Bathroom and Laundry Inspection

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GFCI Outlets In Bathrooms:

Make sure all bathroom outlets GFCI protected for safety!

Toilets and Shut off Valves Inspection:

Check to make sure all toilets are secure to the floor and the tank is secure to the bowl.
Flush all toilets and check for leaks around the toilets base, under the tank and in the basement.
Make all toilets have shut off valves directly below the toilets.

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Common Problems With Bathroom Sinks and Drains

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Bathroom sink slow drain

Bathroom sink drains very slow, this means that the trap below is normally blocked and will need to be cleaned. (New Home)

bathroom sink water pressure

Very low water pressure, first thing you should check is to makes sure the screen under the faucet is clean.Majority of the time that is the only problem.

Bathroom_MISSING

This is a photo of a metal bathroom sink drain trap, always feel around the bottom of these because many times they can be rusted out and very close to having a serious leak.

Bathroom_sink_drain

This photo indicates shut off valves that were installed under the bathroom sink.We recommend to have shut off valves under all faucets.

no shut off valves

Missing shut off valve under the bathroom sink. This is not a must but it really helps if you have a leak or if you need to replace the faucet.

common water leak area

The drain flange is a very common area to find water leaks under a bathroom sink.

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AAV – Air Admittance valves are pressure activated, one way mechanical, used in a plumbing system to eliminate the need for conventional pipe venting through the roof system. These are frequently found in older homes.

bathroom_plumb

This is not the correct way to run your bathroom plumbing (DEFECTIVE).

plumbing_trap

Side plumbing trap, never seen this one before but it is not properly installed. (DEFECTIVE)

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Bathroom Floor Inspection

Checking the bathroom floor is very important. Always step into both corners of the floor near the tub and check for soft spots/wood rot on the floor. This is a very common area to find wood rot.
Always step on the floor on both sides of the toilet and check for wood rot.
Make sure where the tub and the floor come together that it is caulked to keep water from getting under the flooring.

Common Problems With Bathroom Floors and Toilets

bathroom caulk floor

You should always keep the floor where it comes together with the tub properly caulked. When tile is used you local hardware store can sell you what is called a tile caulk made for this.

water staininf

Water stains around the toilet make sure you check the floor for wood rot. Always check both sides of every toilet by stepping on the floor around the toilet.

bathroom floor

Bathroom floor rot found in the corner near the tub. Always step along the entire front of the tub, especially the corners and check for wood rot or soft areas.

bathroom_floor_rotted

Another photo of a bathroom floor that looks nice but when you step in the corner of the tub area you find the floor is rotted. (Very important to check this.)

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Bathroom Tubs and Showers Inspection

Make sure you run all tub faucets and check the water pressure, check for leaks under the tub in the basement or on the main floor ceiling. We recommend you run the tub approx. 5 min. (Make sure you don’t walk away from the tub until you know it is draining properly).
Make sure the shower diverter is operating properly as it is very common for shower diverters to go bad. The shower diverter is where you pull the lever to send water to the shower head.
Check the shower walls, it is common for older homes to have missing tile ground or caulk, it is also very common that behind the walls to have wood rot. Lighty press on the tile and see if the walls have any movement, if movement occurs there could be some rot behind the walls.
Tile showers always make sure you run the water for a few minutes and check the ceiling below for leaks and for past leaks that have been repaired.
Check all tub stoppers to make sure they are operating properly.
Make sure you run the tub and the shower for a few minutes to check and make sure they are draining properly.

Common Problems With Bathroom Tubs and Showers

tub drain slow

Bathroom tub drains very slow. This could mean the drain is plugged or the plumbing trap in the basement is.

bathroom tub water pressure

Bathroom tub has very low water pressure, this could mean the faucet is bad, the water line feeding the tub is plugged (usually only if galvanized pipes are used) or is the hot water heater is plugged.

shower diverter

Bathroom tub has a weak / broken shower diverter, this is what sends the water to your overhead shower head.

shower surround (2)

This brand new home shower surround is leaking water. Very important to test. Try your best to run water up against the shower glass wall to test.Sometimes you can run water all youwant and you won’t find leaks until you actually take a shower. (New Home)

shower surround

Older shower pans need to be caulked around the base as regular maintenance. Always run the water for 5 to 10 min. and check the ceiling below for leaks. Make sure you watch the shower run for a couple min. to make sure it drains properly.

shower_surround_2

This is another photo of a newer shower door that is leaking water, always make sure you run every shower and check closely. (New Home)

shower_pan_crack

This bathroom shower pan has a large crack in the center of the floor, we recommend to run the water and look for any water leaks directly below the shower.

water_in_tub

If you fill the bathroom tub and the water looks like this turn the water off drain the tub and re fill it, sometimes if the water has not been run in a while to that location it will come out discolored. If it comes out discolored the second time you most likely need a water softer, call a professional and have your water tested. (New Home)

Bathroom shower diverter

This shower diverter is not operating, when you pull up on the shower diverter the shower above should operate.

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If you are buying a home with a Jucuzzi /Whirlpool tub you should fill the tub and run the jets to make sure it is running properly.These type of tubs should be plugged into a GFCI outlet either under the tub or ran directly to the electrical panel using a GFCI electrical breaker.

shower surround

This shower surround walls are rotted,the only way to test is to push on all the tiles around the shower.

cracked_chipped_tub

This bathroom tub has a small chip or crack this is common to find, no to worried this can be repaired.

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Bathroom Fans and Lights Inspection

We recommend all bathrooms have bathroom fans that are vented directly to the exterior of homes. It is very common that older homes won’t have fans but they should have an operational window.
We recommend checking all bathroom lights and bathroom heat lights.

Common Problems Found With Bathroom Fans and Lights

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bathroom poor exhaust

This basement bathroom fan should be vented to the exterior of the home.

bathroom shower fan

Always look above a bathroom ceiling where accessible to see if the exhaust fan has been run to the exterior of the home.

bathroom shower light

This shower should have a water safe light installed.

bathroom_lights

This photo comes from a older home where the homeowner ran a new light fixture using an extension cord. (Safety Hazard)

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Gas or Electric Dryer and Exhaust Inspection

Check to make sure the dryer is vented to the exterior of the home. We recommend that all dryer exhaust are run in metal lines, even though the flexible lines are acceptable they tend to have a lot of dips in them that cause dryer lint backups. ( We recommend to have the dryer lines cleaned every couple years by a duct cleaning company).
Check to see is your dryer is gas or electric or if it has the option for both.

dryer_vent

This dryer vent has been properly installedusing a metal dryer vent.

dryer exhaust

We recommend that all laundry exhaust are run in metal not plastic.

dryer_vent_behind_dryer

We recommend to have this dryer vent line shortened and run directly in the exhaust line to the exterior of the home

dryer exhaust

This dryer vent is not connected. Always take the time to look behind the dryer to make the exhaust is hooked up properly.(New Home)

dryer_vent_dirty

Always check the dryer exhaust cover on the exterior of the home to make sure it has a louvered cover as this one does and that it is clean. The cleaner your dryer line is the more efficient your dryer will operate.

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This is probably the worst installed dryer vent we have ever seen. (New Home)

Dryer_Outlet

This is a photo of a 220 dryer plug with adryer plugged into it properly installed.

dryer_gas_line

This old gas line is kinked / bent, we recommend to replace this type of old gas dryer line with a new flexible one.(Safety Hazard)

gas_line

This photo is a gas line to a dryer that should be secured to the wall for safety.

laundry_outlet

Make sure that all laundry outlets are grounded, this one is a three prong outlet but it is not grounded. It is typical to find non-grounded laundry outlets in older homes.