When To Check Your Plumbing
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- Plumbing, You, Important
- Posted date:
- 11-10-2021

How Often Should You Check Your Plumbing?
How often should you check your plumbing? We look at why your plumbing is important and how regular plumbing inspections can help.
Getting your homes plumbing checked out is a given. But how often should you do it? Once a month? Once a year? Ultimately the answer to that question depends on you and your living circumstances. In general, you should schedule a plumbing inspection once every two years.
This is because plumbing systems are built to last, and so long as they are used correctly and with care, they are surprisingly robust. Of course, that won't stop numerous potential issues from cropping up, and if you suspect there is something wrong, you should schedule a plumbing inspection whenever you feel it is necessary.
Why Your Plumbing Is Important
Plumbing systems are one of civilisations most important marvels. Easy access to safe, drinkable water, hot or cold, at the turn of a tap is something easy to take for granted, but its importance can't be understated.
That's why when your plumbing system breaks, it can feel so out of the left-field as it's not something people think about very often. It doesn't help that important plumbing fixtures and systems breaking down constantly happen at the worst timing possible.
Ensuring regular plumbing maintenance is the simplest way to prevent unpleasant surprises like that, and a check-up once every two years is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

How a Plumbing Inspection Can Help

There are several ways a regular plumbing inspection can help spot potential problems and deal with them before they turn into an emergency.
Having your plumbing inspected frequently can help you identify leaks in your pipework. Catching this sort of issue early is a lot better than dealing with a significant leak that can lead to, damp, mould and even property damage.
Even if the leak is only tiny and unlikely to cause any considerable damage, fixing it will still help you save money on your water bill as you waste less water. It's also a lot cheaper to deal with than the repairs you would have if you ignored it.
Clogs in your drainage system are a disaster waiting to happen. Not only do they slow the draining process from your sink, toilet and other such fixtures, but they can lead to a sewage backup which is one of the most disgusting plumbing related issues you can have to deal with. Luckily regular plumbing inspections are excellent at identifying such clogs, even if they are yet to become an issue.
Regular plumbing inspections are a great way to keep your hot water heater running smoothly and efficiently.
When remodelling or renovating a room that involves plumbing work, consider having the plumbing inspected first. The plumber will be able to see if any faults need fixing, conduct repairs, and advise you on what products to use to save money.
When You Should Have a Plumbing Inspection
Here are some questions that should help us narrow down whether or not you need more regular plumbing checks than every two years.
Older building regulations and industry-standard practices often don't hold up to modern specifications. Not only do older homes plumbing systems have the issue of succumbing to wear and tear, but some have pipework made of steel as opposed to more modern alternatives such as plastic.
The problem with steel pipes is that while they are strong, they tend to degrade over time, so they are more prone to leaking and bursting nowadays.
Trees are a well-known menace to plumbers. Their roots have a nasty habit of digging wide and deep underground, and they have no issue penetrating pipes. When tree roots puncture underground water pipes, they see it as another water source, so they like to fill it.
This sort of issue is invisible to most people as it's underground, and they don't know what to look for but know they have a leaking pipe somewhere.
If so, it would be good to get the plumbing checked as soon as possible. The homes seller may have told you that there has already been an inspection, but it never hurts to be sure. After all, you don't want any nasty surprises waiting for you when you have just moved in, and it's a simple matter of giving a plumber a call to your new home to nip any potential problems in the bud.
Any of these circumstances mean you will want to hire a plumbers services to check your plumbing more regularly than bi-annually, and our advice would be to read up on what sort of things to look out for when living in such a home.
What is Involved in a Plumbing Inspection?
A lot goes into a plumbing inspection, but that is just because the assessment should take a comprehensive evaluation of your plumbing systems and fixtures to identify any potential issues. Such issues come in many forms, such as limescale, rust, leaks, clogs and corrosion.
Here are some of the most important steps a professional plumber will take during an inspection.
Turning off the water supply to the house is a vital first step. It wouldn't be a very good inspection after all if water flooded the house as soon as the plumber opened up one of the pipes.
This is also one of the first places a plumber will check for any unidentified leaks. By taking readings from the water meter when the valve is shut, the plumber can see whether or not there is any water being used where it shouldn't be.
Next, they will ensure that all plumbing systems are correctly sealed by filling the system with water until it would typically flood. Should no flooding occur, then it's safe to say the system is watertight.
Testing the water pressure is next. To test water pressure, the plumber will frequently alter the psi between 75 to 100 and look at how well the water flows. The water should still flow appropriately through the pipes at lower pressure, but it will be noticeably weaker.
Checking the sewer and drainage systems comes next. Usually, this will involve checking the connection between the property and the sewer lines outside the house and any septic tanks for clogs or leaks.
The bulk of the inspection will be the plumber going around the property to check the various plumbing fixtures, drains and pipes to ensure they are all up to specification. This involves looking for any damage or clogs and making sure all stop valves are functioning correctly.
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