• Presence of jacks or floor-leveling devices. If you see tall metal pipes with adjusting screws        at top or bottom that run from the basement floor to the ceiling, you have found jack stands that have been used to lift or level floors above. Their presence could indicate a severely sagging house or an  attempt to strengthen an older building. If you are interested in the building, have a professional inspection before making an offer or going to contract on it.

• Basement windows and exits to exterior. Note the condition of stairs, doors, and metal “flip-up” basement doors. Since this is an area that is especially prone to collecting water, check any wood in the area for rot or insect damage. Examine basement windows for the same problems as well as cracked glass.

• Hot water heater. In general, there are two kinds of hot water heating systems: those that utilize the home’s heating furnace to heat water, and those that heat water in a separate, stand-alone unit. If you are not sure which type of system is in place, it is easy to tell. If there is no separate water heater (a large cylindrical tank), then water is heated in immersed coils, which are located in the boiler that is part of your furnace. In either case, cold water will enter the unit in one pipe, and heated water will exit through another. (If you cannot tell which pipes these are, have someone open a hot-water faucet in the building. You will be able to hear and feel the supply pipe that brings cold water into the furnace and be able to identify the hot-water-bearing pipe that leaves the furnace easily because it will get warm.) Inspect these pipes for evidence of leaks seen as white discolorations on the surface of the pipes. If you are inspecting a stand-alone hot water heater, check the pipe, too, but also carefully inspect the tank’s exterior ,as well as the floor beneath it, for evidence of leaks. Pay special attention to any sign of rust or bubbling on the bottom of the tank’s exterior. This indicates a tank that will soon crack and leak.

• Water supply pipes. Look for white drip marks or drips on all water pipes. Take special care to look for leaks around any splices in the system such as junctions where copper pipes are connected to plastic PVC pipes. These are the places where leaks are most likely to occur.

 

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