Plumbing and storm piping cont :

•Section 312.1Required tests

•The permit holder is responsible for

•All tests to be performed

•Notice to the code official***

•All equipment, materials, power and necessary labor to perform the required tests.

•IMPORTANT!!!! The section contains a reference that ALLplumbing system piping shall be tested with either water or for piping systems other than plastic by air. AIR TESTING IS NOT PERMITTED ON PLASTIC AND CAST IRON PIPING. The code is silent about air testing cast iron.The piping manufacturer of the cast iron piping prohibits testing with air! The section also references a final plumbing test after fixtures have been installed.***

•Gauges used for testing shall be as follows:***

•1. Tests requiring a pressure of 10 psi or less shall utilize a testing gauge having increments of 0.10 psi or less.

•2. Tests requiring a pressure of greater than 10 psi but less than or equal to 100psi shall utilize a testing gauge having increments of 1 psi or less.

•3. Tests requiring a pressure greater than 100 psi shall utilize a testing gauge having increments of 2 psi or less.

•A water test shall be applied to the drainage system in its entirety or in sections. Test tees are usually installed when performing sectional testing. If the test tee is correctly configured the tests can be continued without retesting previously tested piping. * Without some type of test tee the entire system may have to be retested to confirm all joints are leak free.

•Storm drain systems within the building shall be tested by water or air in accordance with Section 312.2 and 312.3.

•Storm drain piping is usually tested the same as waste and vent piping. Test tees are usually employed and a ten foot head of water is customarily utilized. The upper ten feet of piping is treated the same as sanitary waste and vent and the piping will only be tested up to the roof drain.*** A ten foot head test is not required on the roof drain. The area around the roof drain should be flooded to confirm the drain connection to the roofing membrane.

•Plastic piping shall not be tested using air. *

•Although the code does not prohibit cast iron pipe from being tested with air the pipe manufacturer’s prohibit testing with air.*

•Air testing is limited to galvanized piping, copper tubing, stainless steel and other approved materials other than plastic or cast iron.

•A steady gauge pressure of 5psi is required by code. The test must hold for a minimum of 15 minutes.

•Air tests are easy to apply; however, there are disadvantages to air testing. Defects are harder to locate when using air. System temperature changes can produce misleading changes in pressure which may be interpreted as a leak.***

•Testing with a compressed gas (air) is inherently more hazardous to personnel than water testing because of the energy release that can occur from a system rupture or failure. The 5 psi testing pressure is often exceeded in the field to locate leaks easier. Increasing the test pressure beyond the safe limits of the material can result in a dangerous situation and must not be allowed.

•The final test of the completed drainage and vent systems shall be visual and in sufficient detail to determine compliance with the provisions of this code. Where a smoke test is utilized, it shall be made by filling all traps with water and then introducing into the entire system a pungent, thick smoke produced by one or more smoke machines. When the smoke appears at stack openings on the roof, the stack openings shall be closed and a pressure equivalent to a 1” water column shall be held for a test period of not less than 15 minutes. ***