This modern, three-year-old home looks sharp. It also has some serious issues hiding in plain sight, starting with one of the strangest water softener setups I’ve seen.
The water softener drain
The softener’s drain line was routed up into the attic and straight into a roof plumbing vent. That’s a major code violation. There’s no air gap, which means sewer gas or a backup could travel back toward your water treatment equipment. On top of that, the line runs right across the attic catwalk. It’s a trip hazard, and one bad step could break it and flood the ceiling below.
A softener drain should empty into a proper drain with an air gap, like a standpipe or laundry drain, so dirty water can never be pulled back into the line.
More attic and garage findings
- Poorly strapped ducts causing airflow turbulence.
- A roof truss splitting under the weight of heavy concrete tiles.
- Fire-rated walls in the garage with unsealed openings and plastic pipe running through them, making it easier for a fire to spread into the house.
Cracks with no obvious cause
Inside, grout was cracking and drywall was separating near a bathroom wall. There was no obvious water source, but something is moving, possibly moisture or early structural movement. That’s worth monitoring and having evaluated.
Newer homes need inspections too
A three-year-old house can still have install mistakes from day one and changes added by the first owner, like this softener. If you’re buying a newer home that’s still within its first year, an 11-month warranty inspection can get the builder to fix things. Otherwise, a full home inspection is the way to find them.
Watch the inspection
See the softener drain and the attic in the video above, or watch it on YouTube. Book your inspection online or call 623-399-0079.
Property Inspections Plus is a Gilbert, AZ home inspection company led by Certified Master Inspector Dan Pierce. We inspect homes across the East Valley, the Phoenix metro and the rest of Arizona. See all of our service areas.
