Smoke testing is a plumbing leak detection technique where artificial smoke is driven through the pipes to find leaks, cracks, or other issues. The smoke is non-toxic and equal to what a conventional fog machine might use. Any breaks, cracks, or uncapped pipes will allow smoke to escape. This signals to your plumber where the potential weaknesses inside the sewer pipes are, which can lead to leaks or other damage.
The America Environmental Safety Agency reports that leaks in the typical household account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted daily. This wasted water creates higher water bills, environmental damage, and locations of your house that could be damaged. At Tuma Plumbing, we provide a smoke test service to detect intricate leaks. With over a decade of experience, you can trust our specially trained professionals to solve the problem.
Possible damage caused by untreated leaks:
Losing water: As cited above, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water are wasted throughout the country due to unrepaired leaks. Protect the environment and your pocketbook by calling Tuma Plumbing today.
Floor harm: thanks to gravity, water leaks are pulled down and often cause structural damage to your foundation if left undetected and untreated.
Mold damage: mold loves wet climates. Leaks release humidity and water into your property’s walls and partitions, increasing the likelihood of mold damage.
Wall damage: because a lot of your plumbing runs up between your wall, a damaged or cracked pipe can create cracks on your wall that could result in more significant damage.
Sewer smells in homes and organizations are ugly. In addition, respiration of these fumes for a prolonged time frame is terrible. The most commonplace source of sewer fuel odors, whether residential or commercial, is a “dry faucet.” A dry faucet can be a sink, ground drain, or lavatory that isn’t used for some time. As a result, the water within the drain line dries out, and the sewer fuel then backs up into the room. Plugged or backed-up drains are also instances where odors might be able to release into the air.
Often asked questions:
Will the smoke prompt my fire alarms?
Sure, smoke alarms may sound during a smoke test. However, we always advocate opening windows and doorways during a smoke check for airflow.
Is the smoke dangerous?
The smoke is safe. It isn’t dangerous to humans, pets, or any house plants. It will not stain fabrics, curtains, or fixtures. Additionally, it’s non-flammable and does not produce any fire danger.
Will Smoke enter the inside of my home or office?
In cases where you are experiencing sewer gas odors in the interior of your home or business -it’s feasible for the smoke to come out into the same areas – allowing us to discover the leak.
What are the benefits of smoke testing?
It’s an efficient and cost-effective way to locate plumbing leaks and the source of sewer gas odors in the interior of buildings.
If the city does its smoke testing and smoke ends up in my house, is it my responsibility to correct the problem?
Sure, Leaks, cracks, and fissures on public land are the city’s responsibility; however, leaks, cracks, and fissures on private land are the property owner’s responsibility.
If you see cracks in your foundation, smell something foul, or hear running water while all taps are off, you may have a leak. Tuma Plumbing’s leak detection specialists can perform a non-invasive sewer smoke check to help you locate the problem. Then, we can provide fast, reliable repairs that will allow you to put the issue behind you.
This is a good post and something everyone should consider. When we sold our last house, foundation issues were found. It turns out that where the washing machine was dumping its water, there was a leak that only happened when there was a lot of water going through – over the years, it had opened up a vast space under my foundation. In an effort to fix the foundation problems, they had to cut a hole in the floor of my laundry room to add a pier. When they removed the chuck of foundation, it looked like a cave was under my house! We had the camera run in twice, but because it was only leaking when the washing machine was dumping, the camera was unable to turn up anything either. We only discovered the cause of the problem when they were going in to add piers under the foundation. It sounds like a smoke test could have solved this before I had to spend so much on repairs.