A plumbing inspection in Belews Creek covers supply piping, drains, water heater, valves and fixtures, and usually the well equipment as well. Most of the area isn't on public sewer, and private wells are common, so the inspection looks different from one in town. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Belews Creek.
How Belews Creek homes are served
Belews Creek is a rural, unincorporated community in northeastern Forsyth County near Belews Lake. City-County planning staff note that parts of the area near the lake have no access to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities water or sewer, though some parcels can get Town of Stokesdale water, and that public sewer should not be extended into that rural area. Private wells are common, and most homes are not on municipal sewer, using a private onsite wastewater system instead.
Duke Energy provided permanent replacement water supplies, either public water hookups or filtration systems, to eligible households near the Belews Creek Steam Station's coal ash basins, and the state reported that work finished in October 2018. If the house you're looking at got one, ask the seller for the paperwork; a filtration system is equipment the plumber can look over.
Census survey data puts the median home at 1994, with about 28% built before 1980. Electricity heats about 85% of homes in ZIP 27009, propane about 7% and utility gas only about 2%.
Rural versus public-water inspection
| Item | Well and onsite system | Public water |
|---|---|---|
| Water source | Pump controls, pressure tank, well piping | Meter, yard line, pressure |
| Water quality | Owner's own testing | Utility's annual report |
| Wastewater | Building drain; onsite system evaluated separately | Main line, with optional camera run |
| Fuel | Propane lines if present | Gas service where available |
Warning signs
- Pump that cycles on and off rapidly
- Pressure that falls during showers
- Slow drains or gurgling throughout the house
- Stained or odd-tasting water from a well
- Pipes in an unheated crawl space or well house with no insulation
- A water heater with no date on the label or a tank showing rust at the base
Rural houses near the lake can sit empty between owners or seasons, and an idle well system or water heater can hide problems that show up only after a week of normal use. If the house has been vacant, ask the plumber to run water at every fixture long enough to watch the pump cycle and check for leaks under sinks and in the crawl space.
Timing notes
Schedule the plumber, any well water testing and the onsite system evaluation together, early in due diligence. For the Forsyth County part of Belews Creek, permits go through the joint Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division; parts of ZIP 27009 in Stokes County likely fall under Stokes County instead.
Plumbing Inspection questions in Belews Creek
What should the inspection cover if the house has a private well?
How is the inspection different when the house isn't on municipal sewer?
Does the inspection include the gas piping?
Which office handles permits for repairs the inspection turns up?
More plumbing services in Belews Creek
Plumbing Inspection nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
- Belews Creek housing by year built (ACS, via Point2Homes)
- City-County Planning staff report F-1623 (Belews Lake area)
- NCDEQ: permanent replacement water supplies at coal ash sites
- ZIP 27009 housing and heating data (city-data.com)
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division
- Belews Creek, North Carolina (Wikipedia)
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