Drain Line Leak Testing

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CallMeVilla

CallMeVilla

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Well, we installed a new section of 3" ABS drain line on a project which added a shower, moved a toilet, and added a double sink vanity. The old cast iron was shot.

In our excitement to finiah the project after the glue-up, we backfilled and laid down new concrete (with wire mesh).

Oooops.

Now, we are faced with leak testing after-the-fact. I think we can insert a balloon through the toilet EL, down into the new section, and leak test the upstream fittings.

Make sense to you?
 
That why you should of hired a plumber. How are you going cap the other side? Well you must not got a permeant. That why you test before you back fill.
 
Thanks for telling me what I already know. One end is capped already (uphill side). The other connects to the existing main.

What I am asking is can I do the balloon test by inserting it through the toilet EL and pushing it downstream, then backfilling the line with water and checking the level after a day?

Are you able to advise me or just snark at me?
 
Villa; Don't take it personal, he's been telling everyone else, plumbers are a waste of money. He should run down to HD and get some answers soon.
 
That's hilarious Neal lol.
Cap off the toilet and rest of the drain openings to that line, then fill the line with water wait out the day. That's how I know the correct way to be able to sign off the test. I'm skeptical about the balloon test, I know for water supply lines all need to be caped and the pressure gage tells if you loose pressure in the line you have a leak.
 
isola96 said:
That's hilarious Neal lol.
Cap off the toilet and rest of the drain openings to that line, then fill the line with water wait out the day. That's how I know the correct way to be able to sign off the test. I'm skeptical about the balloon test, I know for water supply lines all need to be caped and the pressure gage tells if you loose pressure in the line you have a leak.
Click to expand...

What are you going to do cap the hole house off. Did he install a test tee where he tie into the line. So he could test there back. If you cap off the house - toilet- shower - and the sink how about the vents for the toilet shower and sinks. Will fill up. You jack a-- don't have a clue. What you need to do is install a test tee. Plug the tee with a test ball. Cap the toilet off with a wing plug. Fill the shower up untill it about to overflow. If it don"t drop in 1 hour you are ok. You should have had 10 ft head on it but it to late for that. Well that what they told me at home depot.
 
I think, if you have to get an inspection, go talk to the inspector and tell him what you have done and ask him for suggestions. HD suggestions aside, you still have to make the inspector happy.
 
Well, insults from snarky out of work plumbers aside, we did the balloon test on the segment we replaced. Ran the line down the new toilet EL and far enough to match the end of the new run.

Filled the line to the top "upstream" and waited over night. No leak.

Since we took lots of pics before covering and cementing PLUS the balloon leak test results, the inspector signed off. Thanks to the nice comments from most of you. The other comments will be ignored.
 
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