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[Arsic]

I've been in the house I own for about 8 years now.

I was told recently you should have a plumber check your pipes like once a year?

We had a plumber come out and he did pipe work but in our master bathroom there is no access panel to the bathtub. He said someone would have to come break out the tile it's encased in and create one so he could come back and work on it. Said don't use the tub until then. We've never had an issue with this tub.

New guy comes out that I explained the issue to and to see if he can do the tile work. He was confused because you should still be able to get into the pipes without an access panel.

He claimed tub is fine no need to do anything if the pipes were an issue it would be a problem from the handles leaking or leaks somewhere in the home.

Ok. Who do I trust? What do I do?

 

[Dacvak]

Have a third plumber come out and referee a fight to the death of the previous two. Then go with whoever won.

 

[Dacvak]

But for real, if there's no sign of leaking, I wouldn't destroy your wall just for an inspection. If the tub is on an above floor in your house, you'd know if you were leaking by looking at the ceiling in the floor below.

If it has long term leak damage, you'd probably be able to smell mildew, too.

If you really wanted the sanity check, you could simply drill a small hole in the wall and slip an endoscope camera in there to see the condition of the pipes. A small hole would be a lot easier to patch up.

 

[The Goddamn Mike]

Always an "it depends" scenario, but this:

I was told recently you should have a plumber check your pipes like once a year?

...is mostly bullshit. Did a plumber tell you this?

Depending on weather in your area (cold winters) and age of existing construction (you've owed the home for 8 years - was the plumbing new when you bought it?), in extreme situations, you may benefit from a plumber/contractor assessing any damage/potential damage to pipes, annually.

Mostly, this is someone attempting to provide an unnecessary service for which you will pay.

I'm not sure what kind of tub you have, but an "access panel" or whatever is not necessary and if there are no leaks and no noticeable water damage around the area of the tub (adjacent walls, beneath, mold, etc.), there isn't anything to worry about. You could remove the fixtures (spout, knobs, etc.) to get a view into the wall for peace of mind, but that's probably a waste of time.

"New guy" is more trustworthy. Use your tub.

 

[bitbydeath]

I was told recently you should have a plumber check your pipes like once a year?

If that came from one of the two plumbers then go with the other guy.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Whatever you do, make sure to don't cum in the shower/tub. That stuff sticks there like you wouldn't believe; it could clog the pipes or, even worse, spawn some kind of homunculus, half man, half pipes.

 

[Arsic]

Whatever you do, make sure to don't cum in the shower/tub. That stuff sticks there like you wouldn't believe; it could clog the pipes or, even worse, spawn some kind of homunculus, half man, half pipes.

Oh fuck

 

[BlackTron]

Now I get what makes plumbing GAF, plumbing GAF.

 

[nush]

was told recently you should have a plumber check your pipes like once a year?

This is bullshit, more than likely a scam for free money for plumbers.

You should get your electrics or windows checked once a year. Starts to sound ridiculous. I used to have a gas company come and check my boiler once a year for free. They came in and waved some wand over my boiler confirming there was gas leak. Then one year after passing the check he said, I should get a new boiler because it was old. But he just confirmed there was no problem with the one I had.

 

[IntentionalPun]

We talking about the things in your walls? Those pipes?

How would one go about "checking them" every year? That's some crazy shit you were told.

edit: I suppose they could use a dampness meter to check various walls, but you can get one of those for $50 at any home improvement store/off amazon if you want to do it yourself, never heard of a plumber showing up yearly to do that

 

[TintoConCasera]

Oh fuck

Don't panic if you start hearing voices coming from the pipes calling you "daddy": you are not legally obligated to take care of them, nor do you have to pay any child support.

We talking about the things in your walls? Those pipes?

How would one go about "checking them" every year? That's some crazy shit you were told.

Yeah I've never been told anything like that either.

I unclog the pipes whenver they get a bit clogged but that's it. It's and old house (from the 90s IIRC) and so far I've had 0 problems.

 

[nush]

It's and old house (from the 90s IIRC)

Old GAF triggered.

 

[Arsic]

Thanks guys. Letting sleeping dogs lie. Until there's a leak, fuck it!

 

[sono]

I was told recently you should have a plumber check your pipes like once a year

Um

 

[Arsic]

Um

Fuck if I know bro. My parents rented a shitty apartment I lived in growing up, and never taught me shit. 0 on taxes, mortgages, repairs, 0 goose egg. 0 life advice or knowledge passed on. :/

 

[ReBurn]

Pipes aren't mechanical. They don't typically break for no reason. Unless you see something leaking, see water damage somewhere , hear water running, or have abnormally high water bills it's a waste of money to have pipes inspected. The only time I might consider a somewhat regular inspection is if house is old enough to have copper pipes, and then only if some portion is buried under a slab.

My first house had copper pipes and they developed pinhole leaks under the concrete slab. I had the house re-piped with modern water piping after the second pinhole leak so my insurance company wouldn't cancel my policy. They paid for leak detection and repair once, then sent me a notice that if it happened again they would drop me because of the risk. When it eventually happened again I just called the plumber to re-pipe. Thank goodness it was a small house with only one bathroom.

 

[jason10mm]

I do recommend having a professional check your wifes pipes at least once a year

 

[StreetsofBeige]

You just wasted your money Arsic. There is no tip in the world to say check your pipes once a year. Only person who would probably say that is a plumber looking for money.

 

[p_xavier]

Same for HVAC, just wait for its death. Have some sensors to detect leaks will cost way less.

 

[p_xavier]

Get your vents cleaned every ten years is more important, fire potential and all.

 

[ahtlas7]

Tearing out your wall to tell you everything is fine? The act of accessing could actually cause problems. Unless there is a reason I would not damage the property.
You know pipes run all over your house through the walls. What's the plan to inspect those?