Your plumbing system is a very important part of your home. It’s important to keep it in excellent condition, and scheduling a plumbing inspection at least once a year is one of the best ways to do that. Understanding more about the inspections, including what is involved and when they are ideal, is a great way to ensure you are giving your plumbing system the best care and proper attention.
What Does a Plumber Check During an Inspection?
Our plumbers will examine many areas of your home during an inspection. For example, we will check sinks, showers, toilets, outdoor fixtures, and the water heater. If there are any specific areas you would like us to inspect, such as the water line leading to your refrigerator’s ice machine, please let us know when you schedule your inspection appointment.
Do I Need To Be Home During the Plumbing Inspection?
An adult must be present during a plumbing inspection at your home. Our plumber needs to access areas of the house, such as the bathrooms, utility room, kitchen, and basement. This will also give you an opportunity to inform us about your plumbing system and the habits of the residents, including any previous problems, which will help us make a proper diagnosis and provide recommendations personalized to your property.
How Far in Advance Should I Book an Inspection?
We recommend scheduling an appointment for a plumbing inspection as far in advance as possible. This ensures you get your ideal time slot on a date that works best for your schedule. However, we understand that this is not always possible. We offer emergency plumbing services for urgent repairs.
Are Professional Inspections Really Necessary?
A plumber shouldn’t only visit your home when you need a repair; plumbing inspections are important for preventing significant problems in the first place. This is especially true if your pipes are old, as they are more vulnerable to damage, such as leaks.
Can’t I Just Do Self-Inspections?
It’s great when homeowners are proactive with their plumbing systems by performing regular self-inspections to keep an eye out for issues. However, our plumbers are highly trained and experienced and can notice problems that may be challenging for non-professionals to spot. Continue doing self-inspections at least once a week, but make sure you’re also scheduling professional inspections.
How Long Does a Plumbing Inspection Take?
A plumbing inspection typically takes a couple of hours; however, it may take more or less time depending on the extent of your system. For instance, inspecting a small studio apartment will take less time than inspecting a house with four bathrooms. Please allocate at least a few hours for the appointment.
Our plumbers never rush the process. The goal is to ensure we thoroughly check every essential part of your plumbing system to develop a comprehensive assessment that exceeds your expectations and meets our high-quality and safety standards.
What Are Signs I Need To Schedule an Inspection?
Your plumbing system will exhibit one or more signs if there is an issue. For example, you might notice slow-draining water, low water pressure, fluctuations in water temperature, strange sounds, no water coming from your showerhead or faucet, or a rotting odor coming from the pipes. A more obvious sign is that your toilet overflows after you flush it. Call us immediately once you notice something is not right, so we can quickly assess the situation before it worsens.
Do I Need a Plumbing Inspection Before or After Selling a Home?
A plumbing inspection is a crucial part of buying and selling a house. If you’re selling your home, a home inspection will allow us to inform you of any undiagnosed problems. You can either fix them before putting your house on the market or inform potential homebuyers so they can decide whether to make the repairs themselves or prefer that you do them.
As a homebuyer, you need to know about the condition of the plumbing system before purchasing a property. You can decide how to proceed after learning the findings.
How Often Should I Schedule a Standard Professional Inspection?
We suggest having a standard plumbing inspection at least once a year. The beginning of the year, preferably in January or February, is typically the best time for this inspection.
Your plumbing pipes usually undergo a lot of strain during the winter months, due to the holidays, extra guests visiting your home, and cooking many foods that involve grease and butter. We can inspect the system and determine if additional services, such as drain cleaning or repairs, are needed.
What Are the Benefits of a Professional Inspection?
The biggest benefit is having a thorough understanding of the condition of your plumbing system, which can be hard to ascertain considering much of it is behind walls. We can catch minor issues before they turn into serious problems. For instance, if you have a small crack in one of the pipes, it is much better for us to notice it as soon as possible before the damage worsens into a massive issue.
Inspections can help you save money. Major plumbing repairs are typically more costly than minor ones, so the sooner we address them, the less expensive they are likely to be. Additionally, leaks can significantly raise your utility bills, especially if the problems go unnoticed for a long time. Fixing these issues can help return your bills to normal. Inspections also decrease the chances of needing to call for an emergency repair.
Plumbing inspections offer peace of mind. You can feel confident that your system is in great condition and will continue to work optimally. However, if it requires repairs, it’s much better to know about them and address them promptly than to wonder whether they exist and if something will go wrong at any moment. That means fewer repairs, including urgent situations requiring a 24/7 emergency plumber.
What Happens if the Plumber Finds a Problem?
Our plumber will inform you of the condition of your plumbing system, whether the findings are great or if they noticed an issue. If it’s the latter, they’ll show you where the problem is, explain what may have caused it, and inform you of what they can do to repair it and when.
We pride ourselves on providing our clients with comprehensive information so that they can understand the situation. Feel free to ask any questions, and we will be happy to answer them.
Can a Plumber Make Immediate Repairs?
If your plumbing system requires repairs, our team will typically schedule a future appointment to come back and address the issue. We recommend booking another appointment as soon as possible to prevent the problem from worsening. This is particularly important if the issue is in a frequently used part of your home, such as the kitchen or main bathroom. The longer the plumbing system is used normally when there’s an issue, the higher the chances it will develop into an emergency, such as a burst pipe.
Keep your plumbing system in excellent condition all year long. Cal’s Plumbing in Tucson, AZ, provides plumbing inspections, repairs, and various other services to ensure that it happens. Call us today to schedule an inspection appointment or book one online via our website.
