Sprinkler Leaks Are Hard To Find

When we test the sprinkler system we have to observe the system in a dry state first. Small leaks are easily hidden by the sprinkler system itself. If a system sprays water onto a part of the system that happens to be leaking, it may not be found. The owner of the home may not know about the leak since it may not be noticed. Therefore, the leak may not make it to the Disclosure Statement.

This leak was on the piping of the system before the distribution point. As a result it was under constant pressure. The area was consistently sprayed by the automatically timed side yard zone. If we had not viewed the piping before operating the system and after letting the Sun dry it, we would have missed it too. As your inspection team, we take these types of details into consideration as we inspect the home.

We recommended a plumber evaluate the piping. The result was the plumber discovered a hairline fracture in the piping and the need for a replacement fitting.

Your home inspection includes many tests for functionality, safety, and condition. The sprinkler system is an extra part of the inspection just like an inspection of a pool or spa. We do charge a nominal fee to operate all the zones in manual mode. However, in this situation we saved the future homeowner an expensive out of pocket plumbing repair and helped him to avoid a total failure of piping that could have resulted in a large loss of water, a big water bill, and an inconvenient disruption of water to the main home. The buyer was able to negotiate with the seller to include this repair in the sale of the home.

Some real estate inspections do not result in a recommendation for a Systems Specialist and some do. However, this is why we schedule your home inspection usually within 48 hours of your call. Your option period gives you a finite amount of time. Therefore, we purposefully schedule your inspection with a sense of urgency.

Your home inspection needs to be thorough. We will inspect the entire home as if we were buying it, provide you an unbiased detailed report of the findings, and will encourage you to ask questions during the walk-through. After you have read your home inspection report we encourage you to call with any additional questions.

You can search for our online reviews either by clicking on our reviews page or independently searching on Google. We encourage you to do so. Third Step Inspections is indeed Where Quality & Integrity Meet!

Thanks for considering Third Step Inspections for your real estate inspection needs!

Tony