Smell sewer gas and can't find where it's coming from? A smoke test fills your drain and vent system with harmless smoke and shows exactly where it's escaping.
That rotten-egg smell that comes and goes is almost always sewer gas, and it means there's an opening somewhere in your plumbing that shouldn't be there. The problem is finding it. A crack in a vent pipe inside a wall, a failed seal under a toilet, or a drain line that's separated beneath the slab can all let sewer gas into your home without leaving any visible sign. A plumbing smoke test finds what you can't see.
MC 1 Plumbing seals off the drain, waste, and vent system and uses a blower to fill it with harmless, non-toxic smoke through a cleanout or roof vent. In a healthy system, the smoke stays inside the pipes and exits the roof vents. Anywhere the system is damaged, the smoke finds its way out — around a toilet base, behind a cabinet, from a wall outlet, up through a floor drain, or even out of the ground in the yard. Wherever the smoke appears, that's where the sewer gas is getting in.
Smoke testing is a diagnostic service led by a Texas Responsible Master Plumber (RMP M-43246) with 30 years of experience. Once we find the source, we explain exactly what we found, show you the options to fix it, and can make the repair ourselves — so you're not left with a diagnosis and no plan.
Chasing sewer odors by trial and error wastes time and money. Smoke testing gets straight to the answer.
See the exact spot where sewer gas escapes, even inside walls, attics, and under floors.
Sewer gas can cause headaches and nausea and contains methane. Finding the source protects your family.
Know where the problem is before anyone opens a wall or breaks up a floor.
The same licensed team that finds the problem can fix it, often in the same visit.
Your plumbing vents are designed to carry sewer gas up and out through the roof, and water in every fixture trap keeps it from coming back into the house. When a vent pipe cracks or pulls apart, a toilet seal fails, or a trap dries out in a shower or floor drain nobody uses, that barrier is gone. The smell may only show up on hot days, when the wind blows a certain way, or after someone runs water upstairs.
San Antonio homes face some specific risks. Expansive clay soils shift slab foundations through wet and dry seasons, which can crack or separate drain lines under the slab. Extreme attic heat is hard on plastic vent connections, and many older homes still have cast-iron drains that corrode and crack with age.
When a smoke test points to a problem in the main sewer line, pairing it with a sewer camera inspection shows the damage from the inside so the repair can be planned precisely.
Every smoke test follows the same thorough process, so nothing gets missed.
Yes. The smoke used for plumbing testing is non-toxic and made for this purpose. It clears quickly once the test is finished, and opening a few windows speeds that up.
It can, especially if smoke escapes near an alarm. We'll talk with you before the test starts so everyone in the home knows what to expect.
That's exactly what the test is looking for. Anywhere smoke gets in, sewer gas can get in too. We mark each location, photograph it, and explain what's causing it.
Often, yes. Smoke rising from the yard, from cracks in the slab, or around the foundation can point to a broken or separated line. A sewer camera inspection then confirms the location and extent of the damage.
That's very common with sewer gas. Wind, heat, and water use all change how gas moves through the system. A smoke test pressurizes the system so leaks show up whether or not you smell anything that day.
From your first call to a fresh-smelling home, here's what to expect.
Call or text 210-500-9085 and tell us when and where you notice the odor.
We fill the drain and vent system with harmless smoke and check the whole home.
We show you every leak we found, with photos and a clear explanation.
We fix the problem so the sewer gas, and the smell, are gone for good.
“Hidden gem in San Antonio. Besides the fact they are responsive, they provide context to the work they do.”
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