Preparing for a Home Inspection? Features Your Hot Water System Should Have

If you're planning to sell your home, most potential buyers will be primarily concerned with how effective your plumbing system is. In particular, buyers look for homes that have an effective hot water service.

Before making the significant investment of buying a home, no buyer would want to deal with taking a cold shower on a chilly day. Therefore, if your hot water system is in good condition, you'll be more likely to attract buyers and to negotiate for a competitive price.

Make sure your hot water system checks off the following requirements during a home inspection:

1. Enough Hot Water Supply for the Home

During an inspection, buyers will be closely looking into your hot water capacity. Most buyers want to ensure that they won't run out of hot water when they need it most. Depending on the size of your home, make sure you have a hot water tank that has enough capacity for the number of occupants the home can legally accommodate.

An endless hot water supply is an even better option. These hot water units use a combination of tank and tankless systems to ensure that enough water is always available.

2. A Resilient Piping System to Maintain Hot Water Temperature

Buyers may also be concerned if your piping system is able to withstand consistent hot water supply. Copper, PVC, and PEX pipes are among the best for supplying hot water at a consistent temperature.

If your pipes are old and damaged, you should consider having them replaced before an inspection is carried out. A home inspection report that shows damaged hot water pipes can affect the price of your home.

3. A Properly Draining Water Heater

In addition to having an adequate water supply, the heater should have a safety mechanism for dealing with boiling water temperatures. In particular, your water heater should have a drain line that's connected to the tank itself.

This drain line or valve should open when the water becomes too hot so as to allow extra pressure and capacity to safely drain away. Without this drainpipe, there's a risk that the water heater may blow up.

4. An Energy-Efficient Water Heating Design

If your water heating system allows buyers to save on energy consumption, you're likely to get many offers for your home. Look into installing a water heater that can warm water via heat pump technology. This means that the water heater can draw heat from the surrounding environment and use it to increase water temperature.

With this efficient mechanism in place, your system will rely less on a heating element anytime you need hot water. The end result is significant cost savings.

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