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When Water Doesn't Go DOWN The Drain

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

When water doesn't go DOWN the drain.

Why not?  What's it doing instead?

In this case we could see where a lot of it was going.

This is the newly-finished "bathroom" in the same newly-"finished" basement in yesterday's post.

Running the water for a while in the shower stall (which looked really nice) it was not very long before it started leaking out from under the shower pan.

Is the drain hole not connected to the drain tubing?

The leaking began in two places, and the water started expanding toward the ceramic tile lip in the lower left of the photo.

The leaking from the two arrows on the top center was immediate.

The leaking at the arrow at the lower left did not happen until a little while later.

So, if the water was not going down the drain, two questions remain:

1.  Why was it not going down the drain? and
2.  Where was it going?

An ejector pump behind the wall on the upper right did not seem to be filling.

When I did the thermal image sweep through the house later in the inspection, Mighty Mo discovered that leaking was happening from more than the two arrows at the edge of the shower pan.

The leaking continued through the glass block wall at the end of the shower pan, and from under the ceramic tile lip separating the shower stall from the rest of the bathroom.

Bummer.  The whole bathroom, all ornamented and bedecked with fine-looking everything, was a mess.  Can I say bummer again? 

Yes, yes I can.

My recommendation:  when new work is not done by a professional it is not professionally done!  Is that redundant or a good rule of thumb?  For sure, given the number of things improperly finished in this "finished" basement, no permit was pulled to do the work.   If what we can see is improperly done, what we can't see is a grave concern.  And what can't be seen is inherited by the buyer!  Along with all its fine glory and headaches that will follow. 

Beware the pig with lipstick!

 

 

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments(16)

Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

I love your line - if it isnot done by a professional it is not professionally done- That is great advice for sellers getting ready to make repairs off the home inspection list too

Sep 21, 2016 08:59 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Lise - that line is a great philosophy and I use it with clients all the time.  Thanks!

Sep 21, 2016 09:04 PM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Jay. Hope the buyer is running at top speed away from this deal. Enjoy your day!

Sep 21, 2016 10:18 PM
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Another solid reason for all home buyers to consider the services of an experienced, licensed Home Inspector equipped with the latest in diagnostic tools for definitive analysis of problem areas. Thanks, Jay Markanich !

Sep 21, 2016 10:21 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Wayne - this buyer is of the mind that he can fix anything.  It's not my purview to turn people away from houses, but in this case I don't think Mr. Know-it-all would have listened anyway...

Mighty Mo sure makes the various leaks come alive, right S&N?

Sep 21, 2016 11:31 PM
Fred Hernden, CMI
Superior Home Inspections - Greater Albuquerque Area - Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque area Master Inspector

Did Flipper raise his ugly head once again?

 

Sep 22, 2016 12:51 AM
Jennifer Mackay
Counts Real Estate Group, Inc. - Panama City, FL
Your Bay County Florida Realtor 850.774.6582

Never hire an amature to do plumbing repairs - that's my motto - thanks for sharing

Sep 22, 2016 01:02 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

So it appears, Fred.  This guy bought the home a while ago, intending to spruce it up and sell it.  Note my answer to Mike Cooper on the previous post about the sill plate.  Same house.

Jennifer - pretty motto!  Almost as good as, "Be Prepared."

 

 

Sep 22, 2016 01:42 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Ugh. Someone messed that job up, that's for sure. Mighty Mo sees all.

Sep 22, 2016 01:46 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Right on, Kat.  Seems I have seen your new avatar photo before!  Like it!

Sep 22, 2016 01:48 AM
Kathy Stoltman
Ventura, CA
RETIRED

Oh that is just awful. I am having a new shower pan installed as I write this. I certainly hope this does not happen to me. A professional is doing the work.

Sep 22, 2016 08:54 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Kathy - it appears things weren't connected properly under the pan.  Or there was a clog in the tube on the way to the ejector pump.  I don't know!  All I know is it leaked immediately.  Your professional is likely that!

Sep 22, 2016 10:40 AM
Stephen Weakley
Nationwide Mortgage Services - Rockville, MD

I just had an interesting discussion about a similar situation.   A client was looking at a house that had a finished basement which was obviously done by the home owner.   If no permits were pulled, can you consider the square footage of the basement when calculating the "finished" square footage of the home when selling?

Sep 23, 2016 04:02 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

In Virginia I don't think it's counted Stephen.  But a basement bedroom or bath would count toward those numbers.

Sep 23, 2016 06:12 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thanks, Jay, for sharing your experience and your photographs. 

More good reasons for home buyers to always opt for a professional home inspection.

Sep 28, 2016 09:13 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

With very cool thermal images, too, Roy.

Sep 29, 2016 03:42 AM