An important part of your plumbing system includes how your sanitary sewer water passes through the system. One common way of checking how well your system is working or whether it's connected properly involves having a dye test performed. During the test, a fluorescent dye is flushed down your drain and the inspector looks for signs of the dye. This helps them determine whether your home is properly hooked into the municipal sewer system. But when the dye test is failed, it can involve costly repairs to make the situation right. Pittsburgh's city government requires a dye test whenever a property changes ownership. Here's what you should do if your plumbing fails a dye test.
What to Do If You Fail a Dye Test
There can be a few ways your property can fail a dye test. Though many property owners who have a septic tank attached to their system find it tempting to pump their tank prior to a test, this action can disturb the soil, causing the inspector to fail the system. At other times, homeowners have poured bleach into their drains to try to fool the inspector, but this often backfires and causes even more problems.
However, the main reason plumbing systems fail a dye test happens when downspouts are connected to a sanitary-only sewer system. The inspector will pour the dye either into the drainage system or the downspouts and see where it appears in the sewer system. If dye from a downspout appears in a sanitary-only system or dye from a drain appears in a creek or waterway nearby, the property's dye test fails. This issue can then prevent you from selling your home or property until the problem is fixed and the property passes a further dye test. Once this happens, you'll receive a certificate showing you're in compliance and may sell your property.
A dye test is an important way to test system functionality, and failing one can mean serious problems down the road or huge fees from the municipality. If you have concerns about your home or business plumbing system, we can help. At Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, our experienced professionals are able to perform dye tests and any necessary repairs to get your property back in compliance. Please feel free to contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment.