Sewers and wastewater · Odour and misconnection
Sewer smoke testing and tracer gas location in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland
Odour from the drain, from a manhole or apparently from the wall is an indication of an opening that should not be there. Smoke testing introduces visible smoke into the pipe network: where it escapes is the opening. CFT marks and documents the points of escape – sealing and rehabilitation are carried out by your plumber. We carry out this service in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland: a short journey, appointments at short notice, local knowledge of the network. Describe the odour on +43 (0) 2252 53169 or in writing to office@cft.at, and we will settle access to the pipe network and the appointment.
What we do on site
We narrow down which part of the pipe network the odour comes from, walking through rooms, facade, terrace and green areas. Every point at which sewer air escapes is marked, photographed and assigned to the run it belongs to. We do not seal anything and we do not rehabilitate – that is done by your plumber.
Key facts at a glance
| Methods | Smoke testing with visible smoke, tracer gas method, sealing off the section |
|---|---|
| Application range | Wastewater pipes in the building and beneath the property |
| Duration | Typically 1 to 3 hours. |
| Result format | Points of escape marked and documented photographically |
| Service area | Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland |
For you as a private customer
There is a smell in the bathroom, in the cellar or on the terrace, and nobody can find the source: the drain has been cleaned, the joints are sound, and yet the odour comes back. Typical causes are an open pipe end in the masonry left from an earlier conversion, an old connection that has been cut off, or an air admittance valve that no longer closes. The smoke takes exactly the path that the odour takes: instead of opening up tiles on suspicion, you see where it comes out of the wall, the floor or the lawn.
For you as a business
For local authorities, network operators and industrial operations it is not a matter of comfort but of allocation: which connection goes into which sewer, where an undocumented pipe run ties in. The method works non-invasively and, in extensive networks, tests the whole charged section at the same time instead of pipe run by pipe run.
How the job runs
1. Narrowing it down in conversation. We establish where and when the odour occurs, whether it depends on the weather or on use, and what conversion work there has been. Weather conditions and wind influence the result.
2. Preparing the network. We determine the point of introduction and seal off the test section. Traps should be filled with water, otherwise the smoke escapes at the nearest floor gully.
3. Charging and observing. The smoke is introduced; we walk the areas, manholes, façades and rooms and record every escape. Where required, a test with tracer gas follows.
4. Marking and handover. Every point of escape is marked, photographed and allocated to the pipe run. CFT does not seal anything and does not carry out rehabilitation.
Equipment and methods
Smoke testing with visible smoke
A smoke generator charges the sealed-off pipe section with visible smoke, which follows every unsealed opening and becomes visible there: at pipe ends, misconnections, leaking connections and cracks. Under a sealed surface the smoke can migrate sideways, and it reaches only air-filled sections – it does not show defects below the water level, in inverted siphons or behind filled traps. A job without any escape is therefore not proof of tightness.
Tracer gas method
Instead of smoke, a test gas is introduced and detected at the surface with a gas detector. The method works where smoke would not become visible: under screed, under paving or where the quantity escaping is small; it takes more time, because the area is searched systematically.
Sealing off and introduction
Without controlled sealing off, smoke or gas spreads through the entire network and the findings become useless. The test section is therefore limited and a point of introduction chosen; in public networks this at the same time determines which adjoining occupiers have to be informed in advance.
Interaction with the camera survey run
The camera shows the defect from the inside, but does not say whether anything escapes there; the smoke shows the escape, but not the type and condition of the defect. Together they give the complete findings.
What you receive
You receive the marked points of escape, the photographic report and the allocation showing which pipe run belongs to which escape. On that basis, sealing or rehabilitation can be carried out in a targeted way.
Costs and effort
No flat rate: the effort depends on the size of the network, the number of sections to be sealed off and on whether tracer gas is used in addition; we agree the cost range by telephone before the job. If the location work is connected with water damage to the building, buildings insurance as a rule covers the leak detection costs under the trace and access cover; the documentation is produced so that it can be submitted to the insurer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the smoke dangerous for occupants, pets or plants?
The method is also used in occupied properties. Rooms in which smoke escapes are ventilated afterwards.
Do I have to inform the neighbours beforehand?
With terraced houses, residential complexes and public areas, yes: smoke can also escape at neighbouring properties and is easily taken for a fire from outside. We agree before the appointment who notifies whom.
There is an odour even though the sewer is sound – is that possible?
Yes, and it is a frequent case: a dried-out trap, a defective air admittance valve or a pipe stub left open let sewer air into the room without there being any defect in the pipe.
What is the difference between smoke and tracer gas?
Smoke is seen, tracer gas is measured. Smoke is quick and vivid, but reaches its limit under sealed surfaces; tracer gas finds concealed escapes as well.
Contact and opening hours
For properties in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland: CFT Group GmbH, Wiener Straße 99, A-2514 Traiskirchen, +43 (0) 2252 53169. Monday to Thursday 8:00–16:30, Friday 8:00–12:00. Outside office hours in writing to office@cft.at, and we will come back to you on the next working day.
Related services
CCTV drainage survey
When the opening has been found and the condition of the pipe is to be assessed.
3D survey and laterals
When it first has to be settled which branch belongs to the escape.
Drain and pipe cleaning
When the odour comes from deposits in the pipe run and not from an opening.
Utility detection
When a misconnection has been found and its route has to be traced.
Describe what you are observing.
Just describe what you see – add a photo, and we can often settle on the right method before we even call back.
What happens next
- We read your message and match the case to a method.
- We come back to you – usually with a question that shortens the appointment.
- We confirm the appointment and what it costs before anyone sets off.
Rather talk?
+43 (0) 2252 53169
Mon–Thu 8:00–16:30 · Fri 8:00–12:00
Describe your case.
Fastest by telephone – then we settle straight away which method fits and what you should prepare.
Outside office hours, write to office@cft.at.