Leaking Water Pipes Can Cause Structural Damage. Have You Inspected The Plumbing In Your New Flat?

Most people do not give the internal fittings a close look while buying a new home. If you are buying a ready-to-move-in property in India, you should pay much attention to the quality of fittings even if it's a brand new home. After all, it is not the age and usage of the fittings that matter; it is the quality and the ability to serve for longer periods of time.

Plumbing is the first and foremost fitting that you should cross-check as many builders cut corners in this area. Though it sounds like a minor issue while zeroing in on a house, bad plumbing can ruin the quality of life and lead to furniture losses and other structural damages through leaking taps and water pipes. Bad plumbing also means regular spends on the plumber all the time, adding up to your home maintenance bills.

The best way to avoid these is by cross-checking the quality of plumbing. The easiest way to do this is to get an experienced plumber to inspect the set-up of the apartment as well as the building.

Here is the checklist:

Taps and faucets: The first ones to check are the taps and faucets and how strong they are. If the home has been vacant for a while, check if there are any signs of rusting. Flush the toilet many times and check if it is leading to leakage anywhere in the house. Open all the taps one by one and check if the pressure is correct or if they have installed the washers for the taps and also used mixers in bathrooms with geysers. See if you have enough water drainage, and taps to accommodate appliances like washing machine and water purifier. Check the brands of all plumbing materials and research on their quality later. That will give a good indication of the amount spent by the builder on plumbing in the house.  

Source of water supply: A number of apartments now use recycled water for flushing and normal water in other taps. Get the plumber to open a part of external plumbing to ensure the correct source of water in the right tap. If possible, mark the tap that gives recycled water. Most apartments colour such taps differently.

Drainage system and gutters: Check all the gutters and see if they are blocked. A few apartments have gutters that do not have the right-sized orifices. It can lead to water logging and stinking gutters. Check if there are plants growing out of these gutters. Track the path of the down pipes that lead the dirty water outside and ensure that it leads to a well-sized drain. If the drain cannot be checked, check the ground that contains the drain. The ground will be damp and muddy on the outside. That is an indication of a working drain.

Not many home seekers forego homes just because of bad drainage system or leaky taps. However, you should always inspect the home beforehand to ensure that the slips in the building or the flat can be fixed. If they make for small oversights, go ahead with the purchase, or go ahead and ask your builder to fix them before you pay the upfront amount. If there is considerable work to be done on the plumbing of the home and you are still interested in it, you can always give your builder the plumbing report and ask for a discount.

(Katya Naidu has been working as a business journalist for the last nine years, and has covered beats across banking, pharma, healthcare, telecom, technology, power, infrastructure, shipping and commodities)