# air test or water test?



## incarnatopnh (Feb 1, 2011)

Which do you guys prefer for testing pvc sanitary drain lines? Air seems more solid to me as air will leak out where water won't. I've done both just wanted to know what others think.


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

incarnatopnh said:


> Which do you guys prefer for testing pvc sanitary drain lines? Air seems more solid to me as air will leak out where water won't. I've done both just wanted to know what others think.


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*http://tinyurl.com/3nm2a9k*


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## incarnatopnh (Feb 1, 2011)

Helpful, but dealing with sch 40 dwv here. I know that it can be air tested safely.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

You aren't supposed to test PVC with air because the pipe could shatter and literally explode causing shards of PVC to fly everywhere possibly injuring or killing someone. Water is better anyways, it's much easier to find a leak in the system. Just look for a puddle....


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

incarnatopnh said:


> Helpful, but dealing with sch 40 dwv here. I know that it can be air tested safely.


EVERY manufacturer says that PVC should not be air tested to ANY pressure. Doesn't matter that its schedule 40 dwv. Have you ever dropped a peice of pvc when it was really cold out, and had it develop a spider crack. Pump this up with air afterwords and it could cause an explosive release of air. You may not have dropped the pipe but what about the guy at the wholesale house? Or the carpenter moving it out of his way on the job.


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## incarnatopnh (Feb 1, 2011)

Very true just dealing with an idiot codes officer making it very difficult to get anything done. Guy made me test the domestic water system to 150 psi for 2 hours! Absolutely crazy... I think he's having a bad week or something...


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

It's code here for 10 foot of head or 5 psi of air on the sanitary system which was the original posts question.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Plumberman said:


> It's code here for 10 foot of head or 5 psi of air on the sanitary system which was the original posts question.


I have tested 10 floors of CIMJ with 5-7 PSI. but never anything plastic, abs or PVC...


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

U666A said:


> I have tested 10 floors of CIMJ with 5-7 PSI. but never anything plastic, abs or PVC...


We test with air all the time.

Lots of rural areas and a lot of times the water department doesn't have the tap put in while we are roughing in. So we put 5 psi on it and have never had a problem with it. I wouldn't put 200 psi on a water distribution system, even the inspectors here don't require that unless it's copper...


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## Qball415 (Nov 20, 2010)

Plumberman said:


> It's code here for 10 foot of head or 5 psi of air on the sanitary system which was the original posts question.


 Same here in Cali. We test with water on a water column usually off the low-heel on a water closet. When testing a structure, water test through the roof.


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

We air test with 5 lbs psi. never seen any shards but have seen bad joints blow apart. But I have only been doing this for just under 15 years. I guess anything is possible


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I have see PVC with compressed air in it blow a hole in a cinderblock wall... :yes:


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Redwood said:


> I have see PVC with compressed air in it blow a hole in a cinderblock wall... :yes:


At 5 PSI?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

incarnatopnh said:


> Very true just dealing with an idiot codes officer making it very difficult to get anything done. Guy made me test the domestic water system to 150 psi for 2 hours! Absolutely crazy... I think he's having a bad week or something...


 




I had to do that for years when doing new construction. If it doesn't leak at 150 psi, it won't leak at 70 psi which is approx. city pressure.

If your gripe is that 150 psi is too high, what does your code book require? Mine states, "...not less than the working pressure of the system..." Our old code was "...not less than 25 psi above working pressure..." So if avg. city pressure is let's say 70 psi, then my code would allow me to test water piping with 70 psi.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Redwood said:


> I have see PVC with compressed air in it blow a hole in a cinderblock wall... :yes:





Will said:


> At 5 PSI?


No it was a 3/4" line at 100 psi...

There is a lot of stored energy in compressed air....

Part of the equation is the volume of the cylinder...
While the pressure may be lower there is considerably more volume in a 4" waste line than a 3/4" line...

The energy potential may amaze you if you calculated it out.... :yes:


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## incarnatopnh (Feb 1, 2011)

Code here is 50 psi for 15 min on water lines in structure. 5 psi air or 10 ft of head for sewer. Water main and service is 150 psi for 2 hours. Sanitary sewer main is 3 in of vacuum for 1 hour and successful mandrill. The codes inspector assigned to this job is trying to be a pain and mandating the air test on the pvc sewer pipe and requiring the 150 psi test on the water system in the structure...


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

incarnatopnh said:


> Code here is 50 psi for 15 min on water lines in structure. 5 psi air or 10 ft of head for sewer. Water main and service is 150 psi for 2 hours. Sanitary sewer main is 3 in of vacuum for 1 hour and successful mandrill. The codes inspector assigned to this job is trying to be a pain and mandating the air test on the pvc sewer pipe and requiring the 150 psi test on the water system in the structure...


Your inspector is dangerous and you need to Print Page 6 of the Charlotte Pipe Plastics Technical & Installation Manual and have a discussion with him and his boss.

There is a Warning in page 6 which Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in severe injury or death.

There is little room for argument... :no:


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## AllAces777 (Nov 23, 2010)

In the old days we used to test all our drainage systems with C02, it was great, 1 cylinder would last for days. Then all of sudden the code said no more air testing on plastic pipes.

It sure was funny to see an inspector jump when a test cap would blow off right next to him though!


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Your inspector is dangerous and you need to Print Page 6 of the Charlotte Pipe Plastics Technical & Installation Manual and have a discussion with him and his boss.
> 
> There is a Warning in page 6 which Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in severe injury or death.
> 
> There is little room for argument... :no:


Nice pic, that's one Reason I prefer doing cast iron over PVC is I can air test my cast iron to over 20 psi with ease, on a retrofit scores points for not having water leaks.


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## incarnatopnh (Feb 1, 2011)

Had the head of codes here today instead... Thanks for the insight. Shared it with him and he is going to have the code changed to allow for water test only on pvc.


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## hroark2112 (Apr 16, 2011)

AllAces777 said:


> In the old days we used to test all our drainage systems with C02, it was great, 1 cylinder would last for days. Then all of sudden the code said no more air testing on plastic pipes.
> 
> It sure was funny to see an inspector jump when a test cap would blow off right next to him though!


I watched a guy use Nitrogen to test a 6" DI line before he put the restraints on the piping, and he didn't have a regulator. He "had done it a million times" and after I argued with him for a minute, I just let him do it.

You'd be surprised how far a 6" ductile 45 can fly through the air, with the greatest of ease...


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

I always fill the stacks with water.


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## NYC Plumber (May 4, 2011)

Greenguy said:


> Nice pic, that's one Reason I prefer doing cast iron over PVC is I can air test my cast iron to over 20 psi with ease, on a retrofit scores points for not having water leaks.


Why would you test with 20 psi? If you are testing no hub that is about the max before fittings blow out.
We only test about 2 floors at a time because of that. Thats about 10 psi, u cant do much more.
Pvc will definitely hold more in that respect.


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## NYC Plumber (May 4, 2011)

Also we always test with water. Its Easier to test and easier to find leaks.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Code states you shall use potable water to test sanitary. Well, when working for one company we didn't have access to any potable water after the ground-rough, so, we carried 5-gal buckets of lake water and filled our PVC...:whistling2: Those were the good ole' days...


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