During the course of a home inspection, testing the plumbing involves running the water at each fixture for a few minutes and checking for visible leaks which also allows seeing leaks when you go into crawlspace or basement towards the end of inspection. Of course, just running the water won't always reveal certain leaks, as in this case. I will normally, as do most inspectors, plug the sink/tub basins up with the stoppers and then let the water drain out. You usually get a much better indication of how the plumbing system is operating. I always let the water sit in the basins for a few minutes also, to see if any water seeps around the drain seals, which sometimes it does.
Now in this picture, the horizontal drain arm, from the garbage disposal had a crack on the top half of the entire span, which I didn't even notice when I first peaked under the kitchen sink. However, when the basin was filled up & then let go, it leaked everywhere.
I got a call from the Realtor & licensed plumber, who was completing some of the repairs, a couple of days later who said they couldn't find a leak anywhere under the kitchen sink. Imagine that! I even had 2 pictures and a descriptive paragraph in the report documenting exactly what & where the problem was - I guess they just needed a verbal confirmation ;) Anyway, I told this licensed, qualified plumber to plug the sink with the stopper and then let it drain, and you'll find the leak. Needless to say, I never did get a call back.
In a nutshell, don't just let it flow to get by and keep going - take the time to fill er' up, and go that extra mile!
BTW, pun intended for fueling up at the gas station, of course, high gas prices & time may not always allow, even though you may want to fill ‘er up.
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