Why don't you open closed valves?

Specific Inspection Topics Plumbing Inspections
1

I was contacted to do an inspection on a REO. I went over the common information with the buyer and found out that the water was not currently on, buyer said it looked like a part was missing where the water line comes into the house.
Before setting a schedule I contacted the realtor to verify that all the utilities would be on, and was informed that they would get with the city to have the water meter (missing part) reinstalled and turned on.

The next day a representative of the realtor contacted me that the water was turned on; however had to be turned back off. Apparently when they activated the water lines they flooded the house. Due to a bad winterization there are now multiple broken pipes as a result of the flooding a section of the basement ceiling is now on the floor.

This has just reinforced in me to never valve open a closed off system.

2

Same old story.
Anyone that has been doing this for even more than a year has seen it happen.

Agents need to be taught the hard way if they insist.

3

Unless the house has been winterized (not common in the deep south) there is almost always a reason the water is totally off, or off in just one location. Here are three I have found most often; add others as desired.

  1. The icemaker line has no shutoff valve
  2. The sink supply line is leaking
  3. The sink drain is leaking.