Foundation settling, cracks in your sheetrock, doors that will not close or slow drains…Any of these may be caused by leaks in the drainage system under the house causing the foundation to settle.  When this happens, a hydrostatic test is recommended. A balloon type test ball is installed at the exit point of the building drain, usually a main sewer cleanout. The test ball is then inflated to not allow water to exit the building. One toilet is pulled and water is used to fill the system with the exit blocked. Once water is filled to slab level and all drain lines under the house are full the test begins. If water level does not drop then the building drain passes the test. If the water level drops then it is determined that the home drainage system has an issue. The next phase is to begin isolation testing using test balls with longer hoses to perform multiple tests in the building drain system.  This is a more time consuming process, but will allow an accurate location of where to make repair to be determined. Once all problems are located, then a proposal can be given for repairs. Usually repairs are done by tunneling under house to access drains. This means that no damage will be done to the inside of the home. Once all repairs are completed, Tomball Plumbing will perform another hydrostatic test to confirm a watertight system.

Call Tomball Plumbing if you suspect your foundation is settling from plumbing leaks. We also specialize in locating water supply leaks and gas leaks.