Plumbing is one of the “Big 5” areas of the home, along with electricity, roofing, foundation, and HVAC. These are the major systems of the home that you should learn about both as a homeowner and when you’re purchasing a home, so you can plan for future costs.
As home inspectors, we find that plumbing, along with its mean big brother electricity, is the area people are most likely to DIY. We also find that this is almost always a mistake. (As is your best friend Harry, who has a brother, Larry, who knows a lot about plumbing.)
So here are some plumbing fails we’ve found in the field.
Two Fails For the Price of One
In this video, inspector Luis finds two improper materials under the sink in a bathroom. First, there’s an S Trap, instead of a P Trap, which is a code violation in all 50 states. This is because the S Trap will suck water out from the trap, which will end up releasing methane (sewer) gases into the home. So, it is a code violation (and it’s dangerous and stinky), and if you are doing remodeling, you will have to replace it.
Next, the black pipe is ABS pipe, which was used in the 1960-70’s, but is no longer approved for use in homes because it’s not as durable as it was once thought to be, it contains BPAs, and is illegal in some areas. While this is an older home, the S trap looks brand new, so whoever selected it did so since the time when they should have known better. Knowing about ABS pipe is perhaps more obscure, but another reason to leave the plumbing to the professionals. #FAIL.
Caulk is Cheap
In this illuminating video, inspector Tracy shows some water damage through the magic of thermal imaging. The back story: There’s a second-floor bath with a shower that was leaking. The home plumber fixed the leaking faucet, but neglected to re-caulk the shower itself, so the water that was getting into the floor/ceiling was coming from under the shower. #FAIL
The caulk:
“Whoever Did This Should Be Ashamed”
Listen, I can’t always identify all the different vents and stacks and things that poke out of my roof, and I work with home inspectors. Your average homeowner would probably look at this plumbing vent and think this looks just fine. Inspector Alex said, “Whoever did this should be ashamed.”
So, for those of us who are not plumbers, including the guy that did this: the PVC pipe vent is supposed to be painted with a UV coating to keep it from breaking down in the sun, and that caulked tape around the base? That’s ELECTRICAL tape. Which would not be an approved material for the job and would be prone to leaking. 🤦🏻♀️#FAIL
“It’s Literally Always Wrong”
Now this one isn’t going to kill anyone, and it’s not illegal, but stick with me because you may learn something new.
For sinks that don’t have access to an outside vent (like the one above), you need an under-the-sink vent like the one in this video. It’s called an AAV vent. And apparently, everyone installs them wrong. I’m pretty sure it’s a bit of a pet peeve with inspector Cody because he’s made a few videos about this issue.
So this vent keeps the water running smoothly, it keeps that gurgling noise from happening, methane gas from backing up — it kind of helps the P trap do its work. And it’s very important to inspector Cody (and to the building code) that it be installed no lower than the bottom of the sink level. 😁#FAIL
Now go look under your sink to see if you’ve got an AAV vent, and if it’s installed correctly, post a pic! Inspector Cody will be so pleased.
