Sir please explain me plumbing leakage test - how much kg pressure and time required - and which IS CODE
Plumbing leakage test methodology
- Thread starter ashok
- Start date
abdul hafeez
Newbie
Residential water pressure tends to range between 03 kg/cm2 to 6 kg/cm2.
Anything below 3kg/cm2 is considered low. Pressures above 6kg/cm2 are too high.
Whereas low water pressure is more of a nuisance than a serious problem (some fixtures, like washing machines, have minimum pressure requirements), high water pressure carries with it a significantly increased risk of damage to pipes, joints, fixtures, and seals - not to mention increased water wastage.
As per my experience desired water pressure at the taps should be about 2.5 to 3 kg/cm2 and this can be tested by using a pressure gauge at the tap outlets.
Testing is generally carried out on the shell of the piping by closing all the outlets using end caps and from one side pressure is applied using a pressure testing machine, the pressure is generally twice the desired pressure at the tap or c.p fittings outlets ( i would recommend 7 kg/cm2 and nothing more than that, in case of high rises this pressure is regulated using PRV's.
The pressure is maintained for 24 hours if there is any drop in the pressure after 24 hours then the plumbing pipe shell is checked for leakages rectified and again retested using the same methodology till there is no pressure drop after 24 hours.
I am not aware of any IS code mentioning tests to be conducted on plumbing pipes, if I come around one will definitely post it. In case someone in the group is aware of it then kindly shed light on it, please.
Anything below 3kg/cm2 is considered low. Pressures above 6kg/cm2 are too high.
Whereas low water pressure is more of a nuisance than a serious problem (some fixtures, like washing machines, have minimum pressure requirements), high water pressure carries with it a significantly increased risk of damage to pipes, joints, fixtures, and seals - not to mention increased water wastage.
As per my experience desired water pressure at the taps should be about 2.5 to 3 kg/cm2 and this can be tested by using a pressure gauge at the tap outlets.
Testing is generally carried out on the shell of the piping by closing all the outlets using end caps and from one side pressure is applied using a pressure testing machine, the pressure is generally twice the desired pressure at the tap or c.p fittings outlets ( i would recommend 7 kg/cm2 and nothing more than that, in case of high rises this pressure is regulated using PRV's.
The pressure is maintained for 24 hours if there is any drop in the pressure after 24 hours then the plumbing pipe shell is checked for leakages rectified and again retested using the same methodology till there is no pressure drop after 24 hours.
I am not aware of any IS code mentioning tests to be conducted on plumbing pipes, if I come around one will definitely post it. In case someone in the group is aware of it then kindly shed light on it, please.
