Plumbing A New Home: 3 Key Tips To Save You Headaches Later On

When you are having a new home built, it's exciting to work with the designers to choose countertops, flooring, paint colors, and so forth. But it's just as important to talk with the contractors, such as your plumber, about the way they plan to design and layout your home's essential systems. You might not see most of your home's plumbing, but the way it is laid out and installed will have a big impact on your life in the coming years. Here are some tips to discuss with your plumber before they start installing pipes, fixtures, and appliances in your new home.

Select your water heater location carefully

Have you ever turned on a tap and then waited for what felt like forever for the water to get hot? This was likely because the hot water heater was located too far away from that tap. Think about the various taps and faucets in your home, and decide which ones you want to get hot the soonest. Most people prioritize the kitchen sink and the shower. Make sure your plumber does not place to water heater too far from either of these locations.

Include valves on every run of pipe

If you ever get a leak in a pipe, you'll want to be able to turn off the flow of water into that pipe. It's nicest if you can do so without turning off the water supply throughout your whole home. So, ask your plumber to install shut-off valves on as many lines as possible in your new home. This will give you more control over the water flow to individual lines, which will come in handy years from now when you need to make repairs.

Keep pipes away from exterior walls

Ask your plumber to avoid placing pipes along exterior walls whenever possible. Pipes along the outside wall are the most likely to freeze, and frozen pipes are at risk of bursting and flooding your space. If a pipe has to go along the outside wall, your plumber can apply insulation around it to reduce the risk of freezing. But nothing is quite as effective as not putting pipes along the outside in the first place.

With these tips, you and your plumber can design a better, less problematic plumbing scheme for your new home. Talk to your plumber for additional tips and advice, and ask what they've recommended for previous clients with similar homes.

Contact a local plumbing contractor to learn more.