Pipes don’t last forever. While they are made from materials that can last for several decades, in time, joints can come apart. The weight of the soil and the building above can cause buried pipes to crack and start leaking. Tree roots can infiltrate and damage the pipes. The problem is, when a leak is deep underground, you may not know you have one for a long time.
Want more information on hydrostatic test machine? Feel free to contact us.
Hydrostatic testing is an effective way to find out if any of your pipes are leaking. These days, it’s being used to find leaking pipes in residential and commercial properties, especially those that are under slabs.
Hydrostatic testing is used to find leaks in pressurized systems. Pipelines, plumbing, boilers, fuel tanks, and gas cylinders are commonly tested with this method. It can be done on your home’s sewer line to see if any leaks are present.
A hydrostatic test involves filling a system with a liquid. Once the system is filled with liquid, it’s pressurized to test the system’s integrity. The next step is observation. A drop in the liquid level is a clear sign the liquid is coming out somewhere, even if no one can see the leak.
This method of testing is generally non-destructive as long as the testers follow certain guidelines. Here’s a partial list of what is recommended:
Trees are always searching for reliable sources of water. They send their roots in every direction to find moisture. Sewer pipes are an attractive source. The tree sends microscopic root tendrils into the tiniest opening. If it finds a place to get inside, the root will start drawing moisture from that source. This triggers the root to grow bigger, which forces the opening to become larger. In time, the roots can crack the pipe and cause it to break.
Hydrostatic testing helps plumbers find these hidden leaks. It starts by finding the drain line’s cleanout. The plumber inserts an inflatable test ball into the cleanout. The ball gets inflated to block the sewer line, usually close to the foundation’s edge.
With the main sewer line blocked, the plumber fills it with water, up to the slab’s top edge. Then, it’s a matter of waiting. The plumber waits to see if the water level starts to drop. If it does, there’s a leak under the building’s slab.
The next step is to find out where the leak is. One option is to feed a video camera down into the sub-slab pipes to find the location of the leak. It also offers the ability to inspect the general condition of those pipes.
Another option is to use inflatable plugs to isolate and test different sections of pipe. The plumber uses the video camera to position the plugs to different points. This makes it possible to isolate and test different sections of the pipe.
Detecting slab leaks is a major part of our business. That’s why we use hydrostatic pressure testing. It helps us find and fix these hidden leaks.
Hydrostatic testing is performed to determine if a house or building a sub-slab sewer system contains leaking piping. Test plugs are inserted into existing cleanouts to block and fill the 50+-year-old cast iron sewer system with water. The water is observed in an exposed toilet drain – a loss in water level indicates leaks in the aged piping.
To protect the integrity of the aged buildings’ foundation, CIPP (Cast in Place Pipelining) Trenchless Epoxy Pipelining is installed throughout the buildings’ main sewer lines to renew the sub-slab sewer piping system with no excavation. When CIPP isn’t an option, tunneling below the building from the exterior is an option with no cosmetic damage to the interior of the building.
If you suspect you have a leak somewhere you cannot see, contact Accurate Leak and Line today. We have the expertise and equipment to find the leak and to make the repair.
(Mechanical)
(OP)
20 May 09 14:45Does anyone have a hydrostatic test procedure and what type of equipment is used?
(Mechanical)
20 May 09 14:52YesQuote (kenwk):
Does anyone have a hydrostatic test procedure?
Some water, a pump, and a pressure gauge. And, of course the equipment being hydro-tested.Quote (kenwk):
What type of equipment is used?
YesSome water, a pump, and a pressure gauge. And, of course the equipment being hydro-tested.Now, if you actually have a question, and are not just looking for someone to do some free work for you, please ask a real question.
(Nuclear)
20 May 09 18:38What if he doesn't want to use water?
Can he hydrostatically test with something else if he wants to?
Or - if the something else - gets hot and blows up - does that make it become a hydrostaticaerodynamically test?
(Mechanical)
(OP)
21 May 09 07:22Do I need a special pump? Or can I fill the tank with water and connect my air compressor(or compressed gas i.e nitrogen) and apply the required pressure?
(Mechanical)
21 May 09 08:41ohhhhh geeeezzzus
please publish date and location of test
so i won't be anywhere near there.
any pump that will reach the desired pressure will do
gas in a hydrostatic test is a no-no
pnuematic test or combination hydrostatic/pnuematic is allowed if you know what you're doing.
do you have a hydrostatic test procedure in place?
pressurized gas stores a lot of energy parts can be found far away if an accident happens.
3
brandonb73(Mechanical)
21 May 09 11:12We use a portable pressure washer for field hydro's. But be very careful, they can generate up to 3000 psi. You can also get hand pumps if your vessel is small.
Your procedure should include:
1. Test medium
2. Test pressure
3. Temperature range
4. Pressure gauge range requirements and calibration
5. Hold time
6. Acceptance criteria
The ranges for these can be found in whatever code of construction or repair you are using to build or repair this item.
Double check the code of construction, but the pressure gauge range should be approximately double the intended test pressure, not more than 4 time and not less than 1.5 times.
Hope this helps.
(Chemical)
If you want to learn more, please visit our website china hydro testing machine suppliers.
21 May 09 11:49vesselfab: I hear your frustration, but "any pump which will generate the required pressure will do" conjures up unpleasant images of huge pump connected to small, improperly vented pot...
It's possible, though not preferred, to use the "air over water" method to generate pressure for a hydrotest if you don't have a suitable pump. This does make the test less sensitive and more hazardous- a proper pump, used with a well considered procedure, is safer AND better. Keep the volume of compressed gas under test as small as humanly possible, as the hazard of the test is directly proportional to P x V of the GAS.
(Mechanical)
22 May 09 12:20Also..... no one has mentioned how much fun it is to hydro test plastic and FRP systems.For more laughs, fun and surprizes than a houseful of pipefitters - try a hydro on non-metallic systems..!!!!Tell your friends !!!Be sure to have any expendable staff stand near "things of large diameter" during the test..... :)-MJC
(Mechanical)
22 May 09 12:25Pressure testing using gas can be special fun..The Chinese found this out a couple of months ago...-MJC
(Mechanical)
22 May 09 12:52YES MOLTENMETAL
I know what you mean, one stroke of a fair size pump can over pressure a small part.
Every now and then we have to dig out the old hand pump to test a single spool.
it's a pain, the check valve leaks back and we have to shut off the gate valve quickly to maintain pressure. One of these days gonna have to fix the old antique, but, when you only use once every 2-3 years.....
(Nuclear)
22 May 09 17:00I, too, would like to be someplace else when this tank is pressurized.
Far, far someplace else.
(Mechanical)
22 May 09 17:23Pardon me, but I would like to comment on some of the condescending remarks made about this question.
Do none of you remember when you didn't know the first thing about a hydro test either? Does it make you feel smarter to embarrass the author of this post? People including myself post questions and comments on this forum to collaborate with people that have more experience or different perspectives than our own. By posting a question we are already showing vulnerability, acknowledging that there is something we don't understand. It is therefore not helpful when people make jokes and snide comments.
People should not be afraid to ask questions on this forum for fear of ridicule. People who are afraid to ask questions end up making mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are catastrophic.
I respectfully request that if you don't have anything helpful to add to a particular thread, then please don't waste your time.
(Mechanical)
22 May 09 19:06It's not the lack of knowledge or "elementary" questions that draw ridicule. It's the lack of doing ANY work prior to coming to ask for help that gets the condescension.
For example if the OP would have done a little bit of homework, such as a Google search, particularly of this site, then they would have found the answer to their question, or at the very least, been able to frame their question in a much better manner.
We all started out knowing very little. However, through a little bit of self-directed research, many of us have become the engineer that we are today. Eng-tips is not a forum for spoon-feeding any one. Show a little bit of initiative, an indication that you have thoroughly researched a problem, and if are still stumped, you are very welcome to ask a good, thought-provoking question.
Clueless questions, or "I don't want to do the research, please tell me what I need to know" questions will continue to receive healthy doses of ridicule and condescension.
(Petroleum)
22 May 09 22:38Some of us enjoy teaching others humility. Others move on to more productive threads.
(Aeronautics)
23 May 09 01:20I would sooner see a poster ask a stupid question on here than do a stupid act.
As an apprentice I got blown 20 feet across a shop by an air over hydro test that failed, resulting in a welded seam opening in a tank.
At that time( 1959) there was no Internet to post a question like the one the original poster asked, you relied on the common sense of the engineers and journeymen who were your mentors.
None the less it would not hurt the OP to at least hit Google first before asking here.
B.E.
(Industrial)
26 May 09 07:56I was always taught, and in turn dictatate to all my people, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.
I understood this to be a professional forum.
(Mechanical)
26 May 09 10:48Amen TGS4.....
(Mechanical)
26 May 09 12:53grantak - This wasn't a stupid question, just a completely poorly thought-out question that really needed to be researched and a very small amount of thought put into it before posted.It's the lecherous nature of these poorly thought-out and very poorly researched questions that prompt the above-noted ridicule.I have tonnes of time for folks who need assistance (e.g. "Where would be the best place to start researching about hydrostatic tests?"), and then if they are confused by a reference, asking here for clarification questions (e.g. "In XXX, it discussed using a YYY pump for pressurization of the system for hydrostatic test. I've search the internet for information on this pump, but can't find our why it's preferred. Why is this pump preferred, and what are people's experience with other types of pumps?).Perhaps it's worthwhile re-posting the "Rules" for posting on an internet discussion forum, again...
(Mining)
26 May 09 13:16See ASME PCC-2–2006, PART 5, EXAMINATION AND TESTING, Article 5.1, Pressure and Tightness Testing of Piping and Equipment.This Article provides general good practice for determining the type of test, the test pressure, and the procedure for pressure and tightness testing of pressure equipment, including tubular heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and piping systems.Note that this is a general guideline. Follow the appropriate Code requirements applicable to the system you are testing and do whatever research to further your understanding of the dangers involved.
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