When choosing an apartment, people usually focus on room sizes, renovation, location and price. The plumbing hidden behind the walls and floors goes almost unnoticed.
Yet a problem in exactly that system can later mean extra costs, opening up walls or damage to a renovation that has just been finished.
That is why it is worth checking a few simple things before you buy.
Check the water pressure
Open the taps in the kitchen and bathroom and watch the water flow. If the pressure is normal at one point but very weak at another, the cause may be a specific pipe or fixture.
It also helps to open several taps at once. If the flow drops sharply, the network needs a closer look.
Look at the walls and floors
A hidden water leak does not always show up as an obvious drip. Discoloured patches, bubbling paint, peeling wallpaper or a damaged floor covering can all be signs of long-term water exposure.
Pay particular attention to the walls next to the bathroom and kitchen.
If you suspect water is leaking inside a wall or floor, a professional water leak detection service can pinpoint the problem area much more precisely.
Watch the water meter
If possible, close all taps and switch off any appliances that use water. Then check the meter.
If nobody is using water but the meter is still moving, you need to find out where the water is going. The cause may be a toilet cistern, but a hidden pipe leak is also possible.
Knowing this before you buy helps you avoid unexpected costs later.
Check how the drains work
It matters not only how water comes out of the tap, but also how quickly it drains away.
Run water in the sink and bath or shower. If water pools, drains very slowly, smells unpleasant or the pipe makes gurgling sounds, the drainage may be partly blocked.
In simple cases indoor drain cleaning may be enough, but if the problem keeps returning, its cause should be found.
When a camera inspection is needed
When buying a private house or a larger property, checking the sewer system only from the sink is not always enough.
Inside the pipe there may be damage, deposits or an incorrect slope that is not yet causing a full blockage.
In such cases a sewer camera inspection is especially useful, because it lets you assess the part of the system that a normal viewing cannot reveal.
A newly renovated apartment should be checked too
New tiles, a new sink and a new tap do not guarantee that the system behind the wall is installed properly.
If the pipework was not tested before the renovation was finished, a poor connection or damaged pipe can show up later.
Also check the toilet, sink, tap and siphon. Every connection should be dry and every fixture should be firmly fixed. Quality plumbing fixture installation reduces the risk of leaks and bad smells in the future.
When the whole network should be assessed
If the apartment is old, the pipes have not been replaced for many years, or several problems are visible at once, repairing individual fixtures may not be enough.
In that case it is important to assess the condition of the complete plumbing network.
Knowing the state of the plumbing in advance helps you judge the real condition of the apartment and spot problems before they turn into your expense.
