Plumbing Testing - New Construction

[Tomel]

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]

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.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[NHmaster]

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]

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]

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.

 

[3m]

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]

It really makes it fun to find a water leak after the drywall has been installed.

Gypcrete on radiant trails a close second...

 

[hj]

test

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]

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]

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!

 

[FloridaOrange]

I usually see the wet test on the DWV and sometimes see an air test on the domestic system.

 

[hj]

Wet? Wet?

It is only WET, if you do not use an inflatable screw in test ball.

 

[Cwhyu2]

HJ,this is the type of test ball we used ,can you show me the one you
are talking about?Just curious.

 

[SewerRatz]

Its called Clean seal test plug http://www.cherneind.com/pneumatic/Clean_Seal/

 

[Terry]

And the advantages are

No water on the floor
They don't suck themselves down your piping.
They look cool.
I like yellow.

 

[NHmaster]

One of the ten best inventions of the last 20 years.

 

[Cwhyu2]

They had those 20 yrs ago! Now I`m pissed!

 

[SewerRatz]

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]

I am 99% a service plumber.

What are you other 1%¿

Super hero¿

 

[FloridaOrange]

What are you other 1%¿

Super hero¿

I would guess he isn't an exterminator.