New Plumbing, Same Problem

We see this all the time during home inspections in Kentucky. As we are inspecting the cellars or crawlspaces in homes, we tend to find most the issues with the home. In this home inspection done by Know Before You Buy Home Inspections in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, this trend remained true. As the cellar is being inspected, we noticed a few issues, but none as important as this. As you can see in this picture, there is a lot of new plumbing and subfloor. To an untrained eye, you may think that this was a well-done repair to the plumbing. However, after a closer look, this repair seems to have only fixed the cosmetic damages. This is where the new plumbing, same problem narrative begins.

After running the plumbing for an extended period of time, we began to hear a small drip. Well, we knew exactly where to look. Once we managed to crawl through the smaller area of the cellar, we saw the drips consistent with the tub drain above. In this case, new plumbing and subfloor might have convinced a buyer that everything was fine. However, with a home inspection, the buyer was able to see that this was just new plumbing, same problem. While these small leaks will typically cause damage over time, it is important to realize that not all repairs are done correctly. Just because something is new does not mean it is correct. A home inspection from Know Before You Buy allowed this buyer to see the issues that were still present, and not be surprised years later.

New Plumbing, Same Problem