Searching for a leakage is a headache. There are many ways of detecting a leak. Smoke test is one of the most cost effective way among them. Here is a guide to understand what smoke test is.
Has it happened to you that whenever you enter a room, there is a foul smell. Any amount of room freshener won’t clear the smell. And if you ignore it, the smell grows stronger day by day. Locating the source of the smell is also quite impossible. Here’s where we need to call plumbing service provider. A plumbing service provider has many ways of detecting the smell and leak, but the most concrete way they have is smoke test.
What is Smoke Test?
Plumbers forces non-toxic and artificially created smoke in the waste and drain pipes.The smoke is let in the pipes with a slight pressure. Wherever there is a leakage or some defect in the pipe, the smoke starts leaking. This way any area of building can be covered and the leakage can be detected.
This test is useful in those areas, where sealing the complete plumbing system is not practically possible. But while doing the test, it is better to block other side of the pipe, so that the smoke doesn’t escape and every leak and damage can be found.
Why to do a smoke test?
Smoke tests are usually very useful to check the damages in the ventilation system. These are the areas where it is difficult to find leaks. And smoke test is a method which shows quick result. This way once you have found the area of leakage, you can start working on the repairs.
How to do a smoke test?
Two things are needed to do smoke test, a blower and a smoke candle. A blower is needed to spread the smoke in the pipe. Blower is used to spread this smoke quickly through the pipe. Smoke candles are the ideal choice to create smoke. A small 30 second or 60 second smoke candle is all that we would need.
Once we have the supplies ready, we start the test. Before starting the test, we should block the drains or the vents partially. Don’t block them completely. Partially blocked drains allows the smoke to flow through it more effectively. Sandbags can be used to block the drain.
After you have blocked the drains/vents, start the blower. Let the fresh air pass through the pipes. Place the candle in front of the air intake of the blower and let the smoke flow through the pipes.
The smoke coming out of the leaks would be in small quantity, but it would be enough to detect the leak. It is recommended to keep the windows open as along with smoke some harmful elements might get emitted from the pipes. It may harm your health.
Benefits of smoke test:
a) This is an effective method of detecting leaks and faulty seals.
b) The smoke used in the test is non-toxic and won’t do any harm to human health.
c) This is a very cost effective method
Though this method is harmless, it is recommended that you call Plumbing service provider to do the test. They won’t let any leak go unnoticed and they also will be able to give suggestion on the methods of repair. Such a company is A- General. They are the oldest plumbing service provider in New Jersey. So, if you are looking for a plumber in New Jersey, give them a call.
