New home?
Are you buying a new home and not sure what telltale signs to look for that the plumbing just isn’t quite right? This blog tells you what to look for when buying a new home and explains in detail our new homeowner survey, which may help you pick up a few top tips!
Signs of Plumbing Issues
- Look for damp or browning patches on ceilings or walls. Pay particular attention to those directly below the bathroom and boiler, if it is located upstairs.
- If the sealant around the shower, bath or sinks is black and looks like it is coming away from the wall, there may be a leak that has not presented itself yet.
- Check under the kitchen sink. If the cupboards are showing signs of damp or water damage, it may be that a pipe behind the unit is leaking, which may be a costly repair if it has been leaking for a long time!
- Turn on the shower. It may seem another strange thing to do but it can highlight if there are any issues with the water pressure in the property and whether there are any underlying issues that may crop up in the future.
Signs of Central Heating Issues
- Check that the radiators aren’t showing any signs of rusting, either on the panels themselves or on the valves at the top and bottom. Rusting on the valves may be a sign of a leak, the current homeowners may have already had this fixed but it’s always worth checking! Rust on the radiators themselves can be caused by a variety of things, but may lead to needing new radiators or even a full central heating powerflush.
- They may find it strange, but ask the current owners if they wouldn’t mind turning on the heating. A new boiler is a big expense and one that most people don’t want to worry about when moving in to a new home!
- Does the boiler look in good condition? It isn’t always possible to tell to the naked eye but the main things to look for are signs of rust or water marks around the boiler area, the boiler being intact including the case and surrounding panels being attached correctly and that the boiler has been serviced regularly, for which the engineer should have provided a certificate.
How We Can Help
We have designed a plumbing audit to carry out on your current or new property to ensure everything is running smoothly and you wont encounter any nasty plumbing surprises! This includes:
- Boiler and hob gas safety check
- Radiator health check – ensure all radiators are getting hot when tested
- Thermostat is working correctly, safely and is in good working order
- Test all taps to ensure they are in working order and hot and cold water is running
- Test all valves throughout the central heating – this includes zone valves, radiator valves etc
- Visual check on all central heating pipework to ensure this is in good condition.
- Visual check on all basins and sinks to ensure they are in good condition and that there are no visible leaks when water is drained.
- All toilets are flushing, are in good working order and have no visible leaks.
- All showers are in working order, there are no visible leaks and hot and cold water is available.
- A written report to explain findings and give any recommendations that may be needed.
Plumbing audits start from £100. This may increase due to a higher number of gas appliances, radiators and the size of the property.
For more information, contact us on 0114 2483011 or at enquiries@dtsplumbing.co.uk. For more handy tips, visit our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/dtsplumbingandheating