Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We noticed a weird sound in our kitchen 2-3 days back ( like water leaking\bursting out of a pipe). We didn't see any pipes or leak but we saw some water deposit in one of the down kitchen cabinets. I called the plumber to get it fixed. He made a cut in the kitchen wall ( which is actually front wall of house). He saw 2 thin copper pipes and one of them had a very small hole and water was leaking out of that. He was totally surprised as to what can cause this. He fixed it but noticed a lot of red flag in overall construction, including the pipe quality and mold growth on the pipes. We have hoa since it is condo and also have farmers
There's a lot the community on here can contribute based on experience as a whole.
I'm not a lawyer nor plumber...just like many others someone who has had some life experiences. Have owned homes; have learned about handling issues from reading and from friends and neighbors.
When you make your list of issues, check on what the plumber saw precisely. The "lot of red flags in overall construction" for example. What was wrong with the "pipe quality" and where was the "mold growth" and what did the plumber think caused that.
I'm hoping he's a professional licensed plumber.
Chat with neighbors about any leaks of any kind in the condos, wet areas, etc. There may be stories about others...or maybe not.
You should also check how your condo is on what it maintains. Some exclude pipes, some are responsible to the exterior wall. This should be in documents you got when you bought your condo.
OP you can call your city health dept or agency where contractor permits are issued and ask an inspector to come take a look and tell you what you need to know. They know the construction codes. They don't charge you and if necessary will give you a written report and what you need to do to remedy the problem. Then you let the HOA know the results especially if shoddy construction, then the HOA should contact the contractor that built the units.
That is the way they do it in our condo association.
The answer to the question is- Call your insurance company and ask!
As to your other inquiries- a plumber making an assessment of "overall construction" through a hole in the wall is absurd. And the location of the pipes (by your description) sounds like an exterior wall. Plumbing in an exterior wall is somewhat frowned upon exactly for that reason- it can freeze and burst. That's not to say it can't be done (2X6 frame construction, extra insulation, location of pipe inside the wall, and pipe insulation), but it behoves builders, and plumbers to design the system so that can be avoided.
In a condo he owner is often only responsible from the walls in. The leaky pipe inside the wall might be the associations responsibility.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
