Tip 2: You may not know what's right, but you can usually spot what's wrong. Take a quick look at any visible pipes in your house, just to keep up on what's going on with them. Homeowners often don't routinely check; then a puddle of water appears in the basement, damaging their valuables, and they had no inkling that anything was amiss. You can look at the pipes in your basement and have no idea what you're looking at, but if you see rust, buckling or drops of water, you'll definitely know something's wrong.
