Buying an Older Mobile Home? Be Alert to These Potential Plumbing Issues

Mobile homes are the less-expensive step into home ownership and many of the most modern mobile homes are designed to be almost as efficient as any traditional house. However, mobile homes that were built several years ago are not always up to today's standards, and many of the older ones you find on the market could have an array of problems, especially where plumbing is concerned. To ensure you don't invest in an older mobile home and end up with a host of plumbing problems, there are a few signs and symptoms of trouble you should be looking for while you shop. 

There is an obvious lack in water pressure. 

Mobile homes are set up on a stable base and tied in place with steel cabling or straps. However, with time, these connections can come loose and allow the mobile home to shift. The shift of the home can pull at the main water supply lines and create leaks. If there is poor water pressure inside the home, it is a good sign that there is a leak somewhere in the incoming supply lines, and it could be related to the aforementioned issue. 

You spot standing water beneath the home. 

Older mobile homes are pretty notorious for springing leaks in the drainage systems, but, thankfully, these leaks are fairly obvious to an onlooker even with no plumbing experience. Grab a flashlight, and take a peek beneath the mobile home. Be on the lookout for standing puddles of water on the ground or obvious muddy areas around where sinks, bathtubs, or toilets are above. If you see anything, you are likely looking at a leaky drainage line. While drainage issues are a fairly simple fix most of the time, older mobile homes with deteriorating drainage systems can prove to be a challenge to repair without causing issues with other plumbing components. So be prepared to hear a plumber tell you they fixed the drainage line but also found other problems. 

You hear water spilling out below when you use sinks inside the home. 

It is extremely common for the plumbing lines leading to and away from a mobile home to freeze and bust in the winter because there is often no insulation at all round these lines unless the homeowner installs something for protection. If you hear water spilling out from beneath the flooring when you use sinks and faucets in the house, it could mean that one of the lines has burst. 

For assistance identifying plumbing issues in your mobile home, talk to a professional like those at A Absolute Plumbing & Heating.