A general home inspection covers the plumbing in a few lines. It rarely looks inside the pipes, under the yard or at the sewer line, and those are where the big money hides. Before you buy an older house, spend half an hour looking for yourself, and consider paying for two extra inspections that are worth many times their cost.
What the pipes are made of
Look at the exposed pipes in the basement, near the water heater and under sinks.
- Copper: the standard for decades, and usually fine. Green crust at joints means old leaks, which may or may not have been repaired.
- Galvanized steel: grey, threaded pipe, common in houses built before about 1960. It rusts from the inside, so water pressure falls year by year and rusty water appears after the taps have been off for a while. Galvanized supply pipe near the end of its life means repiping, which can cost as much as a good used car.
- PEX: flexible plastic, usually red, blue or white. Modern and reliable when installed properly.
- Polybutylene: grey plastic, used from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s. It fails without warning and some insurers will not cover it. If you see it, price its replacement into your offer.
- Lead: a dull grey soft metal pipe, sometimes still found on the supply line entering very old houses. It should be replaced, and your water supplier may have a program to help.
- Cast iron and clay drains: normal in older houses. Cast iron rusts through from the bottom and clay sewer lines crack and let roots in.
Run the water
- Turn on the shower and the bathroom sink together and watch the pressure. A big drop suggests galvanized pipe or an undersized supply.
- Run the hot water for a few minutes. Discolored water points to a corroding water heater or galvanized hot pipes.
- Flush every toilet and fill every sink. Slow drains and gurgling suggest a blocked vent or a sewer line problem.
- Look under every sink and around every toilet for water stains, soft floor, or fresh caulk hiding something.
The water heater
Find the label. The serial number usually encodes the manufacturing date, and the inspector or a quick search can decode it. A tank more than ten years old is due for replacement. Look for rust at the base and for a pipe on the relief valve at the top.
The boiler
Steam and hot water boilers are common in older Bergen County houses. Ask for the service records. A boiler that has been serviced every year is a different proposition from one nobody has touched. Look for rust, water on the floor, and a relief valve that has been dripping. Ask how old it is; twenty-five years is a good run for a steam boiler.
Two inspections worth paying for
A sewer line camera inspection. For a modest fee, a plumber runs a camera from the house to the street and shows you the recording. Cracks, root intrusion, a sag holding water, or a partial collapse are all common in clay and cast iron lines from the mid century, and replacing a sewer line costs thousands. This is the single best value inspection you can buy on an older house.
A plumber's walk-through. An hour with a licensed plumber who looks at the pipe materials, the water heater, the boiler, the shut-off valves, the venting, and any work that looks amateur. Ask for a written list of what needs doing now, what can wait, and rough costs. Take it to the negotiation.
Questions to ask the seller
- Has the sewer line ever backed up or been cleaned?
- Have any pipes been replaced, and by whom?
- Is there a sump pump, and how often does it run?
- Have there been any water leaks or insurance claims?
- Were permits obtained for any bathroom, kitchen or water heater work? The town's building department can confirm.
After you buy
Find the main shut-off valve, replace the washing machine hoses, and flush the water heater. Then read the rest of our tips at your leisure.
To arrange a camera inspection or a walk-through, find a licensed plumber near the house.