Common Plumbing Problems Found in New Construction
Can you imagine moving into a newly constructed home to find out you may already need maintenance and repairs? Like most new construction buyers, you probably assumed your home would be free from any issues for quite some time because the house is newly built. However, this is not always true. Problems arise occasionally, and if those problems turn out to be plumbing issues, it can be confusing for new homeowners. Experiencing a problem with the plumbing in a newly constructed home can be confusing, but a plumber can work with you to resolve any issues you find so they don’t become worse and more expensive. If you're getting close to closing a new home construction, we can help you know the plumbing issues most likely to creep up when you least expect and how to handle them.
3 Common New Construction Plumbing Problems
Plumbing problems are unpredictable, but thankfully, there are some common signs that indicate plumbing issues. Yet, if you've purchased a newly constructed home, you aren't around to catch many of these warning signs. Listed below are three of the more common new construction plumbing problems.
- Blockages: You may wonder how a newly constructed home could have blockages. Well, the short answer is it depends. Some clogs and blockages are environmental issues like tree or bush roots. You have to remember your home was built from the ground up. Your pipes were likely installed several months before your home was completed, giving trees and shrubs plenty of time to disrupt them. Other sources of your blockage could be cheap parts, improper installation, or a failing municipal sewer system. The difficulty is that you won't know the cause until a plumber can inspect your system. The best thing you could do to avoid this problem is to make sure to hire a home inspector to provide a thorough inspection of your property before closing.
- Slow Drains: If you are dealing with blockages, then slow draining is usually an associated symptom stemming from the same basic problem. During construction, if your pipes aren't flushed before you take ownership, there could be construction greases and debris in your pipes, causing slow draining and backups. Slow drains could be the result of blockages in your line, which is why the two problems are typically associated. A slow drain coupled with a blockage could be a serious issue that should be handled immediately to protect the structural integrity of your home. If you have sitting water in your pipes that can't move, it could be released into the ground beneath your home.
- Faulty Appliances: Sometimes, new appliances may be faulty, or your new purchase was installed poorly. These issues could leave you with a fixture attached to your plumbing system that malfunctions and causes plumbing issues. A faulty or poorly installed water heater is a common new construction issue that can wreak havoc on your home plumbing system if not caught and remedied immediately. Depending on the water quality in your area, your new water heater could quickly experience a buildup of sediment. If the system is faulty, you may find you constantly need to tweak it and make it work as intended. You shouldn't have to do this, and if your system is experiencing consistency issues early on, you need to call a plumber immediately to diagnose the problem.
Now that you know what to look for in your newly constructed home, you can be proactive about fixing the problems before they become serious. If you've recently purchased a new home or you're in the process of closing on one, we can help! It may put your mind at ease to have a professional plumber complete a walkthrough of your property. Call us today at (512) 957-2992 to schedule a consultation or use our online contact form to request more information.