The excitement of owing that 1st new home is exhilarating to say the least. But in some cases that exhilaration can turn into a plumbing nightmare. To avoid this we recommend a thorough investigation of the plumbing system by a certified home inspector and/or plumbing company.
For the sanitary sewer drain system, we recommend a general hydrostatic test. This test will reveal if there are any cracks / separations in the sanitary sewer pipes underneath the home’s slab. If the test holds up, then you know the integrity of the sanitary sewer system is intact.
For the potable water plumbing system, a general pressure test is recommended. The pressure test will reveal if there are any leaks in the system. It is recommended that all shut off valves be closed at the lavatory sinks, kitchen sinks, wet bar sinks as well as at all water closets. By doing so one is testing the integrity of the galvanized, copper or PVC, etc. pipe and not the performance of toilet tank flappers, or faucet seals, etc.
A certified home inspector will be worth his / her weight in gold (at today’s market price that really is huge); because they will know what to look for, especially on the potable water plumbing pipe that is accessible, i.e. in the attic. There will usually be some tale tell signs of a pinhole leak about to erupt, and a good certified home inspector can spot these clues.
We have seen and been able to help a lot of home owners whose potable water plumbing system failed due to pinhole leaks. In many cases, the “new homeowner” had only been in there house for six to nine months when they discovered the home’s plumbing system was compromised with internal corrosion and subsequent pinhole leaks. We can restore the existing pipe to better than new condition by applying our Patented ACE DURAFLo® epoxy barrier coating to the inside of the pipe without the need to cut into walls or ceilings and without the mess of a costly re-pipe.
As the saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Should you have any questions, etc. please contact us at 713 697 2088 (Houston) or 1 800 303 1404 (San Antonio / Austin / Bryan / College Station / Galveston)