plumbing inspections can monitor the current plumbing and prepare you for needed major plumbing repairs.
Update your plumbing, when possible
It is likely that your home will require a full plumbing update, unless it is a newer built house. Indoor plumbing dates back to at least 2500 BC and unfortunately, not many major changes have been made to plumbing. Many of the countries houses contain outdated plumbing piping that will eventually need to be replaced with updated plumbing materials. The best way to afford this cost is to prepare for it. If your house is older and has outdated plumbing, begin putting aside funding for it.
Consider modern day repair methods
The single repair of an underground pipe can be extremely timely and expensive. It usually requires that the plumbing company dig up the ground and possibly, remove parts of the foundation too. However, with trenchless pipe repair, the same repairs can be made without digging as much of the ground up. The trenchless pipe repair is a good solution for repairing one pipe or for moving plumbing systems. For example, the state of Illinois requires that all piping more than five feet from a building?s foundation used for moving waste be considered part of the septic system. A home in a similar situation may choose to move the plumbing system and the trenchless pipe repair method may be an option.
Fix leaky pipes
There are even some cost savings strategies that you can take, without the professional skills of a plumber. Fixing leaky pipes can prevent plumbing problems from occurring and can also save you money on your monthly water bills. Fixing easily corrected household leaks can save homeowners about 10% on their water bills. Take the money you save each year and put it towards a full plumbing system update.
Call a plumber immediately
Water problems tend to get worse, very fast. Ignoring a plumbing problem can end in the requirement of digging up the foundation of the house. Ignoring an interior water leak can eventually lead to a flood. Once a household flood occurs, it will cost the homeowners thousands of dollars in repairs and the proper remediation of the water damage. It is best to contact a plumber immediately to prevent even more costly of damages. If you created a list of the best local plumbers already, then you already have a preferred affordable plumbing company on call.
The home?s plumbing system is one of the most important, and expensive parts of the house. When you move into a new house, it is always best to evaluate your plumbing condition. Hire a local plumbing company to fully inspect the system and make estimations of when updates and repairs will be needed. Use modern repair methods, like the trenchless pipe repair to prevent the digging up of foundation. Also, remember to make repairs to leaky pipes and always call out a licensed plumber at the first sign of a plumbing problem.