Inspection Report Plumbing Items, Translated

Missing or improperly terminated T&P discharge pipe

One of the most common findings, and one of the least expensive to correct. The temperature and pressure relief valve needs a properly sized discharge pipe terminating at the right height and material. It is a safety item, so it will be flagged every time — and it usually takes one visit.

• Typically a small, fast correction
• Safety-related, so expect it to be re-checked

Water heater age or 'near end of service life'

An inspector reading a manufacture date is not diagnosing a failure. A twelve-year-old unit that works is a planning item, not a defect. What matters for negotiation is condition — corrosion, weeping fittings, sediment noise, venting — and that takes a plumbing assessment, not a date code.

• Get the condition assessed before conceding a replacement
• A written condition report is far stronger than arguing about age

Active leaks and evidence of past leaks

Staining, corrosion at fittings and mineral deposits mean water has been present. Sometimes it is a long-fixed issue and sometimes it is live. Distinguishing the two matters, because a stain with a dry, sound fitting is a very different negotiation from an active drip.

• Supply-line drips: usually a valve or connection repair
• Drain leaks under sinks: often a trap or slip-joint fix
• Stains with no active water: document that it is dry

Slow drains and drainage defects

A slow drain can be a hair clog or the first sign of a main-line problem. If several fixtures drain slowly, or if a floor drain or basement fixture is involved, it should be scoped rather than snaked blind and declared fixed.

Venting, combustion air and clearances

On gas water heaters, inspectors flag improper venting, back-drafting evidence and inadequate combustion air. These are genuine safety issues and are worth taking seriously — but they are also frequently correctable without replacing the appliance.

Older piping material called out by name

Polybutylene, galvanized steel or mixed materials get noted because of their history. A note is not a failure. What matters is current condition, whether it is leaking, and whether the buyer's lender or insurer has a position on it.

Get it corrected and documented in one pass

The paperwork is what closes the item. A written scope before work and an invoice describing the specific correction afterward is what a buyer's agent can accept — a verbal 'we handled it' usually reopens the discussion at the walkthrough.

• Written scope tied to the inspection line item
• Invoice describing the specific correction performed
• Photos where the work is concealed after completion