drain test

[Perth]

Hi,
our builder has suggested we don't bother with an intermediate drain test but I really don't want to destroy the new bathroom if a leak shows up on final test and would like to check it in stages.
we have just got a drain testing kit to do an intermediate test on the grey waste pipe installed to do new kitchen sink,bathroom basin and bath and loo as we want to check this is ok before laying floors. Building control have told us to do intermmediate test ourselves and they will be present for final test.
Can someone talk me through the procedure and how to detect leaks and how to seal them if they occur.

Have got 4" plugs to block off pipe in manhole,vent pipe,loo pipes,etc and some nylon plugs for sink and bath wastes. I then attach bellows/guauge to nipple on plug and start pumping air into the system? What pressure do i go to and how long do I leave it and should I be putting a smoke pellet in from the start?,etc.

the builder has connected the existing utility sink which first goes into an outside gully/trap also into the brown underground pipe for these new drains - will that effect the test or does the water in the gully act as an air stop for that section - should I be plugging that gully also despite the water.

dummies guide would be useful!

Many thanks in advance

 

[Breesey]

110mm on manometer held for 5 minutes, then 100mm for 7 mins, 25mm drop allowed.

 

[Softus]

our builder has suggested we don't bother with an intermediate drain test

In that case, since he's doing the building, do what he says, and just retain enough money to cover any rework if the final test shows him to be wrong.

Speaking from a tradesman's point of view, nothing annoys me more than a customer getting involved in the job I've been engaged to do. If you don't trust your builder, then get rid of him.

dummies guide would be useful!

Have you bought a kit that doesn't include instructions?

 

[Breesey]

our builder has suggested we don't bother with an intermediate drain test

In that case, since he's doing the building, do what he says, and just retain enough money to cover any rework if the final test shows him to be wrong.

Speaking from a tradesman's point of view, nothing annoys me more than a customer getting involved in the job I've been engaged to do. If you don't trust your builder, then get rid of him.

dummies guide would be useful!

Have you bought a kit that doesn't include instructions?

Leave em to it!! Any tradesman worth his salt will politly ask the customer to eff off when they interfere!

 

[ChrisR]

If tiles or similar are going onto the floors before the final test is done it would be dumb not to test what's underneath first.

If not, leave to the builder.

 

[Perth]

hi
builder has long gone, we just had him in for a day to dig trenches and put the new outside soil pipes in - it won't be him whos back to test it and infact I think he has moved down to England now.
I just wanted to test it so that we wouldn't have to take the bath out,lift floor,insulation,etc or live without a functioning bathroom until the kitchen is done and thought it was sensible to test that section first and be able to complete bathroom before we move onto the kitchen work.
If it is quite normal not to bother with an intermediate test then we can just leave it but our building control seemed to expect us to do it.

Thanks for the advice anyway - perhaps I'll return the kit.

 

[Softus]

Only you can assess the risk in not testing now. I'm finding it difficult to work out what's been installed, and where, but (as ChrisR has said) if you have any joints that are going to be under the floor, then I would run water down them, but I wouldn't pressurise any trap connections or multifit joints.

 

[Perth]

hi,
we have one long run of 7m starting at kitchen sink (presently with black bung thing in to recieve waste pipe. This 7m run goes at a slope start to the back wall of the house where it runs under the bathroom sink (tee/elbow here) and straight on under where bath will be (tee here) then out the wall. On outside of house the grey pipe for loo presently open to the bathroom runs at a slope and joins in with sink greyy pipe from here vent goes up and brown pipe goes down. A brown pipe from utility goes into this new brown pipe and at beginning of utility pipe is a gulley /trap with water.There is flooring down in bathroom and hall which prevents seeing joints although I could rip this up again to look at a water test, but thought there must be another test that didn't require seeing joints if it can also be done on completion.

Reason I carried on with flooring bathroom was memory of builder saying don't bother testing it but as building control suggest an intermediate test and for my peace of mind and to save world war 3 with my hubbie if we have to re-do the thing - I now would like to test it.

However are you suggesting there is a potential problem with pressurising these joints or the gulley/trap? and this might cause a future leak that wouldn't have been there if not pressurised at this stage.
should I just rip the floors up a pour water down the thing instead.

 

[Perth]

to just make a boring story even more boring!

the bath and sink have presently got 40mm and 32mm waste pipe sticking out of floor and into blabk bungy thing in grey pipe below there are no traps/water near these yet. infact I'm beginning to wonder if there ever will be!

 

[Perth]

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

just a thought but we could disconnect the pipes on outside of house form where they meet the brown pipe and just literally pressure test the grey pipe and joints on the 7m and loo run and this would mean the utility trap and manhole etc wouldn't come into it. Then if there is a final test problem we would know it was outside and underground - unfortunately the builder didn't test any of the underground pipe before backfilling - but perhaps thats normal too.

 

[Bahco]

You are probably worrying unduly as grey waste pipe is quite straightforward to install and rarely gives any problems.

Bung the one end and fill with water and any leaks will be apparent.

If your builder was quite competent in his work then stop worrying

 

[denso13]

And if you do an air test it won't damage anything as it's only 100mm or 4" on the gauge.

 

[Breesey]

And if you do an air test it won't damage anything as it's only 100mm or 4" on the gauge.

Quite right.

110mm on manometer held for 5 minutes, then 100mm for 7 mins, 25mm drop allowed.

If you have the gear just do the test. No problem

 

[Perth]

Just wanted to say thanks for help.
have done test and think it all seems fine first gauge wouln't go above 90 but left it to settle for a while and then it went up to 100 which we left for 10mins and it only dropped by 1. so going ahead with putting bath stuff in today.
cheers