Previous in Forum: Vacuum Drop - Code Requirements   Next in Forum: Victaulic Pipe Joints
Close
Close
Close
11 comments
Rate Comments: Nested
Member

Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 9

Hydrostatic Test

05/21/2009 4:37 AM

I am testing a pipe (copper or sometimes ductile iron) hydrostaticaly to prove that their is no leakage.while i am doing this the gauge never stick to where the testing pressure is. It is supposed stick with in the test period like 4 hour or 2 hour test. this happens so many times. why is it like this? is it because of temperature? This phenomenon is even more as the length of the pipe to be tested become shorter.

Location: Ethiopia( addis ababa)

Altitude: 2500m above sea level.

temperature: moring:7-13

day: 27-29

Register to Reply
Pathfinder Tags: pressure gauge
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Indeterminate Engineering Fields - Control Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: In the bothy, 7 chains down the line from Dodman's Lane level crossing, in the nation formerly known as Great Britain. Kettle's on.
Posts: 32175
Good Answers: 839
#1

Re: Hydrostatic test

05/21/2009 4:49 AM

Either there is a leak in the pipe, or the size of the pipe is changing with temperature. Try a 24-h test and see if the pressure is the same at the same time the following day. If it is "near enough" the same, then there isn't a leak.

__________________
"Did you get my e-mail?" - "The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" - George Bernard Shaw, 1856
Register to Reply
Guru
India - Member - New Member Engineering Fields - Electromechanical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: India, 200 Km. North of Delhi.
Posts: 1393
Good Answers: 53
#2

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/21/2009 9:48 AM

Is the gauge only going down or on both side?

may be liquid during filling process is hotter and cool down as time passes.

Or what about valve thats stops liquid to go back.is there some NRV? you should also check this.

If its trend is declining then leave it for longer period and check if it eventually go to zero? if so thats good enough to say yes there is a leakage.

Register to Reply
Power-User

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 308
Good Answers: 28
#3

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/21/2009 11:12 AM

I'd suspect part of the test rig... probably the isolating valve as indicated by another poster.
So....test the test rig ... simply block the outlet and pump up to pressure.

Register to Reply
Associate

Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 30
Good Answers: 1
#4
In reply to #3

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/21/2009 11:01 PM

Check you have ALL the air out of the system - air is far more susceptible to temperature / pressure variation than water... pump, bleed, flush / bleed.

Register to Reply
Associate

Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 48
#6
In reply to #4

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/22/2009 3:17 AM

Not only is air in the system sensitive to temperature change, but many of the gases in air are soluble in water, especially at high pressures. So a dropping pressure can simply be trapped air dissolving into the water.

Register to Reply
Power-User

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 308
Good Answers: 28
#7
In reply to #4

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/22/2009 3:38 AM

"This phenomenon is even more as the length of the pipe to be tested become shorter."

I would have expected a greater fluctuation with a bigger volume.
This indicates..... at least to me ... that it's not a trapped air or temperature related problem.

Register to Reply
Anonymous Poster
#11
In reply to #4

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/23/2009 1:11 AM

Very Good Answer

Register to Reply
Guru
Safety - ESD - New Member Popular Science - Cosmology - Amateur Astronomer Technical Fields - Technical Writing - Writer India - Member - Regular CR4 participant Engineering Fields - Optical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: 18 29 N 73 57E
Posts: 1390
Good Answers: 31
#5

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/21/2009 11:16 PM

All the ways suggested i all other posts are perfectly valid. I would like to add couple of more:

If the item to be tested is small enough, test it in air conditioned room. Temperature variation effects will be avoided.

Use two isolation valves in series. The leakage backwards will be reduced drastically, by serial drops and because of statistical reasons.

Register to Reply
Power-User
Engineering Fields - Civil Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Construction Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Mining Engineering - Member United States - Member - Member Popular Science - Weaponology - Member Hobbies - Target Shooting - Member Hobbies - Car Customizing - Member

Join Date: May 2008
Location: Cary, NC, USA
Posts: 131
Good Answers: 7
#8

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/22/2009 8:33 AM

If the pipe is buried shallow, the sun will heat the surrounding soil and cause the pressure to increase. Conversely, when night falls, the temperature and pressure will both decrease. As stated earlier, if you pressurize the pipe and then test it for 24 hours and the pressure does not change, you have a leakproof system. Also mentioned earlier, was the presence of air. To get an accurate pressure test, the pipe must be completely void of air. Air reacts differently to pressure than water and will keep you from getting accurate results. Always fill the line from the lowest elevation, and allow the air to escape from the highest elevation.

__________________
You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today - Abraham Lincoln
Register to Reply
Guru
Hobbies - DIY Welding - New Member

Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1601
Good Answers: 58
#9

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/22/2009 9:20 AM

As you compress the fluid, it gets warm and expands. Upon reaching test pressure, no more heat is added and the fluid begins to cool and the pressure drops. Even in the absence of leaks, you will see this kind of behavior. You can minimize the effect by adding a pressure accumulator to the test set. You have already determined that a long piece of pipe will serve as an accumulator. However, if you are looking for small leaks, you will find that a gas leak detector has far greater sensitivity than a liquid leak detector.

Register to Reply
Active Contributor
India - Member - New Member

Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Mumbai - India
Posts: 22
#10

Re: Hydrostatic Test

05/22/2009 2:02 PM

Up to what pressure you are testing these pipes and tubes ? What type of fittings do you use ?

if there is any internal leakage, you would not know so you have to use leakproof fittings.

__________________
Born Enquisitor !!!!
Register to Reply
Register to Reply 11 comments
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

Anonymous Poster (1); gsuhas (1); JayGeeBSE (1); Kiwi Bill (1); Old Coal Man (1); PWSlack (1); rakesh_semwal (1); welderman (1); woodygb (2); zankruti (1)

Previous in Forum: Vacuum Drop - Code Requirements   Next in Forum: Victaulic Pipe Joints

Advertisement