Home plumbing checkups: DIY checklist or pro inspection?

Couldn’t agree more about not waiting for the “uh-oh” signs like stains or that weird basement smell. I learned the hard way - thought I was being clever with a moisture meter, but turns out, it doesn’t help if you’re checking the wrong wall (don’t ask). Pro inspections have caught stuff I’d never spot, like a sneaky leak behind my shower tile. Still, I do like poking around with my gadgets between visits... makes me feel like a home detective, even if I’m mostly just finding lost socks.

Totally get what you mean about feeling like a detective - half the time I’m crawling around with a flashlight, I’m not even sure what I’m looking for. Honestly, it’s easy to miss stuff if you don’t know where to look (I once spent an hour convinced my kitchen sink was leaking, only to realize it was just condensation from the fridge). You’re right, the pros catch things we’d never spot, but I still think messing around with gadgets is worth it... even if it’s just for peace of mind or, yeah, finding that missing sock.

Yeah, I’ve definitely been there - crawling under the sink with a flashlight, convinced there’s a disaster brewing, only to find it’s something minor or just my imagination running wild. I think there’s real value in poking around yourself, even if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. You get familiar with how things *should* look, which helps spot when something’s off.

That said, I’ve missed stuff too. Once, I thought my dishwasher was leaking, but it turned out to be a loose hose on the ice maker. Took me way too long to figure that out. I keep a basic checklist now - look for drips under sinks, check for water stains, make sure the water heater isn’t sweating too much, that kind of thing. It’s not foolproof, but it catches the obvious stuff.

Still, when it comes to the big things (like weird noises in the pipes or low water pressure), I’ll call in a pro. Peace of mind is worth it, and sometimes you just need another set of eyes. But yeah, half the fun is the detective work... even if it means finding a sock instead of a leak.

You get familiar with how things *should* look, which helps spot when something’s off.

That’s spot on. I do my own rounds every couple months - check under every sink, run all the taps, flush every toilet, and peek at the basement ceiling for any signs of drips. In an older house, you really have to know what’s “normal” because stuff can look weird but be just fine. One thing I’d add: check your main shutoff valve now and then. I learned the hard way that it was stuck when I actually needed it. Doesn’t hurt to give it a little turn every once in a while.

I hear you on the shutoff valve - mine looked like it hadn’t moved since the Eisenhower administration.

In an older house, you really have to know what’s “normal” because stuff can look weird but be just fine.