What is Smoke Testing, and what does a plumber do?
Have you ever been inside a building, restaurant or even a home with a rancid sewer odor? If you have, then you know it can be difficult to locate exactly where it is coming from since you can’t get a visual on a scent. So what is the solution? Smoke testing. Smoke testing is just another tool used to find leaks or sources of odor in pipes and sewage systems.
Smoke testing for leak detection or sources of odor is a method where artificial smoke is pushed through your drain pipes and sewage systems. This smoke then travels throughout those pipes and wherever there are cracks or issues in these pipes, smoke will come out. This non invasive method reveals issues in your plumbing where there can be leaks, cracks, loose fittings, and other plumbing issues.
Smoke testing can detect leaks caused by bad or loose connections, broken pipes, open pipes and fittings or incorrect installation of vents. We can also identify any traps under sinks, shower, drains, tubs or bases that may be missing or incorrectly installed. Testing can also serve as a safety measure. Sewer gas not only has a bad odor but is bad for your health. Gases from the sewer can contain methane gas, which is explosive, or hydrogen sulfide gas, which is deadly.
Since all homes and plumbing problems are different, the cost can vary. But we can easily give you a free quote over the phone! If you have a sewer gas odor or believe there is a leak in your drain lines, please reach out to us for a free quote over the phone on what the cost would be for smoke testing.
