The man who owns the house we are trying to buy works out of the country and he had the water shut off for 7 months while he was away. Can this cause any problems to the home? I don't think it does but my mom seems to think it could. Anyone have an idea?
2007-02-06 17:33:55 · 10 answers · asked by Me 6 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
if the plumbing system was properly winterized it shouldn't. If it wasn't, when the water is turned back on you may discover that it froze at some point and split the pipes. If you really want the house ask him if it had been winterized if he says yes, get him to sign a waiver to make him responsible for any problems with the plumbing system. Other than that, I cannot think of any other problems that could occur.
Honestly tho, I would request to see the plumbing system working as a stipulation of purchase. Just to be safe.
2007-02-06 17:44:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Amber If you have the water turned on be sure that you are in the home and that there are no problems like dripping faucets or leaking toilets. The seals could over time be dried out and cracked this can cause problems. of course if there are problems you will want to know where the main water turn of is and have the necessary tools to turn it off again. Flush each of the toilets several times. Turn each faucet off and on over and over to make sure you good water flow and good seals, don't forget the faucets outside too. make sure Water Heater is working and fills properly with no leaks. Tubs and Showers should be checked and make sure they drain well. If you have a hook-up for an ice maker make sure it is OK too. Check the drains under the sinks to make sure they do not leak. If your new house has a basement you can look for leaks in the pipes that pass through it Hope your new house is what you want, most of all that it is truly a home to those sharing it.
2007-02-06 18:00:28 · answer #2 · answered by eudaemon 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you are thinking of buying this house, hire an independent inspector to thoroughly check out the house. He is hired by you, and therefore he answers only to you, not the seller. The inspector will not only inspect the plumbing, but all the mechanical systems, and the structure as well. Upon completion of his inspection, he will give you a typed report of the house. It will list any problems he found. The people who told you it was ok, if the house had been winterized, need to rethink their position. A properly winterized house will have signs posted on all plumbing fixtures. Anyone can remove these signs, so check the sign. It should have the plumbers name, date, company name, and what he did to winterize the system. I would have an independent plumbing contractor, who specializes in home inspections, check out the plumbing. He deals with plumbing, and knows exactly what to look for. He is versed in the latest codes, and can inform you of potential future problems. Just turning the water off for a long period, only prevents a water leak, but in some cases, can cause more harm. Good luck to you!
2007-02-06 18:18:18 · answer #3 · answered by poppyman54 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If the house was shut off and the water lines were not blown out there may have been some water trapped in the lines and it froze and may have broken the pipes...Also, if the house was not heated and he did not add anti-freeze to all the traps they have frozen also..Bath tub, shower, toilet, lav sink, kitchen sink, washing machine, washing machine drain trap, Water heater Boiler and the baseboard radiation, heat pipes( if it has wet heat Do not buy this without a good inspector to pressurize the systems and check for leaks. Take some time and do it right..Better safe than sorry.............
2007-02-07 09:09:47 · answer #4 · answered by buzzwaltz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
with the water shut off for that long, all the suggestions to run water in different places are great but one other place to look is the drainage system...the gunk in the pipes is usually moist and pliable because people drain water out from so many places in the home daily...when no water passes thru for a long period of time the gunk get hard...kinda like concrete hard...then in time your drainage system will not drain properly because essentially some pipes are not draining thru smaller pipes and the vents on the roof could be clogged with gunk...a plumber could help you inspect and see if the entire system of water input and output is in working order...our home was vacant for almost a year and the drain problem did not become apparent until 2 months after we moved in
2007-02-06 23:31:00 · answer #5 · answered by Library Eyes 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am a land lord. I would take the responsibility. It is not your fault. This is a perfect reason that when I rent to someone I pay the water bill and just ad it to what I charge. I would tell the land lord to pack it up her ASSSSS
2016-05-24 02:09:15 · answer #6 · answered by Jean 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you run the water for a while (say at least 10 minutes) before using for washing, drinking or anything like that. It is like to be pretty yucky until you tap into the fresh mains water.
2007-02-06 17:47:14 · answer #7 · answered by darklydrawl 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Won't hurt a thing. In Florida many Snow Birds do that year after year for that same length of time.
2007-02-09 20:52:11 · answer #8 · answered by mountainriley 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe you should turn the water back on and test, does it snow where you are ? even if the water is turned off there is water in the pipes, if it freezes it could burst the pipes, just as an example,
2007-02-06 17:45:40 · answer #9 · answered by da rinse mode 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
not at all,,the water heater may have gotten rusty inside....
2007-02-06 17:38:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋