If you are a homeowner in the Greater Pittsburgh area, you’ve most likely heard of a plumbing dye testing. If you’re looking to sell your home and you aren’t familiar with a plumbing dye test, you soon will be as it is a required plumbing procedure to sell your home. In other words, you cannot sell a home in the city of Pittsburgh without having a plumbing dye test conducted.
In Pittsburgh, there are two types of sewers, a combined sewer, and a sanitary sewer. A combined sewer means both wastewaters from your inside drains and runoff rainwater from your outside drains end up in the combined sewer. A sanitary sewer designed to only receive wastewater from your inside drains – they are not designed for rainwater runoff and as a result will easily overflow which can cause a hazardous situation.
A plumbing dye test is performed by a licensed and certified plumber, this is by no means a DIY home project. The test is designed to find out if your yard drain empties water into the sanitary drain. The plumber will place a temporary dye tablet down an outside drain, such as the downspout. The tablet is then flushed down the drain.
If the water in the sanitary sewer remains clear then you’ve passed the dye test and you’ll receive certification stating the line is properly connected to the combined sewer. Should the water in the sanitary sewer be the dyed color you used, then you’ve failed the test.
A failed dyed test means you cannot sell your home. Before you can sell your home, you need to have the outside drainage line re-located so it is properly connected to the combined sewer. This may be an unforeseen expense, but there is no other way to sell a house in Pittsburgh without an Evidence of Compliance Certificate.
Should your outside water lines fail a dye test, call Gillece and receive a hassle-free estimate and procedure, you’ll have your home sold in no time.
