Should a plumbing inspection be done on a 15-year old townhouse

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qmqmqm

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Hi everyone.

The subject property is a 15-year old townhouse. Gas hot water tank. No special features. The city water is not hard and pressure is normal.

Is it worthwhile calling a plumber for a general inspection, and fix any issues waiting to happen, e.g. change toilet gaskets, etc.? Or should I call only when a problem happens?

Cheers,

Paul
 
A plumber has told me that toilets can have minor leaks around the seal ring that are not noticeable at first. And that plumbing issues can be expensive when they do happen... advocating an inspection. Thoughts?
 
Did that person also ask you about accessibility IE, underfloor access, or what floor of the townhouse you lived on.

So, if your dwelling unit is on a slab and the WC is on the 1st floor and the plumber, you are paying an hourly rate for his services for, arrives, kneels down and presses on the flooring around the WC, and says, there isn't any spongy areas, and hands you an invoice for over $100, will you feel better about yourself?
 
Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. Let it sit for several hours and see if the water in the bowl changes colors. If it does, your flapper likely needs replacing or the seat needs cleaned off. Simple DIY. The rubber washers around the tank bolts do tend to degrade over time. If they start to leak you see water under the tank bolts on the floor. You can put a small dish under the bolts to see if you get any water. The gasket around the flush assembly (where the flapper is) could also degrade, especially if it is a rubber one. The gaskets around the filler assembly can degrade, but those typically get replaced with new fillers (Fluidmaster is popular and inexpensive brand).

If you are relatively handy, all of these repairs are DIY-able with relatively inexpense parts from your local big box home improvement store or small hardware store.

This Old House video

Another video
 
plumber has told me that toilets can have minor leaks around the seal ring that are not noticeable
....sounds like a plumber that needs to make a house payment. Whatever you do, always receive 3 estimates on any work done in your home.
 
Regarding toilet gaskets, never, ever, use products like 2000 Flushes or the blue or green tablets you drop into the tank. 2000 Flushes is a chlorine bleach product that will quickly erode your gaskets. The tablets can cause a "lazy flush" as they become quite viscus in the tank. The wax seal around your toilet connection to the drain pipe flange should be ok for a long time as long as you don't pull the bowl. If the bowl rocks the seal could become loosened and might need replaced.
 
Even in a brand new house sometimes the plumbing isn't done properly. Is the house insured? Is it going to be sold soon? If its going to be sold, an inspection might be good to get that out of the way. Otherwise, I don't know. Not enough info to make a judgment call.

In addition to what Sparky says, don't use draino or any of the chemical drain cleaners. Also never flush those "flushable" wipes. They clog stuff.
 
I gleaned from the OP, and an additional post regarding a leak at a TPR valve, that the dwelling was already occupied, and I think that a perusal of these form discussions could lead one to several posted DIY remedies/disclosure methods which could preclude an unnecessary expense.
 

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