One of the most recent trends with some new homeowners is to purchase a vintage home with the intention of keeping as close to its original condition as possible. While this is becoming a very common thing for newer homeowners, there are some issues that can arise when you purchase an older home. Without having the proper plumbing inspections done on the home, here are our some of the plumbing problems that can come along with your older home’s new headaches.
Faulty Sewer Lines
Your recently purchased home’s plumbing does not just have an impact on your home. Problems with your plumbing can have an impact on the homes surrounding sewer lines. If you did recently purchase an old home, then you are more likely to have problems with your sewer line due to tree overgrowth which can cause sewer tree root problems, where tree roots actually start growing inside of your pipes. Sewer tree roots are quite a common problem in many areas.
Leaking Appliances
If you purchased your older home and it came with the appliances already in the house, you’ll want to ensure that these appliances are all fully functioning properly and are not outdated and ready to give out at any given moment.
Don’t always take the seller’s word that the hot water heater is brand new, for example. Take a look at all of the appliances in your new home and make sure that it is not going to cause a damaging water leak in a few years.
Pipe Bellies
The ground underneath your home is on an always changing shifting pattern. These shifts of the earth can have an impact on the pipes that rest underneath the home. These ground shifts can create bends in the pipes called pipe bellies. These “Pipe Bellies” can cause your water to not flow properly through the pipes and create blockages that can cause all sorts of troubles for you.
Galvanized Pipes
If your home was built before the 1950s, then you most likely have galvanized piping under your home. This kind of piping is made of iron and covered with layers of zinc, which can corrode over time and cause serious issues if left unchecked.
With the possibility of these pipes being so old, they are prone to corrosion, which can have a negative impact on your older homes overall water pressure. Apart from this plumbing issue of a sign that there is a potential problem, your water may appear brown in color due to the release of the iron through the pipes.
Faulty Gas Lines
An almost always overlooked issue that many older homes suffer from is that of faulty gas lines. The gas line pipes in older homes may be damaged from poor soil conditions or also due to the shifting ground that has occurred over time.
