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Buy a home for a song and you could be singing the blues.
Summer has always been a strong season for home sales. Even in this slow economy, there will be millions of homes bought and sold in the U.S. this summer. Current conditions have created a market where many homes are priced lower than normal, creating bargains that may seem to good to pass up for some shoppers.
However, many of these bargain homes may have been unoccupied for weeks or even months. And if a home’s plumbing system is left unmanaged, a number of problems can creep up.
So if you’re in the market for a new home and find a great deal, make sure you look for telltale signs of plumbing problems, any one of which could leave your bargain feeling more like a boondoggle.
Start with the toilets. Look for signs of leaks around the base. Check to see how fast it flushes. Put pressure on the floor around the base to see if the floor “gives”. If anything seems fishy, odds are there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.
Next move to water faucets. Turn on the water in the bathtub and then the sink. If the water seems to slow with only a couple of faucets open, you could have a pressure problem or pipes clogged with mineral deposits.
Another thing you’ll want to check is the water heater. If you see rust anywhere on the tank, beware. You’ll also want to check the date of the unit. Find the serial number. The first four digits in that number represent the month and year the tank was produced. If yours is 15 years or older, odds are you’ll need a replacement.
Finally, check for standing water anywhere in the house and in the lawn. That is a sure-fire sign of serious issues and cannot be ignored.
Of course to be completely safe, have an ARS/Rescue Rooter plumbing specialist conduct a thorough examination of your system before the sale goes through. He can give you a complete list of potential problems and accurate estimates for repair.
Of course if you’d rather have someone else spruce up your plumbing system, schedule an appointment with the service experts at Rescue Rooter a call anytime, day or night.
ADDITIONAL KNOW-HOW TIPS FROM RESCUE ROOTER
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