Buying a HUD home, inspection sheet says "water pressure test failed" est $150?

Question

My husband and I have placed a bid on a HUD home. When reviewing the HUD inspection sheet everything was "OK" except that it had failed the water pressure test and the EST. cost to fix this problem was $150. Any ideas as to what could be wrong? Their were no further details as to the problem.

Answer 1

Nice house and price. Congratulations! You'll need high pressure booster pump. It is a very small pump that attachs to the wall and connects above the water meter. As the water passes through the water meter it is diverted into the pump and then back through the plumbing to your faucets. Those pumps run over $300 to $400 plus the cost of a plumber to install.

Answer 2

There are several things that could cause that test failure.

For clarity, HUD generally doesn't actually test water pressure. Their inspectors usually check how long

it takes to fill a 1 quart container. That's a volume-flow test (gallons per minute.)

Many things, besides low pressure, can cause reduced volume-flow.

It's usually caused by rust or crud building up inside of piping within the home. Since "your" house is

from the sixties, it probably was plumbed with copper instead of troublesome iron. Immediate relief can be achieved by cleaning off the fixture strainer/aerators. It'll be back again soon.

It is my honest belief that you should not worry about it too much. Worst-case, ranch houses are easy

to completely repipe.

I do not know of any plumbing repair that can be achieved for $150. Maybe replacing a $.15 valve seat.

Go after the homes whole-heartedly. They all have flaws. Enjoy the adventure together!

Answer 3

That estimate sounds low. It could be anything from the street pressure to a messed up meter or the main supply pipe or a mineral build up in same or a pipe in the house. I can't imagine fixing that for $150.00. That would be about the cost for a plumber just showing up. It just depends on where the problem is. A plumber is the only one that can tell you that. Have you seen the water running and is it low in all the rooms. One possible simple problem is the main shutoff is not open all the way.

Answer 4

$150 to fix a problem in your own home is nothing. It may seem like a large amount but compared to the cost of the home and the equity you will build in a year or 2 it is cheap. If you want the home BUY IT and fix the problem.

Answer 5

I would hazard a guess that there's a pressure reducing valve that needs to be replaced. That's about the only thing that could be fixed so cheaply, and it's not a big deal. They are installed when the street pressure is high, to drop it down to manageable levels.

Answer 6

the pressure test simply means to pressurize the water lines to 30 psi and close the line if the pressure drops it fails due to a possible leak. It has nothing to do with actual volume of water.

Answer 7

Haven't thought too much about that

Answer 8

and who has to phone the plumber - the HUD agent, Broker, or person under pending contract???

Answer 9

I've no idea about this