ASME B31.3 Process Piping Hydrostatic / Leak Testing

Don't avoid testing--you will be happy you heeded this warning!

Old timer piping engineer

Dear sir,

If you need to cut costs, do not play with pressure/leakage tests.

What in office engineering is a piece of paper, in administration another cost and manufacturing another test... on site, it means the daily security of many people.

I am working in the area and know "first foot" how it feels black liquor/10barg/140ºC leakage. No fun.

Best regards,

Abel

PD: If somebody has suggested you to cut down costs at this point, maybe we should think about cut-off someone "whatever". I had a boss like this.

Hi There, Thank you for spending your time answering.

What about the steam (low pressure or medium), wany opinion; some saying yes to do and some said no. any good justification that steam be defined as category D in ASME B31.3?

According to ASME Code, pressure test must be conducted after weld completion and assembly of piping system. Pressure test may be hydrostatically and/or penumatically. First we have to differentiate between piping codes ASME B31.1 & B31.3.

B31.1 Power Piping piping typically found in electric power generation stations, in industrial and institutional plants, geothermal heating systems, and central district heating and cooling system.

B31.1 does not apply to building heating and distribution steam piping designed for 15 psig or less, or hot water heating system designed for 30 psig or less.

Pressure testing when conducted in accordance with the requirements of this Code, is to ensure leak tightness to be acceptable for the determination of any leaks in piping subassemblies.

Pneumatic testing shall not be used unless the owner specifies pneumatic testing or permits its use as an alternative. It is recommended that pneumatic testing be used only when one of the following conditions exist:

a. when piping systems are so designed that they cannot be filled with water;

b. when piping systems are to be used in services where traces of the testing medium cannot be tolerated.

B31.3 Process Piping piping typically found in petroleum refineries, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, paper, semiconductor, and cryogenic plants, and related processing plants and terminals.

Agreed to use B31.3.

But if the owner agreed for the designer categoried steam as Category D, then in-service test may be allowed (most people will go to in-service test). How can steam can be strongly challenge that not fall under this category?

Hi Messrs, we have built the boilers and power generators, which generate steams to the above piping systems. it mean those line system can fall under the B31.1 code and alternatively for Non-boiler external piping is allowed to conduct inital service test, right?

Hi Mr Abdel Halim Galala / Messrs,

What about if the piping system is designed to something like 0.25 bar but carried some flammable vapor to recovery boiler for burning. If we decided to pneumatic test, what will be the testing pressure; 1.1 of design pressure or 25 psi as minimum?

Thank you