Air compressor to test pipework

[misterdubya]

Use water and a test bucket. Never use air.
Apart from the danger air has a greater chance of failing to locate unsound soldered joints.

Never a more truer statement that that one.

Mr. W.

 

[Onetap]

I dont know if any of you guys remember me asking a very simple question at the start of this thread? Since that post there have been 13 further posts, however not one of them has nearly answered my question.

Anyone?

It has been answered a few dozen times in the past, it gets tedious; try using the search facility. For example;

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=975958#975958

If someone gets injured, the HSE will want to see method statements for all the tasks; ALL the published codes of practice advise against using a pneumatic test, if at all possible.

As you will know from working the foot pump, there is a lot of energy required to pump up an installation, just to 1 or 2 bar; if a fitting comes loose, all the effort you expended on the foot pump will be behind it and you won't want to stop it.

 

[newbuildinstaller]

Hi are you a plumber or a DIY'er?

 

[doitall]

Air in the pipes pumped up to 3 bar? Water in the pipes up to 3 bar? What's the difference?

Air compresses water doesn't.

Testing with air is bloody stupid and dangerous.

If you want to go down the HSE road, then you need to clear the building under test of all personnel, except the ones doing the test, and post warning signs forbidding entry, at all entrances.

In case you wondered if you had a pin hole leak at 15bar it could cut a hand off, and a 15mm cap would go through a brick wall.

 

[DaleRCL]

Point taken, on that note, can anyone suggest a decent test bucket for wet testing. I'd imagane the rothenberger one mentioned earlier in the thread should be pretty good. Anybody used one of these or any others they could recommend?

 

[Whitespirit66]

I've always been happy with my Rothy RP50 test pump.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rothenberger-...231312&cguid=ee6493ac1280a0aad3e60856fef23c54

Haven't used the electric one yet.

http://www.tradecounterdirect.com/p...mps/rp-pro2-electric-pressure-pump_-110v.html

 

[DaleRCL]

Thanks whitespirit,

So do you pump the system full of water manually or fill it up first from a hose then pump up the last bit to increase the pressure?

 

[leakydave]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rothenberger-...DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item2a1011f699[/url]

 

[snb]

always use a rothenburger test pump but if possible i tee in a mains connection and hose pipe to fill it first. Most times you have mains of at least 3 bar so not too much hand pumping!

 

[dizz]

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing/Testing+Reporting/Dry+Test+Gauge+4+Bar/d20/sd2752/p18406

https://www.screwfix.com/p/monument-dry-pressure-test-kit/72940

Screwfix description :

"Suitable for water, air, gas and petroleum oil pipes up to 60psi and for testing combi systems. Can be left on test while flooring is laid to reveal any nail damage. Tests hot and cold supplies separately to ensure pipes are not crossed. Dry tests pipework during and after installation."

Perhaps someone should report Toolsation, Screwfix, et al if this can kill someone when a joint flies off at 3 bar?

Might be that the nail you hit into the pipe when you lay floorboards with this thing connected might have your eye out?

 

[Onetap]

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing/Testing+Reporting/Dry+Test+Gauge+4+Bar/d20/sd2752/p18406

https://www.screwfix.com/p/monument-dry-pressure-test-kit/72940

Screwfix description :

"Suitable for water, air, gas and petroleum oil pipes up to 60psi and for testing combi systems. Can be left on test while flooring is laid to reveal any nail damage. Tests hot and cold supplies separately to ensure pipes are not crossed. Dry tests pipework during and after installation."

Perhaps someone should report Toolsation, Screwfix, et al if this can kill someone when a joint flies off at 3 bar?

Might be that the nail you hit into the pipe when you lay floorboards with this thing connected might have your eye out?

Yeah, it's a Monument test gauge; it has been discussed, at great length, before. The user instructions that I saw on-line made no mention of the hazards of pneumatic testing. They sell it because people buy it.

http://www.screwfix.com/community/thread/66946?threadID=31460&start=0&tstart=0

The hazard is not confined to driving a nail through a pipe. There are leak tests and there are pressure tests. One of the aims of a pressure test is to make any weak joints or components fail. A pneumatic test will result in flying metal if such a weak point fails, which is why all the guides recommend hydraulic testing.

A pneumatic leak test at 0.5 bar will show whether a system leaks, but the recommended safety precautions, even at that pressure are onerous. An ultrasonic leak detector will find leaks at 0.5 bar.

 

[Norcon]

Fridge fitters and ac guys test their systems to well above 20bar with ofn.
Last I was talking to a mate I think he was going to 40 bar on a system.

 

[Onetap]

Fridge fitters and ac guys test their systems to well above 20bar with ofn.
Last I was talking to a mate I think he was going to 40 bar on a system.

Yes, we've had this discussion before Norcon.

The fact that it is done regularly doesn't mean it is safe. Passenger liners used to steam at high speed across the North Atlantic, before radar, until RMS Titanic hit an iceberg and the regulations were changed.