Addressing Common Questions about Plumbing Problems and Older Homes
Buying an older house can give you a home with personality and unique aesthetics, but these older homes can also come with their share of problems. In particular, the plumbing system can often be prone to a number of issues that can cause major damages to your house. For many new homeowners, these problems can come as a nasty surprise, but if you understand the answers to the following two questions, you will likely find it easier to avoid some of the worst of these damages to your home.
How Can You Tell If Your Home Has a Hidden Leak?
Hidden leaks are one of the most common issues that older homes may present, but new homeowners may have no idea of how they can tell whether this is a problem that their home has. Luckily, it is possible for you to determine whether or not this type of damage is occurring in a relatively simple manner.
By monitoring the water meter to your home, you can determine whether water is being used when it should not be, and this will alert you to whether a leak is present. To use this approach, you will need to turn off the valve to any device in your home that requires water. Make a note of the current setting on the water meter and wait for an hour or more before checking it again. If the meter has increased, then your home has some kind of plumbing leak, and you should have a professional come to your home to repair it.
Why Should You Have All the Pipes Inspected?
Another common issue for homes is ruptured pipes. This problem can cause entire parts of your home to become flooded in a matter of minutes, and it is no surprise that this can be one of the most stressful plumbing problems you may encounter in your home. If you are unfortunate enough to go through this type of problem you should always have the entire pipe system inspected to minimize the chance of this occurring again.
Over time, the pipes in older homes will start to degrade, which can make them far weaker than they are intended to be. By having the pipes professionally inspected even before a rupture happens, you will be able to have the weakened pipes replaced before they have a chance to fail and cause major damages.
Ensuring that an older home avoids some major plumbing problems can be a highly difficult task for homeowners that are uninformed about these threats. By knowing how to confirm the presence of a small leak and understanding why the pipes in an old home need to be inspected before problems strike, you will be better positioned to proactively minimize these threats. Consider setting up an appointment with Rakeman Plumbing for your needs.