Plumbing Checks When Buying an Older Home

Supply pipe material

Start where the water comes in. Look at the main line rising from the basement floor and the pipe running from it. Copper, galvanized steel, polybutylene and PEX each tell a different story.

• Copper: long-lived when in good shape. Look for green corrosion at joints or pinhole repairs.
• Galvanized steel: common in homes built before the 1960s. It corrodes inside, restricting flow and staining water.
• Poly-B: grey plastic, often stamped PB2110. Read our Poly-B guide before you talk to an insurer.
• PEX: a modern flexible pipe, usually red, blue or white.

Also note the service line from the street. Very old homes may still have a lead or galvanized connection. If the pipe at the meter is soft, dull grey and does not spark a magnet, ask about lead and look at the Town's or Region's guidance on testing.

Drain stack

The main drain stack carries everything from the upper floors to the sewer. In older houses it may be cast iron, which can crack or rust through over time. Look for rust streaks, flaking, weeping joints, or patched sections. Plastic ABS stack in a house of a certain age suggests updates were done; ask when and whether permits were pulled.

Run several fixtures at once during your viewing. Slow drains on more than one level, or a gurgling floor drain, may point to a partial blockage deeper in the system.

Water heater age

Read the label on the tank. Its build date is normally hidden inside the serial code, and you can decode it with the brand's support resources. A tank well past its typical service life is a near-term expense. Find out whether it is owned or rented, because a rental contract may transfer to you; see renting versus buying and water heater lifespan.

Sewer camera

The pipe between the house and the municipal sewer, called the lateral, is the homeowner's responsibility on most properties. Tree roots, offset joints, sags and collapsed clay sections are common in older neighbourhoods with mature trees. You cannot see any of that during a showing.

A sewer camera inspection sends a camera through the line and records what it finds. It adds a modest cost to your due diligence and can reveal a repair bill large enough to change your offer. Arrange it through the listing agent with the seller's permission, ideally before your conditions expire.

Putting it together

A general home inspection is worth having, but it is not a plumbing inspection. If the report flags concerns, have a licensed plumber look at those items specifically and give written estimates. Then decide with your agent how to handle it. For a broader view of pressure issues common in older homes, read understanding water pressure.