Guides · Season by season
The first year checklist for a new build
In the first year, find out how your house is plumbed and check what the builder left. Locate the main shutoff, read the static pressure, find out what the softener loop actually feeds, and note anything odd while the builder warranty still covers it.
Find these in the first week
- The main shutoff for the house, and check that it turns
- The stops under every sink and behind every toilet
- The water heater, its shutoff and whether its pan has a drain that goes somewhere
- The softener loop in the garage, and whether it has a drain and power nearby
- The sewer cleanout outside, and whether its cap is intact
Check these in the first month
- Static pressure at a hose bib, because a new house is not automatically in range
- Whether there is an expansion tank, and whether the pressure climbs when the heater runs
- That every fixture runs hot and cold on the right side and drains properly
- That the washer valves are secure and, ideally, have hammer arrestors
- That no faucet bangs when it is closed quickly
Decide in the first year
- Whether the house is getting a softener, because hard water starts working on the heater from day one
- Whether you want a drinking water system at the kitchen sink
- Whether the heater is sized for how the family actually lives in the house
- Whether any hose bib should stay on untreated water for the landscape
The warranty point
Builder warranties have a clock on them, and plumbing complaints that get raised late get harder to raise at all. Anything that looks wrong, sounds wrong or drips is worth reporting in writing while the warranty is in effect, even if it seems small.
Getting an independent look at the house while that window is still open is a reasonable thing to do, and it is much cheaper than finding out afterwards.
From the job log
Work we’ve done
Answers
Does a new house need a softener right away?
Hard water does not wait for the house to settle in. The mineral starts working on the heater and the fixtures from the first day the water is on.
The builder said the loop is all I need. Is it?
The loop is plumbing, not a softener. It means a unit can be installed more easily, though the drain and power usually still have to be added.
Should I check the pressure on a brand new house?
Yes. New does not mean in range, and a regulator set high or missing is easier to deal with now than after it has worked on the fixtures for a few years.
If you need this done
- Water softenersValley water is some of the hardest in the country. A softener removes the minerals that scale fixtures, spot glass and shorten a water heater's life.
- Water pressure and regulatorsPressure checked with a gauge, and regulators repaired or replaced when the house is getting more than the plumbing should take.
- Valves, hose bibs and water hammerShutoffs that won't turn, washer valves, outdoor hose bibs, and arrestors for pipes that bang when a valve closes.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
In-home estimate
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We come out, look at the problem and explain what it needs before any work starts. For something urgent, calling is fastest.
Rather talk? Call or text (602) 833-4133.