In an older Hollister home, with decades of hard water and ground movement behind it, that hour is worth more than it is in new construction.
Start With the Shut-Off Valve
If nothing else on this list gets done, do this one.
Find your main shut-off, usually near where the supply enters the house or at the meter near the street. Turn it off, confirm the water actually stops, and turn it back on.
Two things you are testing. That you can find it under pressure, in the dark, with water running. And that it works, because an old gate valve, the type with a round wheel handle, can seize solid after fifteen years untouched, or shear off in your hand at the worst possible moment.
Label it. Clear whatever is stacked in front of it. Make sure someone else in the house knows where it is. Our post on the main water shut-off valve covers this in more detail.
Check the Flexible Supply Lines
These are the braided or plastic hoses running from the shut-off valves to your toilets, sinks and washing machine. They are the single most common source of serious water damage in a house, because they fail all at once rather than gradually.
Look for bulging, rust at the crimped ends, any weeping or stiffness, and plastic lines that have gone brittle or discoloured.
Rule of thumb: replace them every five to ten years regardless of appearance, and replace any plastic ones with braided stainless. They cost very little. The damage from one letting go while the house is empty does not.
The washing machine hoses deserve particular attention, because they are under constant pressure and usually out of sight behind the machine.
The Water Heater
Check for any moisture around the base and on the connections above. Look at the temperature and pressure relief valve and the pipe running from it.
Flush it if it is due, which in this area means annually because of mineral content in the water. If it has never been flushed and is more than about eight years old, have a plumber assess it rather than opening the drain valve yourself, because disturbing hardened sediment in an old tank can start a leak.
While you are there, confirm it is properly strapped. Our post on water heater earthquake strapping covers the requirement, which matters more here than in most places.
Our post on signs you need a water heater replacement covers when maintenance stops being the right spend.
Test Your Water Pressure
A gauge that screws onto a hose bib costs a few dollars and answers a question most homeowners never ask.
Residential pressure should generally sit between 40 and 80 psi. Above 80 is high enough to be damaging supply connectors, fixtures and appliances continuously, and it is a common reason those braided lines fail early. Where a pressure regulator is fitted, they wear out, typically after eight to fifteen years.
Test in the evening and again in the morning, since supply pressure varies with demand.
Check Every Toilet
Put a few drops of food colouring in the tank, wait twenty minutes without flushing, and look in the bowl. Colour in the bowl means the flapper is leaking, which can waste hundreds of gallons a day silently.
Also check that the toilet does not rock. Movement means the mounting or the wax seal has failed, and water has probably been reaching the subfloor.
Drains and Sewer
Run water in every fixture, including ones you rarely use, and watch how fast it drains. Guest bathrooms and basement drains develop problems quietly because nobody is there to notice.
Slow drains in several fixtures at once, or gurgling when another fixture runs, point at the main line rather than a fixture. Our post on hydro jetting versus snaking covers the difference between clearing a blockage and scouring a line, and a camera inspection distinguishes a blocked line from a broken one.
In an older home with mature trees, a camera inspection every few years is reasonable even without symptoms.
Look Under Every Sink
Ten minutes with a flashlight. Look for water staining on the cabinet base, corrosion on the shut-off valves, and any dampness at the trap connections.
Water staining with no current drip usually means an intermittent leak, which is worth finding before it becomes a constant one.
Outside
Check hose bibs for drips and for movement in the wall when you turn them. Look for damp patches or unusually green growth in the yard, which can indicate an underground leak. Our post on slab leak signs covers what to do if you suspect one.
Talk to a Licensed Plumber
DAE Plumbing offers plumbing maintenance and repairs across Hollister and San Benito County. Call (831) 801-1079 or use the contact page.