Plumbing Smoke Testing in Phoenix
Find the sewer gas leak you can smell but cannot see. Liquid smoke forced into the vent system shows exactly where gas is getting into your building.
Make the Leak Visible
A sewer smell that keeps coming back is hard to fix because the gas is invisible and the pipe is behind a wall, under a slab or up on a roof. A smoke test makes it visible. We push a thick, non-toxic smoke into the drain and vent piping, and it comes out wherever gas can get in.
It is a good fit for restaurants, retail centers, offices and multifamily buildings, where tenant complaints, health inspections and lease disputes make a guess too expensive. You get the leak located, photographed and explained, then a free estimate and an upfront price for the repair. Licensed and insured, 24/7.
Liquid Smoke, Forced Air
HQ uses professional smoke testing equipment that makes liquid smoke and forces air into the vent system. The smoke fills the whole drain and vent network evenly and stays visible long enough to trace.
Some crews burn smoke bombs and push the smoke in with a shop vacuum. That can find a big leak. In our experience it is less effective, because the smoke is harder to control and a small leak can go unseen. We chose the equipment that gives a clear result the first time.
How a Smoke Test Works
Prepare the building
We look at the layout, find the roof vents and cleanouts, and fill every trap with water so smoke shows leaks and not just empty traps. This is how the International Plumbing Code describes the test.Notify occupants
Tenants and staff hear about the test before it starts. Smoke inside a building can look like a fire to someone who does not expect it, so a clear notice comes first.Introduce the smoke
We connect the equipment, force smoke and air into the vent system and watch the roof vents, fixtures and piping for smoke where it should not be.Mark and report
We mark and photograph each leak, then explain what it means and what the repair involves, with a free estimate and an upfront price.
What a Smoke Test Can Show
When a Smoke Test Is Not the Answer
A smoke test shows a leak only if smoke has a path to the surface. A crack buried in soil or under a slab may not send smoke anywhere you can see, so no smoke does not always mean no leak. The National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) calls smoke testing one of several tools, and says smoke alone does not always show where a problem is, so the finding can need a follow-up.
Check the cheap causes first. A dry trap, a worn toilet seal and a dirty drain cause many sewer smells. See why a bathroom drain smells like sewer and what a P-trap is. For a floor drain that seldom gets water, read about trap primers on commercial floor drains. When the smoke is clean and the smell continues, a sewer camera inspection looks inside the line for damage a smoke test cannot show.
Smoke Testing for Restaurants, Retail and Multifamily
In a commercial building the smell is usually a business problem before it is a plumbing problem: customers notice, tenants complain and an inspector may follow. Read sewer gas smell in a commercial building and why a restaurant smells like sewer for the common causes.
A smoke test works best with a plan. Give tenants and staff notice, tell your alarm company if the building has detectors, and pick a time that suits the business. We can test after hours. Where the leak is a failed line, we pair the finding with commercial drain cleaning, grease trap repair or replacement or sewer repair, and report to you as the owner or property manager.
What Affects the Cost of a Smoke Test
We do not post prices because the building decides them. These are the factors:
- Building size. A single restroom group is a different job from a strip center.
- Separate systems. More drain and vent stacks mean more to test.
- Access. Roof, cleanout and ceiling access change the time.
- Notice and scheduling. Tenant notice and after-hours work add planning.
- What we find. The repair, if any, is quoted separately.
The way to get an exact number is the free estimate. You get the price up front, before any work starts.
Who calls us for a smoke test
- Restaurants and food service
- Property managers and building owners
- Multifamily and retail centers
- Homeowners with a sewer smell that will not go away
What we take on
- Smoke testing of drain and vent piping
- Locating, marking and photographing leaks
- Repair of the drain and vent leaks we find
- A free estimate and an upfront price
- Fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems
- City sewer main testing (the city handles it)
Serving The Entire Phoenix Metro
Our crews deliver smoke testing across Phoenix and the surrounding Valley. Find your city below:
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Sewer Smell You Cannot Find?
Call HQ for a free estimate and an upfront price. We offer 24/7 emergency service.