How to pressure test a sewer line

PlugCo is a manufacturer of testing infrastructure equipment, as well as pipe test plugs that are used for pipe leak testing by water or air.

Please note that all PlugCo products meet the requirements of the European standard EN1610 and the American Standard ASTM C969M.

Leakage Tests

The leakage test can be either Air Leak Test or Water Leak Test.

As for the Air Leak Test, it had to be carried out according to the manufacturer’s specified method, taking into account that the air test can be dangerous for the enduser.

After applying the Air Leak Test, if it is well done, the results can be relied upon. However, in case of a single or continuous failure of the air leak test, a step towards the Water Leak Test is allowed to get decisive results.

According to the EN1610 standard, the maximum test pressure for the Air Leak Test is 0,2 Bar, above this test Pressure, it will be dangerous to apply the test.

Concerning the Water Leak Test, it can be applied with or without a manhole. As illustrated in the following chart.

Note: According to the EN1610 standard, test pressure for the water leak test is 0.5 bar and for air leak test is 0.2 bar.

What are the steps to pressure test a sewer line?

In order to carry out a successful leak test, it is necessary to follow specific steps, so as not to cause problems related to the safety of operators and the sewer line to be tested as well. PlugCo has explained the required steps to be followed in the video above.

This video explains how to carry out a pipe leak test by filling the test area with water through the plug and without using the manhole.

Steps for the water leak test

• 1st Step: Connect the air Discharge adapter with the Pipe Test Plug.
• 2nd step: Place the Pipe Plug and the Pipe Test Plug, which is connected with the air discharge adapter, in the pipeline that should be tested
• 3rd step: Fill the water through the Bypass connection, and discharge the air by using the ADA (Air Discharge Adaptor); This air discharge adaptor has two ends, the first one is connected with the pipe plug and through it the compressed air is released. The second end provides connection with the water pipe, so that the water lines will be filled.
• 4th step: After receiving continous flow water from the end of Air Discharge Adaptor the water hose can be connected to the manual pressure test pump. If you will make water leak test by using Water Hose, consult plugCo website to know how to operate this method correctly.
• 5th step: Make sure that X; the pressure created by the manual pressure test pump. plus H/10 ; the static pressure devided by 10, should be 0,5 bar; X+H/10=0,5 bar.
• 6th step: Remove the manual pressure test pump and connect the pressure gauge to monitor the pressure drops. As per EN1610 wait 30minutes to check if the test pressure is 0,5bar. If it is the case, the test is considered as successfully complete.

For more information on the steps required to test the pressure of a sewer pipe, you can watch the following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndcooFgCZ10.

Are there any safety Hazard to pressure testing a water line?

Before operating a pipe plug, the PlugCo safety manual must be read and understood carefully. For example, during a pressure test on a water pipe, the pipe plugs must be supported against sliding. Always brace the pipe plugs securely! Operators should be far away from the water lines, which is why PlugCo offers accessories such as long air hoses for monitoring from outside the pipe.

Qhat are the requirements of the water test pressure?

As per EN1610, the pipe plugs must be inflated to the maximum permissible inflation pressure. then fill the test section with water up to 5 metres and monitor the water level; this means 0.5 bar because a water level of 5 metres is equal to 0.5 bar (50 kPa).

Conclusion

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