Top 3 Plumbing Basics You Should Know

Home buying can be a highly rewarding experience, but it may also be wrought with questions concerning your new home’s infrastructure, how it all works, and how it may best be maintained.

Having served the greater Portland area for over a decade, we thought it might be valuable to share a few tips we’ve learned from assisting our customers throughout the years.

  1. Check the water temperature

    If this is going to be your new home, it’s certainly worth taking the time to check the shower temperature. The water should be nothing less than hot. The room temperature is not good enough. A lack of hot water, or water that takes a great deal of time to heat up, could mean a problem with the home’s water heater.

  2. Find out the age of the water heater

    You should check on the date your home’s water heater was installed and when it was last maintained. No one wants a surprise water heater purchase on their hands after having just purchased a new home. Water heaters should be well-maintained.

    It’s also worth noting whether or not your new home has a tankless or conventional water heater. While 3 Mountains Plumbing is always available to help service or replace either, we recommend tankless water heaters for their longevity, long-term cost-effectiveness, and lower environmental impact.

  3. Check codes and permit history

    Make sure that your new Portland home meets all plumbing codes and is up to date. We’ve found that backflow prevention device codes are something some prospective home buyers forget to check. More information on backflow prevention device codes for the greater Portland area may be found at PortlandOregon.gov.

    While licensed inspectors will hopefully find everything that needs to be addressed before you make your home purchase, it is always possible for them to miss something. It’s critical, as a Portland home buyer, to be as self-reliant as possible.

It is important to us to create lasting relationships with our customers. While we’re available for 24-hour emergency service, we are always happy to meet you when the situation is less dire. Please Contact 3 Mountains Plumbing with any additional questions regarding the plumbing systems in your new Portland home.

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