Said It Here

How to tell if boiler and plumbing installation was done right

Homeowners cannot tell if unfamiliar pipe, vent, and condensate fittings meet proper standards. This uncertainty makes it impossible to move forward with plastering, woodwork, or subfloor replacement without the risk of sealing over a dangerous mistake.

Overview
People affected23 accounts across 3 forums
Workarounds found28 items attempted
Community agreement3,143 total upvotes

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

  • The most recent one is from October 2026.
  • This comes up 15.7× more often in r/Plumbing than across the site as a whole.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

28 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

  1. 1
    asking online forums for validation
    Did this help you?
  2. 2
    accepting subpar or unserviceable installations as long as they don't leak
    Did this help you?
  3. 3
    Asking online forums for community review and feedback on plumbing photos.
    Did this help you?
  4. 4
    Asking online forums for community feedback on installation photos
    Did this help you?
  5. 5
    Waiting for the project to finish and clean up before judging
    Did this help you?
  6. 6
    Driving to the site in person to inspect the work
    Did this help you?
  7. 7
    breaking the floor to add a plumbing group
    Did this help you?
  8. 8
    hiring a plumber to evaluate and plan the work
    Did this help you?
  9. 9
    Asking for feedback and opinions on online forums like Reddit
    Did this help you?
  10. 10
    Observing the contractor's work habits and time spent
    Did this help you?
  11. 11
    Testing joints by gently striking them with pliers to check for hidden weaknesses or leaks before sealing them up.
    Did this help you?
  12. 12
    Posting photos on online forums to ask professionals for review
    Did this help you?
  13. 13
    Trusting visual cleanliness of the work
    Did this help you?
  14. 14
    Inspecting the slope and grading of the horizontal run
    Did this help you?
  15. 15
    Consulting manufacturer installation manuals for guidance on pipe routing and offsets
    Did this help you?
  16. 16
    Adding a drip pan and shut-off devices to catch potential leaks
    Did this help you?
  17. 17
    Having the city come out to inspect and sign off on the work
    Did this help you?
  18. 18
    Asking online communities or forums for feedback on photos of the repair
    Did this help you?
  19. 19
    Using alternative bathrooms at a neighbor's house
    Did this help you?
  20. 20
    Redoing the plumbing setup based on feedback
    Did this help you?
  21. 21
    Getting an inspection
    Did this help you?
  22. 22
    Asking online forums for second opinions on photos of plumbing work
    Did this help you?
  23. 23
    Calling the plumber back to review or redo the work
    Did this help you?
  24. 24
    Searching online to see what materials are included in standard installation kits.
    Did this help you?
  25. 25
    Posting pictures of the plumbing work on forums to ask professionals for their opinion.
    Did this help you?
  26. 26
    Googling how specific appliances are supposed to be installed.
    Did this help you?
  27. 27
    Posting photos of the installation to online forums for professionals to review
    Did this help you?
  28. 28
    Calling the appliance manufacturer on a video call to show them the setup
    Did this help you?
Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/Plumbing18 people · September 2026 – October 2026

“Not a plumber. Is this right?”source ↗

“Is this plumbing job acceptable?”source ↗

iDaywalker · r/Plumbing · 3,056 upvotes

“My handle of main shut off valve broke the other day and this was what the plumber who came out did to repair it.”source ↗

“I’m not a plumber and have zero knowledge of plumbing, but this doesn’t look right to me.”source ↗

“Can someone with some knowledge give me some feedback?”source ↗

face_the_bass · r/Plumbing · 26 upvotes

“Looking for advice, thank you in advance”source ↗

Any_Development_3084 · r/Plumbing · 5 upvotes

“Hot water is coming quick enough. But the pump seems to be way too hot as in you can’t touch it for more than a second.”source ↗

grkero · r/Plumbing · 3 upvotes

“Your basement is currently not roughed in for a basement bath at all.”source ↗

kisenberg93 · r/Plumbing · 2 upvotes

“Third time soldering after taking myself. Been under full pressure for 4 days and none have leaked. Should I be confident in covers these up behind drywall?”source ↗

Specialist_Ad_8656 · r/Plumbing · 2 upvotes

“This weird angle makes me think this is not correct and could cause problems.”source ↗

catmayer · r/Plumbing · 2 upvotes

“In the directions, it says not to create traps or valleys in the line which would trap condensation and block the flow of steam. It seems like this angle would do that. Am I wrong?”source ↗

catmayer · r/Plumbing · 2 upvotes

“Please could someone advise if this looks right? We’re needing to remove old woodwork etc ahead of plastering but have noticed how the condensate pipe (I think it’s that?!) has been fitted”source ↗

Euphoric-Diamond-415 · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“Is this roughed in or do we need to plan for more work to be done to put a second bathroom in our basement?”source ↗

Soks05 · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“Does this look like good work? I'm not getting a great vibe from this guy that she hired. Pic attached, does this look like acceptable work?”source ↗

Turnover-Firm · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“So, what if they cracked the pipe ahead of the band and applied cement instead of repairing that section of pipe. I would be furious.”source ↗

TraditionalKick989 · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“That transition looks iffy for sure.”source ↗

JeffBea · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“Water heater burst this morning. I suspect this cast iron was the wrong thing for the plumber to install. Is hanging the expansion tank like this okay?”source ↗

FinntheReddog · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“I didn’t think it wrong until just a couple hours ago when I started googling how a water heater is installed.”source ↗

FinntheReddog · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“I just want to know what to look for when the new one is installed.”source ↗

FinntheReddog · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“Please take a look at this tankless water heater install. I’m mostly concerned about the condensation drain pvc pipe angle and that it’s unsupported for the length of over six feet. Any other issues?”source ↗

b1g_sw1ng1n · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“Does the drain & vent setup look okay?”source ↗

“This isn’t the type of venting layout I’ve seen before, so I wanted to make sure there’s nothing wrong with how it’s set up.”source ↗

“want to make sure everything is done correctly before putting the subfloor back.”source ↗

chunkyozempic · r/Plumbing

“Is this a good connection?”source ↗

“Based on the photos, does it seem like this is a good connection and the work was done properly?”source ↗

8thPlaceDave · r/Plumbing

“What is not fine is the lower crimp on the lower ball valve: it seems crooked and too close to the end of the pipe.”source ↗

“From this picture that joint does not appear to be properly made.”source ↗

redsauceorwhitesauce · r/Plumbing

“that wye is 100% backward, your mom's plumber left a time bomb in that trench”source ↗

SulkyToday · r/Plumbing
r/hvacadvice4 people · September 2026

“Old air handler didn’t have the black pipes curve over the unit like that. Can any licensed hvac technician look at this and tell me what they think?”source ↗

condo_hvac15 · r/hvacadvice · 21 upvotes

“Had this mini split installed how does it look”source ↗

dustylee233 · r/hvacadvice · 9 upvotes

“What's going on with the bare copper lineset at the *top* of the unit in the back?”source ↗

fiehlsport · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes

“Very sloppy”source ↗

Theonewhogoespoop · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes

“I have no clue about air handlers.”source ↗

condo_hvac15 · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes
r/Flooring1 person · September 2026

“I might be a bit obsessive but is it "badly" put?”source ↗

“Relationship with the builder has not been the best and I'm a bit concerned we made a mistake.”source ↗

“Am I going to look at this for the rest of my life like "This is so bad"?”source ↗

“Sorry, sligthly panicking over here (over tiles, I know...).”source ↗

MarieA_91 · r/Flooring

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised