Plumbing, Septics, Wells

"S" Trap

Flood level rim

Fig. 10-7. Air gap between bottom of faucet spout and flood rim of sink prevents the backflow of nonpotable water into the potable water supply.

Look at the sink and tub faucets. When the tub and sink are filled to the flood rim, there should be an air gap between the top of the water and the bottom of the faucet spout. (See FIG. 10-7.) If there isn’t, the faucet is vulnerable to back siphonage (the flowing back of dirty water from the sink or tub into the potable water supply because of a negative pressure in the line). This condition is a violation of the plumbing code and is found periodically in old homes. However, it is not limited to old homes. The “do-it-yourself” homeowner could have installed the faucet without being aware that it is a potential problem. Are there shutoff valves below the sink and bowl for the supply pipes? Although not a necessary feature, they are very convenient when making minor repairs.

If the tub is equipped with a whirlpool bath, check its operation. Fill the tub to a level above the jet ports before turning on the bath’s pump. Record any problems on your worksheet. For health reasons, before the whirlpool bath is used, it should be professionally cleaned to remove bath residue and scale deposits because no inspection method is available to ensure that proper maintenance procedures were previously followed. Also check to see if there is an access hatch for the pump motor. This is occasionally overlooked during the installation, and it is helpful in the event that maintenance is required.

After you flush the bowl, if the toilet is the tank type, lift the tank lid and look inside. If the lid has a cloth cover, be careful when lifting it. It might be cracked or chipped. If water is spurting out of the fill valve, maintenance is needed. You might even find the trip lever connected to the flush valve by a string rather than a metal chain or strip. Repair or replacement of the flushing mechanism is not costly.

Occasionally the seller, not being the original owner, inadvertently misrepresents the age of the house. Depending on the manufacturer of the toilet bowl, you might be able to verify the house’s age by looking on the underside of the tank lid. There might be a date stamped on the underside that can be a clue, assuming the toilet is the original and was not installed during a later renovation. The date is the date of manufacture, usually within a few months of installation.

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