Should I get a plumbing and heating survey when purchasing a property?

It’s one thing getting a property survey but it’s a totally different kettle of fish having the plumbing and heating thoroughly checked. 

This is actually one of our favourite jobs. It involves a few hours of investigation into a plumbing and heating system. We will inspect how each part of the system performs and inform you what work may be required. This gives the potential purchaser a full understanding of the system and if any unexpected problems which may occur so they can be accounted for during the negotiation of the sale. In the past we have uncovered unsafe gas appliances, broken boilers and a huge list of plumbing nightmares. 

It’s advisable to have a plumbing and heating survey carried out if you’re unsure about any part of the installation, or if a surveyor has flagged anything concerning them.  

You should expect the drainage to be checked of all the appliances, toilets, basins, baths, showers, and sinks. The heating system will be checked throughout, checking the radiators heat up, and thermostatic radiator valves are operational. We’ll check showers function correctly and the condition and age of any taps. 

It’s also advisable to have a Gas Safe certificate, this is a safety check of all the gas appliances in the property (boiler, cooker, hob, fires, etc). This will check that the appliances are working efficiently, there are no gas leaks and they have been correctly installed. A separate certificate will be provided for this and it should be carried out by an engineer who is Gas Safe registered. 

An example survey report for a kitchen might say: 

“The kitchen sink tap works well and looks new (within 2 years). There are 2 isolation valves for this tap underneath the sink, which are both operational. The waste on the left hand bowl of the sink was slow draining, but after a quick investigation it was caused by a small blockage underneath which was easily removed. Both sinks and overflows now drain correctly.

An example checklist for a main bathroom may include:

– Bath drainage

– Shower drainage if applicable

– Basin drainage

– Toilet drainage and flush

– Bath taps

– Basin taps

– Shower valve

– Bath/shower screen seals

Or you can also see how we carry out a survey here: https://youtu.be/COopex11O0Y