Give tenants and staff advance notice of the test window, visible smoke, possible detector activation and instructions to fill dry traps. Coordinate timing with management and alarm specialists; municipal notice schedules are examples, not a universal private-test rule. Arrange for sensitive occupants to avoid exposure.
What the notice should say
- Date and time window. Agree on sufficient advance notice for occupants, building staff and alarm monitoring. Municipal notice schedules do not establish a universal legal minimum for a private building test; confirm the lease and local requirements.
- What they will see. White to gray smoke from roof vents and possibly inside. It is made for this use and clears fast.
- What to do with drains. Pour water into seldom used floor drains, sinks and mop sinks before the test. Erie County asks residents to "pour water into any seldom used drains to fill the traps".
- Alarms. Smoke can set off detectors. See whether a smoke test sets off fire alarms.
- Who should not be there. People with breathing conditions should leave. See whether the smoke is safe to breathe.
- Who to tell. If smoke shows up inside a suite, staff should open doors and windows and tell the crew right away.
Why tenants matter
Tenants hold the traps. A suite that has been empty for a month has dry floor drains, and dry drains let smoke in for no reason, which sends the test the wrong way. Filling traps ahead keeps the test focused on real defects. Any smoke that still appears after the traps are full counts as a finding.
Notify outside parties too
Cities tell police and fire dispatch before they test mains, and public works staff "inform local fire and police departments of planned testing" so calls about smoke can be answered (SEH). If your building has a monitored alarm, tell that company. Their instructions come first.
What it means for you
A short notice, filled traps and a named contact save a lot of phone calls. If tenants have already complained about sewer smell, tie the notice to that: you are tracing it, and here is the date. For who pays for the fix, see tenant vs landlord plumbing responsibility.
For a site-specific test plan, see HQ's plumbing smoke-testing service.