Be One Step Ahead of Your Oklahoma City Home Inspector

August 14, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Plumbing 

Here’s a checklist that you can use to do your own pre-inspection on your plumbing. There’s no reason not to check your Oklahoma City home out yourself before you hire a certified home inspector.

This way you can compare notes and ask questions. He will give you a thorough report on the home’s condition. Between what you found and what the inspector found you will be able to take care of what needs to be done before you put your house on the market.

For now we’ll focus on plumbing, including bathrooms, the laundry area, and water and septic systems.

* Look for signs of leaks in exposed pipes, including in areas where pipes run through the walls or foundation.

* Look for signs of corrosion, which could indicate a problem with the water, or with the pipe itself. Are there green stains around brass and copper fittings and on shutoff valves? This is a sign of either corrosion or a reaction that occurs with mismatched metals. If this is left uncorrected, it will cause leaks and bad connections.

* Check water pressure. Low pressure could mean a problem with the line or sediment buildup in the faucet aerator or shower head.

* Check drains for speed of drainage. A slow drain may mean there’s a clog or a blocked vent pipe. Look for a full swirling drain. Bubbling drains are a sign of a problem.

* Flush toilets to make sure they operate as they should. Open their tanks and look for worn or missing parts. Wait around for a few minutes to see if the toilet runs after a while. This is a sign of a slow leak.

* If you have a gas water heater, look inside the burner chamber for rust flakes. Check the flame. It should be an even blue, with no yellow. A yellow flame indicates soot or a problem with the gas-air mixture. The jets may need cleaning.

* You may need help for this next task. It’s a good idea to drain the water heater to remove sediment that has settled to the bottom. If you have an electric water heater, turn it off first or you’ll burn up the heating element.

* Check for cracked tiles in the shower area or around sinks. Tap on tiles to find loose or hollow ones that could be masking rotted backerboard behind them.

* Check on the state of the tub and shower caulking. Is it time to replace it?

* Look for evidence of mildew wherever water has a chance to stand for longer periods of time.

* Check the toilet base to be sure it doesn’t rock. There could be a leak that has damaged the floor around it.

* Look for cracks on the toilet tank or bowl and also on sinks

* Slide shower doors to check for sticking or rust. Examine the gaskets around the door glass for any gaps or tears.

* Turn on the shower and bath faucets to check for leaks around the handles and valves. Are they easy to use, or harder to turn on and off? Check any set screws you see.

* Unscrew the shower head and look for collected sediment. This could be lowering the water pressure.

* Examine vent fans for blockages or dust. If it sounds really loud when you turn them on, the bearings may be worn out or a flapper may have gotten stuck.

* Check washing machine hoses for signs of cracks, brittleness, or leaks.

* Check the dryer vents for tears. Vacuum or brush out lint in the hose and around the lint screen inside the dryer. Look for lint around the floor or on the wall, which indicates there’s a clog in the vent hose.

* If you have your own well for water, send out a sample of your water to your county cooperative extension to test it for chemicals and bacteria.

* Be sure that the well cover is tightly sealed but that there is still access to the pump.

* Check the sump pump by pouring water on it to see if it turns on automatically.

* Look around your septic tank/field for soggy ground or lush vegetation. This may mean the tank is full or failing.

Being familiar with your Oklahoma City home inside and out will give you an advantage when dealing with your home inspector and prospective buyers.

If you determine there are some plumbing issues, get with your Oklahoma City plumbing contractor to take care of any issues and make any plumbing repairs necessary to successfully pass the inspection.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Haigh

f you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City plumbing repair contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.

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Noah Can’t Help You With This One

January 18, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Drain Cleaning 

The laundry room, which can be located in such areas as the basement, the main floor of your Oklahoma City home, or even up in the attic, can be a place where a flood can occur. When a laundry room flood occurs, the damage can be extensive and expensive. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to prevent flooding of your laundry room.

To determine if you have a plumbing issue that could result in a laundry room flood, check to see if the floors and walls around the laundry room sink are damp. Check the joints in the pipe connections to see if they are loose. If they are, you can tighten them yourself. Also, check to see if there are tiny holes or cracks in a pipe. If there is a small hole that can cause a leak, you can wrap the pipe in rubber hose and attach clamps at the top, bottom, and at the source of the leak. There is also plumber’s epoxy you can purchase which is effective at sealing small holes and cracks causing leaks.

Clogs are another cause of a laundry room flood as they can cause the floor drain line or sink drain line to backup. Causes of a clog can include: hair, soap, and lint which can accumulate in the line and eventually cause it to clog. To determine if you have a clogged drain, you can turn off the water, remove the u-shaped pipe, and try to locate the clog. You will also have to examine each side of the straight ends of the pipe to see if there is a clog. Once you have located and removed the clog, put the pipes back in place, turn the water on, and run water through to see if the water flow has returned to normal.

Burst pipes are also a cause of flooding. Burst pipes are often due to old worn pipes or frozen pipes. It is important to have your Oklahoma City plumber restore old and damaged pipes. To prevent frozen pipes, you should wrap the pipes in insulation wrap. Other times, a flood can be caused by worn parts such as a worn hose connection. If you have old, cheap, or worn connections, you should get them replaced. If your water hose bursts, it will flood the room with hundreds of gallons of water. You should consider installing a shut off valve to prevent such a disaster. As well, installing a floor drain can stop flooding of the room. Hiring a Oklahoma City plumber to install a washer tray under your washing machine will help collect water if a leak develops.

When implementing measures to prevent flooding of the laundry room, it is a good idea to have a Oklahoma City plumber inspect the plumbing system, appliances that use water, and plumbing fixtures, to check for damage and old and worn components. An examination and repair of high risk parts and appliances will go a long way in preventing flooding of the laundry room. It will prevent a lot of damage and save you a lot of money. When it comes to laundry room flooding, prevention is the solution.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adriana_N.

If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City drain cleaning contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.

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