When buying a house, one can get carried away by the excitement. As soon as the home inspector gives a thumbs up, new buyers are usually ready to sign the mortgage or pay for the house. But here’s the problem: home inspectors don’t have any plumbing knowledge to advise homeowners on the state of their plumbing systems. As far as plumbing is concerned, they only check for small issues, like if the toilets work or if water is running from the taps. So, if there’s a leak under your slab, you might not know until it’s too late. Smart home buyers call a certified plumber to perform a sewer water test before making any commitment. While the buyer pays for the test, the seller will be responsible for the repair costs if a leak is found. A sewer water test saves home buyers a lot of money down the road and therefore comes highly recommended.
Is a Sewer Water Test the Same as a Hydrostatic Test?
TREC and some plumbers call this test a hydrostatic test. But it’s not really a hydrostatic test because no external pressure is applied during this test. A hydrostatic pump is not used in this case. Pressurizing a residential home’s plumbing system is not a good idea and can cause leaks.
How Is a Sewer Water Test Performed?
When performing a sewer test, the plumber blocks water flow in the sewer lines using an inflatable test ball at the two-way clean outs. Water is then filled to the slab level and left for about 15 minutes. If the water level does not drop, your sewer lines do not have any leaks. To test for water leaks, a plumber puts a pressure gauge on a hose bib in the house and turns it on to read the city water pressure. Then they turn off the water at the meter to see if the pressure holds. If the pressure remains the same for about 15 minutes, your water lines are declared fine.
Equipment Used
- A Pressure Gauge
- Test Balls
- A Wrench — to open and shut off the meter
- A pressure pump — to inflate the test balls
If a leak is found, more electronic leak detection equipment will be needed to locate it. These include video cameras, locators, probes, etc. Leaking water makes a unique noise, and a plumber can listen at every valve and manifold using the equipment to find the leak.
Get Your Leak Detection Equipment Today
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leak detection equipment every plumber or homeowner needs. With the right leak detection systems, plumbers can find leaks quickly and accurately, maximizing efficiency and increasing profitability.
Contact LeakPro® today to order your leak detection equipment. Visit
Roger’s YouTube for more leak detection tips.
