dry test pressure?

[Billybjo]

I've replaced quite a bit of my CH piping this week. I want to dry pressure test the system first for confidence before I refill to test.
It's a vented, unpressured standard 22/15mm system. I have a monument dry pressure tester that reads upto 4 bar/60 psi.
What pressure should I test up to?

 

[gas4you]

I always test all my systems to 3.5 Bar, but I believe this is contrary to health & safety guidelines, but I prefer to test my pipe work to a greater pressure than any safety valve on the boiler.

In your case, being open vented 1.5-2.0 bar should suffice and leave it for between 30/60 mins to test.

 

[Billybjo]

Well after pressuring the system 1.5 bar with a bicycle pump , the missus aint getting any tonight, I've used up my weeks energy ration.

Cuppa tea & cake ordered, then onwards to 2 bar.

Can't hear any hissing yet.......

 

[Onetap]

Well after pressuring the system 1.5 bar with a bicycle pump , the missus aint getting any tonight, I've used up my weeks energy ration.

Cuppa tea & cake ordered, then onwards to 2 bar.

Can't hear any hissing yet.......

You don't pressure test with air.

If a weak joint or component fails, bits are liable to go flying.
And one of the purposes of a pressure test (a proper water pressure test) is to make the weak joints or components fail.

2 bar is sufficient to kill someone. All that energy you've expended in pressurising the system is released in milliseconds and you don't want to be on the receiving end of it.

Search the archives it has been discussed to death.

And if you'd used water, you'd have brought the system up to pressure in a few pump strokes and saved a lot of effort.

I have a monument dry pressure tester that reads upto 4 bar/60 psi.

OMG! Take cover!

What pressure should I test up to?

Not more than 2 Pascals.

 

[DCPlumbing]

I always test pipework & fittings at 2 bar for 10 minutes then 10 bar for 2 minutes.

This is recommended by john guest (speedfit) to test their fittings but i use this procedure for everything, A little overkill i know but not as overkill as hep2o recommendations of 18 bar.

Both manufacturers state pipework must be filled with water first so as to obtain a true test, Air will compress where as water wont. and its also easier to find a tiny leak.

I think the dry test kit you have is for testing gas pipework where only millibars of pressure will be present.

 

[giblets]

I used to pressure test my systems with air a few years ago until I had a problem with an un-soldered but fluxed joint. Said joint held 2bar for 45 minutes but when the system was filled with water and the heat turned on the flux was dissolved and it leaked like a good'un.

No more air testing for me unless gas pipework and then only to the required pressure.