View Full Version : Plumbing Testing - New Construction
Tomel
05-04-2009, 08:42 AM
My wife and I have contracted to purchase a condo apartment. The condo building is currently under construction and we recently went on-site to meet with the project manager and electrician related to some electrical changes we requested. During our visit, the plumbers were in the process of testing the plumbing system for leaks in advance of the county inspection that was due for the next day.
There were leaks in the plumbing that the plumbers were in the process of fixing. There was a lot of water that had leaked onto the floor in our condo and others (not just drips of water, but large pools of water). Of course, final flooring had not yet been layed nor had drywall been installed. All framing had been completed, the roof was completed and the building "wrap" had been installed.
My wife and I were concerned about all the water and the potential for future mold problems. The Project Manager assured us that this was not unusual during plumbing testing and it would all dry well before flooring or drywall installation began.
My questions. Is this typical? Should we be concerned?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
SewerRatz
05-04-2009, 08:45 AM
What you saw is normal, and not a concern. It would be a concern if the leak kept leaking and kept the wood moist which then would grow some mold.
plumbingskool
05-04-2009, 09:45 AM
There were leaks in the plumbing that the plumbers were in the process of fixing. There was a lot of water that had leaked onto the floor in our condo and others (not just drips of water, but large pools of water). Of course, final flooring had not yet been layed nor had drywall been installed. All framing had been completed, the roof was completed and the building "wrap" had been installed.
I would personally be scared,
WHAT THIS means to me:
The plumbing company that did the job most likely was under staffed and had a bunch of guys on the job with little experience...hence all your leaks.......
I mean seriously, if you can't sweat copper as a professional plumber or put pex together ( Not what sure you have ), on New Construction, you should retire.
But what happens all the time is that companies are under staffed, like I mentioned above and they send out helpers so they can at least say "We are the job" to the GC ( General Contractor)
Then after all the crap leaks they send in a real guy with experience to "patch up"... all the "poor work".
My wife and I were concerned about all the water and the potential for future mold problems. The Project Manager assured us that this was not unusual during plumbing testing and it would all dry well before flooring or drywall installation began.
I would TAKE plenty of pictures of this, SO in the future if you have issues, you can show the Judge that even on the rough they had leaks.
INCLUDING the logos of the trucks on the jobs for documentation.
Moving on.............
My old bosses would have fired me and smacked my head hard if I ever had leaks on a rough.....
Conclusion:
The guy above me SewerRatz, is also correct IT DOES happen all the time, Because this industry is at a shortage for real plumbers.
Your should be fine, BUT with all the technology these days, I would start taking pictures for sure.
Anyhow, Just my thoughts, Hope this helps!
Have a wonderful day :)
nhmaster
05-04-2009, 06:35 PM
Are you soft in the head there sonny? EVERYONE has leaks. A plumber that does not have leaks has not done much plumbing. The reason we have to leak test is because there are often leaks. THAT'S WHY WE TEST. Go back to screwing with pools and quit scaring people talking about something you know nothing about.
Redwood
05-04-2009, 07:08 PM
Are you soft in the head there sonny? EVERYONE has leaks. A plumber that does not have leaks has not done much plumbing. The reason we have to leak test is because there are often leaks. THAT'S WHY WE TEST. Go back to screwing with pools and quit scaring people talking about something you know nothing about.
Yea I guess you're right...
A few months back I had my first leak during testing that I had in a couple of years...
I thought my clutch was slipping...
I feel better now!
kingsotall
05-04-2009, 07:28 PM
Pools of water on OSB subfloor looks like a disater waiting to happen. I know, I saw it this past winter on houses with no walls up just framing and I was like, "Isn't anyone going to do anything about this¿" Everyone was working away like nothing. I don't think there is anything to worry about.
As a plumber you get used to water REAL quick! Although it is easy to forget that most folks aren't used to your job being messy. I hardly bat an eye when something blows up in my face. Thing is we know that it is part of the game, rest assured the general contractor would be the first one raising a stink if the water on the floor were of concern.
jnaas2
05-04-2009, 08:09 PM
I hate to tell on myself but I missed installing a protector plate and had a drywall screw hit a water line, and like the other post if you havent had a leak you havent been plumbing for very long. It really makes it fun to find a water leak after the drywall has been installed.
kingsotall
05-05-2009, 06:40 AM
It really makes it fun to find a water leak after the drywall has been installed.
Gypcrete on radiant trails a close second...:o
It may be semantics on my part, but "testing" a plumbing system for leaks, to me implies a water test on a drainage system. Water piping is not "tested for an inspection", it is turned on to use it, and if there are leaks they have to be repaired, regardless of when the inspection is done.
Terry
05-05-2009, 03:13 PM
In the Seattle area, it rains nine months of the year.
So water isn't considered that big a deal.
Normally the general will run the heating system before drywall for weeks to shrink the wood before covering with wallboard.
When I was building homes, I would twist the thermostat wires together and just leave them.
cwhyu2
05-05-2009, 04:53 PM
I liked to air test DWV,took more time less mess,did a lot of water test on
DWV too,and when you pull the test plug from the test tee at the base of
the stack,it will be wet!:eek:
FloridaOrange
05-06-2009, 05:27 AM
I usually see the wet test on the DWV and sometimes see an air test on the domestic system.
It is only WET, if you do not use an inflatable screw in test ball.
cwhyu2
05-06-2009, 08:12 AM
HJ,this is the type of test ball we used ,can you show me the one you
are talking about?Just curious.
SewerRatz
05-06-2009, 11:00 AM
Its called Clean seal test plug http://www.cherneind.com/pneumatic/Clean_Seal/
Terry
05-06-2009, 11:48 AM
http://www.terrylove.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7279&stc=1&d=1241629208
And the advantages are
No water on the floor
They don't suck themselves down your piping.
They look cool.
I like yellow.
nhmaster
05-06-2009, 12:12 PM
One of the ten best inventions of the last 20 years.
cwhyu2
05-06-2009, 02:12 PM
They had those 20 yrs ago! Now I`m pissed!:eek:
plumbingskool
05-06-2009, 02:57 PM
Its called Clean seal test plug http://www.cherneind.com/pneumatic/Clean_Seal/
Oh cool, I used to use the other kind too, I have never seen these, Thanks for posting that !
SewerRatz
05-06-2009, 05:33 PM
Oh cool, I used to use the other kind too, I have never seen these, Thanks for posting that !
I just posted the link, it was HJ that brought up using them. I never had the pleasure to use them myself since I am 99% a service plumber.
kingsotall
05-06-2009, 10:19 PM
I am 99% a service plumber.
What are you other 1%¿
Super hero¿ :eek:
FloridaOrange
05-07-2009, 07:20 AM
What are you other 1%¿
Super hero¿ :eek:
I would guess he isn't an exterminator.
:D
kingsotall
05-07-2009, 07:29 AM
Willard¿
http://www.yorkblog.com/flipside/willard.jpeg
Sending out rats to do his bidding¿
FloridaOrange
05-07-2009, 07:35 AM
They can be handy....
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/FloridaOrange-Mach1/rat.jpg
kingsotall
05-07-2009, 07:42 AM
Maybe I should look into one of those. Good for finding those cleanouts in the knee high grass.
FloridaOrange
05-07-2009, 08:29 AM
Maybe I should look into one of those. Good for finding those cleanouts in the knee high grass.
:D That particular rat is looking for landmines. Hope you don't come across too many of those in your kneehigh grass.
SewerRatz
05-07-2009, 09:19 AM
The other 1% is commercail plumbing... which is mostly an enginaier telling me what he wants installed, of course I make sure it will meet the code.
Tomel
05-07-2009, 12:36 PM
Thanks for your response to my original question . . . despite the fact that this thread drifted just a little off point. Although I read the entire thread, a lot of the discussion was Greek to me since I'm not in the plumbing or construction business.
I think the bottom line answer to my question is that the puddles and pools of water I saw are not at all unusual and that I should direct my worries elsewhere unless the wood remained wet for an extended time period.
Thanks again.
SewerRatz
05-07-2009, 12:40 PM
Thanks for your response to my original question . . . despite the fact that this thread drifted just a little off point. Although I read the entire thread, a lot of the discussion was Greek to me since I'm not in the plumbing or construction business.
I think the bottom line answer to my question is that the puddles and pools of water I saw are not at all unusual and that I should direct my worries elsewhere unless the wood remained wet for an extended time period.
Thanks again.
It is funny how threads seem to drift on the topic. We are glad to help put your mind at ease.
nhmaster
05-07-2009, 02:52 PM
Ok, let's get back to the original question. I have had to shovel a foot of snow off the sub floor many many times during the framing stage.