By Austin Holcomb & Austin Webb, Pineapple Plumbing | Summerville, SC
Moving into a new home is exciting. Dealing with a plumbing surprise in your first month is not.
We’ve been plumbing Charleston-area homes for a combined 22 years, and one thing we see over and over again is new homeowners discovering plumbing problems that were there before they moved in but nobody caught. A running toilet that’s been silently wasting 200 gallons a day. Galvanized supply lines in a 1950s West Ashley ranch that are almost completely corroded on the inside. A water heater with three years of sediment sitting at the bottom because the previous owner never flushed it.
A standard home inspection covers plumbing at a surface level, but it doesn’t test shut-off valves, scope sewer lines, or identify pipe materials hiding behind the walls. That’s why we put together this checklist. Whether you just closed on a historic downtown single house, a 1980s Summerville ranch, or a brand-new build in Cane Bay, these are the plumbing checks that can save you thousands in your first year.
Your First Day: Find the Shut-Offs
Before you unpack a single box, find these two things:
Your main water shut-off valve. This is the valve that stops all water flow to the house. In most Charleston-area homes, it’s located near the front of the house where the supply line enters from the street, or inside the crawl space. In slab-foundation homes, it’s often on an exterior wall near the water meter.
Once you find it, turn it. Gently close it all the way, then reopen it. If it’s stiff, corroded, or won’t close fully, that’s something to address sooner rather than later. A shut-off valve that doesn’t work is useless when a pipe bursts at midnight. We replace seized shut-off valves regularly during routine plumbing repairs and always recommend testing yours at least once a year.
Individual fixture shut-offs. These are the smaller valves beneath each sink and behind each toilet. Turn each one to make sure it opens and closes. Old gate valves (the round-handled kind) often seize after years of disuse. If any of them won’t budge, make a note. Upgrading them to quarter-turn ball valves is a simple job that makes a real difference in an emergency.
Your water meter. It’s usually in a covered box near the curb. Write down the reading. You’ll use this later.
Your First Week: Test Everything
Once you’re settled enough to spend an hour with a flashlight, work through these checks room by room.
Run every faucet and flush every toilet. Turn on the kitchen sink, bathroom sinks, and all showers at the same time. If pressure drops noticeably when multiple fixtures run, it could mean corroded supply lines (common in older Charleston homes with galvanized steel), an undersized main line, or a failing pressure regulator. Flush each toilet and listen. If any of them keep running after the tank fills, the flapper is worn and the toilet is wasting water every hour of every day.
Check under every sink. Open the cabinet doors and look at the pipes, connections, and the floor of the cabinet. Dampness, stains, warping, musty smell, or soft spots all indicate a past or active leak. Pay attention to the supply lines running from the wall to the faucet. If they’re old rubber or corroded braided steel, plan to replace them. A burst supply line under a kitchen sink can dump gallons per minute onto your floor and into your cabinets.
Look at the water heater. Find the manufacturer’s label and decode the serial number to determine the unit’s age (most brands encode the manufacturing date in the first few digits). Tank water heaters typically last 8 to 12 years. If yours is approaching 10, it’s not an emergency, but it should be on your radar. Look for rust on the tank, corrosion on the fittings, water stains or dampness at the base, and listen for popping or rumbling sounds when it heats. Austin Webb, who’s been working on water heaters across the Lowcountry for 14 years, recommends flushing the tank within your first month if the previous owner can’t confirm when it was last done.
Test the drains. Fill each sink and tub with a few inches of water, then release the stopper and watch how quickly it drains. Slow drainage in one fixture might be a localized clog. Slow drainage in multiple fixtures, especially if accompanied by gurgling sounds, points to a deeper issue in the main drain line or a venting problem.
Run the water meter test. Turn off every faucet, appliance, and fixture in the house. Go to your water meter and write down the reading. Wait two hours without using any water. Check the meter again. If the reading changed, water left your system during that time, and you have a leak somewhere. This is the simplest and most effective way to confirm whether a hidden leak exists.
Run the toilet dye test. Remove each toilet’s tank lid and add a few drops of food coloring to the tank water. Wait 10 to 15 minutes without flushing. If the color appears in the bowl, water is leaking past the flapper. A worn flapper is the single most common source of hidden water waste in any home, and a replacement costs a few dollars at any hardware store.
Your First Month: Know What’s Behind the Walls
Some checks require a little more time or a professional eye.
Identify your pipe materials. This matters more in Charleston than in most markets. Look at exposed pipes in the crawl space, garage, laundry room, or wherever they’re visible. Here’s what to look for:
Copper (reddish-brown metal): durable, 50+ year lifespan. Generally good news.
PEX (flexible plastic, usually red, blue, or white): modern, reliable, long-lasting. Standard in homes built after the mid-1990s.
Galvanized steel (silver-gray metal, often with threaded fittings): common in pre-1960s Charleston homes. Corrodes from the inside over decades. If your home has original galvanized supply lines, they’re likely near the end of their useful life. Budget accordingly.
Polybutylene (gray, flexible plastic): installed in homes built between 1978 and 1995, especially common across Summerville, Goose Creek, North Charleston, and Ladson. This material has a documented history of failure and can affect your homeowner’s insurance. If you find gray flexible pipe in a home from this era, have it inspected.
Cast iron (heavy, dark metal): used for drain and waste lines in pre-1970s homes. Durable but develops internal corrosion and cracks after 50 to 60 years.
Inspect the crawl space. If your home has a crawl space (and many Charleston homes do), get under there with a flashlight or have a plumber do it. Look for damp soil, standing water, dripping connections, corrosion on visible pipes, and mold on or around plumbing. In our humid climate, crawl-space moisture doesn’t evaporate on its own. It sits, corrodes metal, and rots wood. Austin Holcomb, whose years in the Marine Corps taught him that problems left unchecked only get worse, makes crawl-space inspection a standard part of every maintenance visit we perform.
Ask the previous owner (or your realtor) these questions: When was the water heater last serviced or replaced? Has the sewer line ever been scoped or repaired? Have there been any plumbing repairs in the last five years? Has the home ever had a water leak, backup, or water damage claim? Is the sewer connected to the city system or a septic tank?
Your First Year: Build Good Habits
Schedule a professional plumbing inspection. A full plumbing inspection in your first year gives you a comprehensive baseline of your system’s condition. We check pipe materials, water pressure, shut-off valves, the water heater, drain performance, and the crawl space. If the home hasn’t had a sewer camera inspection, this is the year to do one. Sewer line problems are invisible without a camera and can cost $5,000 to $20,000+ if they surprise you later.
Flush the water heater. Once a year, drain the sediment from the bottom of the tank. This keeps the unit running efficiently and extends its lifespan. If you’ve never done it, we include water heater evaluation in our maintenance inspections.
Prepare for hurricane season. Charleston’s storm season runs June through November. Before the first major storm threat, confirm your sump pump works (if you have one), clear floor drains, check that outdoor shut-offs are functional, and know how to shut off your main water supply quickly. Heavy rain can overwhelm drainage systems in low-lying parts of James Island, downtown Charleston, and West Ashley. Drains that work fine on a dry day can back up during a serious storm, especially in older homes with combined sewer and stormwater connections.
Insulate exposed pipes before winter. Charleston doesn’t get prolonged freezing weather, but the cold snaps in January and February can freeze exposed pipes in crawl spaces, exterior walls, and attic spaces overnight. A $5 roll of pipe insulation prevents a $2,000 burst pipe repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get a separate plumbing inspection beyond the home inspection?
Yes, especially if the home is more than 10 years old. A general home inspection tests plumbing at a basic level: running faucets, flushing toilets, checking for visible leaks. A dedicated plumbing inspection goes deeper with pressure testing, pipe material identification, shut-off valve testing, water heater evaluation, crawl-space assessment, and sewer camera inspection. The two inspections serve different purposes, and a plumbing inspection catches issues a general inspector typically won’t.
How much does a plumbing inspection cost for a new homeowner?
In the Charleston area, a plumbing inspection typically runs $150 to $350 depending on the size of the home. Adding a sewer camera inspection costs an additional $150 to $300. For a home you’re about to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into, the $300 to $650 total is one of the smartest pre-move-in expenses you can make.
What plumbing problems are most common in older Charleston homes?
Galvanized steel supply lines with internal corrosion (low water pressure, rusty water, recurring leaks), cast iron drain lines developing cracks and joint separations, outdated shut-off valves that no longer close, and water heaters that haven’t been maintained in years. Homes built between 1978 and 1995 across Summerville, Goose Creek, and North Charleston may also have polybutylene pipes that are prone to unexpected failure.
How do I know if my home has polybutylene pipes?
Look for gray, flexible plastic pipe in your crawl space, attic, or where plumbing enters the home. It’s most common in homes built between 1978 and 1995, particularly in suburban developments across Summerville, Goose Creek, Ladson, and North Charleston. If you find it, have a plumber confirm and discuss your options. Some insurance companies in South Carolina charge higher premiums or restrict coverage for homes with this material.
What should I do on my first day in a new home from a plumbing standpoint?
Find your main water shut-off valve and test it. Locate the individual shut-offs under each sink and behind each toilet. Find your water meter and write down the reading. These three steps take 15 minutes and prepare you for any plumbing issue that comes up later. If you can’t find the main shut-off, call your plumber and ask them to show you during your first service visit.
Is it worth flushing a water heater I just inherited with the house?
Absolutely. If the previous owner can’t tell you when it was last flushed, assume it hasn’t been. Sediment builds up at the bottom of the tank over time, which reduces hot water capacity, makes the unit work harder, and shortens its lifespan. A flush in your first month establishes a clean baseline and lets you start fresh with annual maintenance from there.
Moving In With Confidence
Your home’s plumbing is one of the most expensive systems to repair and one of the easiest to protect with a little upfront attention. The checks on this list take a few hours total and can save you thousands in surprise repairs during your first year.
If you’d rather have a professional handle it, or if anything on this checklist raised a concern, give Pineapple Plumbing a call at (843) 739-7438 or schedule a visit online. We’ll go through your system, tell you exactly what we find, and help you plan for anything that needs attention. Honest advice, written estimates, and work we stand behind.
Pineapple Plumbing. 503 N Commodore Way, Summerville, SC 29483.
