A few years ago I had a leak in the main drain pipe under the foundation. After 25 years in this house with soaker hoses and no foundation problems (house was built in the 60's), I had one after the leak developed. Of course the ins company engineer said it was ground shift and not the leak that caused the foundation problem. Makes me wonder....25 years and no problem until the leak....? Ended up costing me several thousand $$$ to get the foundation and walls repaired.

Same problem in the same places with the walls again! I had the foundation company come back out and all the measurements were virtually un-changed except in the kitchen where the previous problems was. Ins co sent plumbers out and they only found leaks under the tub drains. No where near where the kitchen break was or where the readings show now movement.

Now, finally, my question: The first line break was found using a camera, complete with pictures. This time it was volume testing only, due to the guy not being able to get the camera very far into the drain. While it was still in the drain as far as he could get it, the camera blew a bulb or something. It was so loud it startled both the plumber and me. Would something that loud and powerful sounding damage the drain line? Is the volume test sufficient for a slow leak or is the camera the best way to find it.

Thanks for any help.

 

I'm not a plumber, but a camera will show you problems that any other conventional means won't.
I have to wonder why the bulb "blew" with such force. Methane gas?
My guess about the kitchen settling is the ground were the old leak was is saturated to the point that it is displacing under the weight of the house.

 

I'm going to ask the ins company to send someone out with a camera. He acted like the bulbs blow all the time. His only comment was about the $50 it was going to cost him.

 

I doubt that a bulb "blowing" could cause damage to your pipe The sound was probably amplified by "blowing" in the confined space of the pipe, causing an echo type effect. I would definitely get a licensed plumber with proper equipment.

 

The absolute best way to find it is with a pressure test. But that may not be possible in your situation. A volume test will only show a fairly substantial leak unless it is performed over a period of several days to weeks. A camera will show breaks but cracks may not be visible, depending upon the condition of the interior of the pipe.

Pressure tests are performed with a low plug that is in inflated and an upper plug also inflated. 5 or 10 pounds of pressure are added and monitored. Bad part is, no drain service during the test which will take up to 24 hours.

Just so you know I am NOT a certified plumber, but have had experience with this sort of thing.

 

^^ I agree, a volume test is worthless in your situation. A pressure test or a good camera are the way to go.

 

I agree with annabelle on this regarding the bulb blowing and for the volume test.

Your foundation shifted/sank from saturation, which did in fact cause ground shift. An old builders trick to deal with large boulders was to dig around them then run a hose in the ditch and in a couple days you could get it to drop a couple feet, permitting the soil was suitable.

Your insurance company is trying to not pay you over something that was no fault of your own and pretty much unavoidable due to age, material choice and no access for monitoring.

 

Thanks for the inputs. You're right SIXSLUG, just like the last time, they will do everything they can to keep from paying. If I had had the money last time, I would have hired my own engineers and a lawyer to fight them. They knew that it would be cheaper for me to have the repairs done than fight them in court.