Why You Should Get a Whole-House Plumbing Inspection
Many of the homeowners that our team at Save Home Heat Company serve in the greater Denver Metro area are conscientious about and observant of the numerous products and systems that make up their home’s plumbing system. From looking for water leaks around the house, gauging water flow and hot water temperature, to making sure things like toilets are operating properly, there’s lots for you to keep an eye on.
In this post, our plumbing team at Save Home Heat would like to revisit many of the important aspects of a whole-home plumbing inspection, some of which you may already be covering and others which may have slipped your mind, or require a little professional expertise.
Your Whole-House Plumbing Inspection: An Overview
Our plumbing team is led by a licensed Master Plumber who oversees and coordinates all work performed by our skilled team of licensed plumbers. A primary focus of the inspections we conduct is ensuring homeowner safety and the efficiency of critical plumbing systems. In addition, helping to safeguard the reliability and longevity of these systems, and spotting potential issues before they can become costly repairs, is also at the top of our list.
During each visit, our plumbers take the time to educate homeowners, answer all of their questions, and share insights in a friendly, highly informative, and pressure-free manner. If we see anything that could potentially lead to greater issues or pose health or safety concerns, we’ll let you know and let you decide how you’d like to proceed. Zero sales pressure. And of course, any quotes you request are provided at no charge, with zero obligation.
What’s Included?
Our whole-house plumbing inspection is a comprehensive service designed to assess the condition and safety of many aspects of your home’s plumbing system. It often (but not always) begins with a detailed visual inspection of all accessible plumbing, both inside and out. From there, our team checks for proper venting of drain and waste lines, as well as appliances like water heaters (if fueled by natural gas or propane), furnaces, and boilers.
We assess the water heater’s expansion tank to confirm it’s correctly sized, leak-free, and functioning properly, and we also check household water pressure. If there’s a whole-house water pressure reducing valve near the water input to the home, we perform an evaluation of this important valve. A whole-house pressure reducing valve protects against the negative impacts of high water pressure that on occasion may be delivered to your home from the municipal water system.
Gas leak detection, too
We also provide advanced gas leak detection in various locations, using high quality electronic ‘sniffers.’ A related note: While natural gas and propane are odorless, a chemical called mercaptan is added to these fuels in order to produce a distinctive rotten egg or skunky smell – making initial detection by occupants of the home easier. But this is not an acceptable substitute for professional gas leak detection.
It’s A Comprehensive List, Including Toilets and More!
Our checklist for a whole-home plumbing inspection continues with a complete review of toilet operation, visual checks beneath all sinks (including p-traps), and an evaluation of laundry sink and washing machine connections, too.
Additional ground covered in our plumbing inspections includes:
- Pressure Vacuum Breaker for Sprinklers – Check for presence and condition of a pressure vacuum breaker/backflow preventer for the sprinkler system, if any. This combination valve prevents keeping sprinkler water from mixing with potable household water
- Water Treatment Systems – Check for presence/condition of any whole-house or point-of-use water filtration systems or water softeners. We’ll note whether it needs servicing or repairs
- Instant Hot Water Dispenser – Provide the same treatment described above for any instant hot water dispensers, if present
- Main Water Shutoff Valve – Check the condition and operation of the home’s main water shutoff valve, normally located close to where domestic water first enters the house
- Water Heater & Storage Tanks – Inspect the water heater and any other storage tanks for signs of leaking, deterioration, code violations, or safety concerns
- Sump Pump System – Check for presence/condition of a sump pump system, and note whether it needs any servicing or repairs
Throughout every step of our whole-home plumbing inspection, our plumbers are alert for signs of past or recurring leaks, visible deterioration, or any potential code violations or safety concerns.
Checking In With Your Home’s Water Quality
In addition, working closely with our in-house water quality team, our plumbers also offer expert water testing services for homeowners who are interested in learning more about their home’s water quality. Our water quality team is led by our staff Water Quality Association certified Master Water Specialist, whose credentials and experience, we’re proud to say, are simply top of the industry.
Complimentary In-Home Water Testing: For interested homeowners in our service are, we offer free, complimentary in-home water testing for up to 9 common water components and potential pollutants. These reliable, onsite tests cover hardness and TDS, pH, copper, iron, chlorine, fluoride, and more. The list of reliable testing we perform in-home continues to grow.
State-Accredited Laboratory Testing: For substances and issues such as lead, uranium, other heavy metals, unhealthy bacteria, and more, or broader spectrum testing that may be required for certain real estate transactions, our team works directly with state-accredited, independent laboratories on our customers’ behalf. Outside costs are simply passed along, and all results are presented in a fully transparent manner with zero sales hype. We take the time to fully and patiently answer any questions you may have.
Wrapping Up Our Plumbing Inspection
After completing our thorough inspection, our plumbers review their findings with the homeowner in a friendly, zero-pressure manner. We’ll let you know what we feel is most important for you to be aware of, but we do not pressure our customers to authorize additional work. That’s always their call. Documentation covering our inspection and findings is also supplied by our team.
Your Source for Denver Metro, Boulder, and Loveland Area Expert Plumbing Inspections
The overview presented above of many punch list items that go into a professional, whole-house plumbing inspection will help guide the way for any homeowner who’s curious to learn more about the important plumbing systems that help make their house a home. It’s a good starting point, and of course, virtually no homes are identical. Regardless, an engaged and informed homeowner is more likely to spot potential issues in the early stages, and hopefully help save themselves money as a result.
In the Denver Metro, Boulder, and Loveland areas, please reach out to our friendly team at Save Home Heat Company for honest, dependable, home plumbing inspections and a full line of expert plumbing services. You’ll appreciate the level of customized customer service that we provide.
Please contact me to schedule a plumbing inspection for my home!
