I had a leak detection call for this morning. I find out it was on the brand new PVC pipe that was inspected and it was not very long ago. Not only was a pipe leaking it was a drain under the slab and not a leaky water main. The drain would hold water to within 2" of the floor and no higher. Trying to find a leaky drain pipe indoors under a slab is next to impossible. I did however manage to find the leak without jack-hammering the floor.
They wanted further proof...ok. Now, the plumber that called me out for my services has a camera but couldn't go in many of the smaller drains. First we found a vent that was open in the wall...no "studor vent", it didn't even go through the top plate into the attic. This was done because of an odor problem. Then we found an extra drain fitting to nowhere?! This is where listening and talking to a homeowner pays off. Spoke to the homeowner and they have pictures. No pictures of the underground, just the pictures of the before and after of the "nasty" house. This is the homeowners quote not mine.
I noticed what appeared to be a floor drain in the picture..."ohhhh yeah"...Evidently things were not going to be too easy for the tile guy so he talked them into deleting the floor drain when he was about to start laying out the tiles. The plumber didn't delete the unwanted drain, the tile guy did. That's why there was gravel and dirt in the new drains. That's why it wouldn't hold test for the above ground inspection. The floor drain was in the same area that I found the leak noise emitting. The drain pipe was not cut and capped properly. This, if done without the water testing, would have let the trap dry out and sewer gases would have permeated the ground into the living space.
I noticed what appeared to be a floor drain in the picture..."ohhhh yeah"...Evidently things were not going to be too easy for the tile guy so he talked them into deleting the floor drain when he was about to start laying out the tiles. The plumber didn't delete the unwanted drain, the tile guy did. That's why there was gravel and dirt in the new drains. That's why it wouldn't hold test for the above ground inspection. The floor drain was in the same area that I found the leak noise emitting. The drain pipe was not cut and capped properly. This, if done without the water testing, would have let the trap dry out and sewer gases would have permeated the ground into the living space.