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Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 10:56 pm
by fishpie
I hope someone can help me out here.
I have layed all new drains to an inspection chamber (Wickes) for the B.inspector to test. So Im trying to test them myself but I see I cannot get my pressure up past 100 as it starts puching the air through the trap in the toilet on the first floor bathroom.
Also I am fairly sure that my pressure from 100 down is dropping too quickly. I have somehow to identify the culprit joints, rubber sealed plastic and solvent weld or possible the bungs. Any tips for making this identification process would be greatly appreciated.
thanks and what a fantastic site.
Mark
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:19 pm
by Tony McC
You should have tested the toilet pick-up line before connecting up the bog itself. The usual method is to stopper the rest bend, and then test down to the first IC (or vice-versa).
If you can't isolate the toilet pick-up line, a water test may be acceptable to the BCO. You can stopper up all the inlets/outlets in the IC except the toilet inlet, and then fill with water to a point where the head is almost at ground level. Not all BCOs will accept this, but it's an option and I believe it's better than nowt.
Identifying the problem joint is a matter of testing each individual section. We prefer to test each pipe as it's laid, which takes only a few seconds with an air test, and then test the completed line in the presence of the BCO before backfilling. This keeps things simple, but I can appreiate that it's not always possible to work in this way.
If your tests are failing, the first thing to check is that the stoppers themselves are not the cause. Test them on a single pipe: if there's a faulty seal on a stopper, it will reveal itself in such a test. Once you're sure each stopper is sound, that indicates that any leaks can only be due to faulty joints in the pipeline. Try using a smear of wash-up liquid around the stoppers when fitting them into place for the test. This helps seal any minor gaps, but also helps pinpoint any serious leaks because the bubbles remain visible for longer.
If you have a section of pipeline that is failing, break it down into sub-sections if at all possible, and test each sub-section individually. If that doesn't work, the only way to find the iffy joint is to remove lengths of pipe, one at a time, and re-test until what's left of the pipeline passes, and then you know that you've eliminated the problem joint. Then, and only then, can you start putting back the system, testing as you proceed.