need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

So here's the deal. I am building a new house which is basically
done, sheetrocked, finish floors, etc. The only problem is that we
can't get a plumbing final passed--seems like there is a fitting that
has come apart in the vent portion of the DWV. I am looking for some
brilliant ideas to find it, short of filling the system with water and
looking for the leak.. We have tried the "peppermint test" --dumping
peppermint down the vent, follwed by hot water, and can't smell
peppermint anywhere. We also tried a camera, but were unable to fish
it in the lines smaller than 3".

A few ideas I've had are--

1) devising a hillbilly smoke test--setting a shop vac to blow. Put a
little water in the tank, and add dry ice, and hook this up to pump
"smoke" into the system.

2) Hiring a guy with an infrared camera. Attach a heat gun to the
system. Pump heat and look for heat.

Anyone have any other ideas?

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

marson wrote:
So here's the deal. I am building a new house which is basically
done, sheetrocked, finish floors, etc. The only problem is that we
can't get a plumbing final passed--seems like there is a fitting that
has come apart in the vent portion of the DWV. I am looking for some
brilliant ideas to find it, short of filling the system with water and
looking for the leak.. We have tried the "peppermint test" --dumping
peppermint down the vent, follwed by hot water, and can't smell
peppermint anywhere. We also tried a camera, but were unable to fish
it in the lines smaller than 3".

A few ideas I've had are--

1) devising a hillbilly smoke test--setting a shop vac to blow. Put a
little water in the tank, and add dry ice, and hook this up to pump
"smoke" into the system.

2) Hiring a guy with an infrared camera. Attach a heat gun to the
system. Pump heat and look for heat.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Hi,
You're doing it backward. After plumbing is done, you had to check the
possible leak pressurizing the entire system with compressor. Your
plumber did not do it? Now retroactively, pros use super sensitive
microphone to pinpoint even a slightest leak. That's all I know.

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

marson wrote:

So here's the deal. I am building a new house which is basically
done, sheetrocked, finish floors, etc. The only problem is that we
can't get a plumbing final passed--seems like there is a fitting that
has come apart in the vent portion of the DWV. I am looking for some
brilliant ideas to find it, short of filling the system with water and
looking for the leak.. We have tried the "peppermint test" --dumping
peppermint down the vent, follwed by hot water, and can't smell
peppermint anywhere. We also tried a camera, but were unable to fish
it in the lines smaller than 3".

A few ideas I've had are--

1) devising a hillbilly smoke test--setting a shop vac to blow. Put a
little water in the tank, and add dry ice, and hook this up to pump
"smoke" into the system.

2) Hiring a guy with an infrared camera. Attach a heat gun to the
system. Pump heat and look for heat.

Anyone have any other ideas?


Pressurize with compressed air. ~20 psi. That requires tight
sealing of all openings. Listen for telltale whistle.
Or, as suggested, use a pro listening mic for even ultrasonic signals.

You could introduce faux smoke from a smoke generator or
"smoke" candles if it's likely you could see the smoke where
it exits. Or introduce mercaptan odorant (used in natural gas).

Jim

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:47:27 -0700, marson
wrote:

The only problem is that we
can't get a plumbing final passed--seems like there is a fitting that
has come apart in the vent portion of the DWV. I am looking for some
brilliant ideas to find it, short of filling the system with water and
looking for the leak.

Is this a two story home?

The first years or so of owning my last house; it seemed like on
Monday there was a wet carpet spot on the first floor. It so happens
the master tub drained right down/angled to the first floor. The bride
used to tub on Sunday evening.

A rubber sleeve was not coupled correctly to the ABS and the water
from the tub drained through the wall studs.. about four foot from the
floor.

You will need to open the sheetrock to fix this.

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

"Oren" wrote in message
...
Is this a two story home?

My friend says all houses are two story homes. There's the story the
realtor tells you, and then there's the truth :) (Sorry, couldn't resist)

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

marson wrote:

So here's the deal. I am building a new house which is basically
done, sheetrocked, finish floors, etc. The only problem is that we
can't get a plumbing final passed--seems like there is a fitting that
has come apart in the vent portion of the DWV. I am looking for some
brilliant ideas to find it, short of filling the system with water and
looking for the leak.. We have tried the "peppermint test" --dumping
peppermint down the vent, follwed by hot water, and can't smell
peppermint anywhere. We also tried a camera, but were unable to fish
it in the lines smaller than 3".

A few ideas I've had are--

1) devising a hillbilly smoke test--setting a shop vac to blow. Put a
little water in the tank, and add dry ice, and hook this up to pump
"smoke" into the system.

2) Hiring a guy with an infrared camera. Attach a heat gun to the
system. Pump heat and look for heat.

Anyone have any other ideas?


What is wrong with filling it up with water and looking for
the leak? That is one of the tests that is required for
plumbing topout around here. You can either use water or
compressed air, but with compressed air you have to seal
everything up including caps on the vents on the roof, so it
is much easier to put a test plug at the main drain and fill
with water until it comes out the lowest roof stack.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:20:37 -0400, "Kitep"
wrote:


"Oren" wrote in message
.. .
Is this a two story home?

My friend says all houses are two story homes. There's the story the
realtor tells you, and then there's the truth :) (Sorry, couldn't resist)


Well that just ticks me off. I will forever live in a single story
house; henceforth and so on!

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

On Jul 17, 11:42 pm, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:20:37 -0400, "Kitep"
wrote:



"Oren" wrote in message
.. .
Is this a two story home?

My friend says all houses are two story homes. There's the story the
realtor tells you, and then there's the truth :) (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Well that just ticks me off. I will forever live in a single story
house; henceforth and so on!

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

Well, I haven't had a chance to follow up on this. Of course, the DWV
was air tested after rough in. But something happened between then and
the final manometer test. Either the plumber added a fixture after
the fact (which he did) or one of the HVAC guys got a little wild with
the Sawzall. It's no pinhole leak--you can't even begin to get any
pressure built up on it even with an air compressor.

The water test is the final resort. With my luck it'll spill out onto
the HO's computer. The people are living in the house under a
temporary certificate of occupancy.

The sound test sounds interesting. Who has such equipment? My
experience in listening for leaks is that the whole system hums and it
is hard to pinpoint exactly where?

Right now, I got a hold of some smoke pellets. I've got plans in my
head to pinch down the outlet of a shop vac and blow smoke into the
system with that.

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

On Jul 28, 1:25 pm, marson wrote:
On Jul 17, 11:42 pm, Oren wrote:



On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:20:37 -0400, "Kitep"
wrote:

"Oren" wrote in message
.. .
Is this a two story home?

My friend says all houses are two story homes. There's the story the
realtor tells you, and then there's the truth :) (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Well that just ticks me off. I will forever live in a single story
house; henceforth and so on!

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

Well, I haven't had a chance to follow up on this. Of course, the DWV
was air tested after rough in. But something happened between then and
the final manometer test. Either the plumber added a fixture after
the fact (which he did) or one of the HVAC guys got a little wild with
the Sawzall. It's no pinhole leak--you can't even begin to get any
pressure built up on it even with an air compressor.

The water test is the final resort. With my luck it'll spill out onto
the HO's computer. The people are living in the house under a
temporary certificate of occupancy.

The sound test sounds interesting. Who has such equipment? My
experience in listening for leaks is that the whole system hums and it
is hard to pinpoint exactly where?

Right now, I got a hold of some smoke pellets. I've got plans in my
head to pinch down the outlet of a shop vac and blow smoke into the
system with that.

Found it! Wound up putting a smoke cartridge in a vent, then putting
a continuous 20 PSI on it (enough to blow out the hole but not enough
to blow water out of the traps). Found it next to a tub access hole--
someone had widened the access hole and got a little wild with the
sawsall!.

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

20PSI!!??? that much pressure would surely blow the water out of the traps.

s


"marson" wrote in message
ups.com...

Found it! Wound up putting a smoke cartridge in a vent, then putting
a continuous 20 PSI on it (enough to blow out the hole but not enough
to blow water out of the traps). Found it next to a tub access hole--
someone had widened the access hole and got a little wild with the
sawsall!.

need ideas for finding a plumbing leak.
 

On Aug 2, 6:13 pm, "Steve Barker"
wrote:
20PSI!!??? that much pressure would surely blow the water out of the traps.

s

"marson" wrote in message

ups.com...



Found it! Wound up putting a smoke cartridge in a vent, then putting
a continuous 20 PSI on it (enough to blow out the hole but not enough
to blow water out of the traps). Found it next to a tub access hole--
someone had widened the access hole and got a little wild with the
sawsall!.

Correction, I had the regulator on the compressor set at 20. Never
got that high in the pipe I suppose because of the leak..