Hydrostatic Testing: The Benefits

Oct 4, 2013
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There are few more important things in the workplace than ensuring all of your piping is in good working condition. Without regular attention, these can degrade in quality which can lead to health and safety issues and extra expenditure. However, thanks to the innovation of hydrostatic testing, the whole process has become a whole lot simpler.

Compared to the pneumatic way of testing water content, which is not a viable process due to its potential damage to the test subject, hydrostatic testing offers a safe and efficient alternative. The practice itself is intended to highlight any possibly harmful material and if there is a chance of leakage or not.

For an example, should you be testing the contents of a water tank then it is necessary to test at a higher capacity to see if it can survive the extended pressure. In this instance, the water is already available but water is used as the basis for typical testing because it is plentiful and easy to obtain. New vessels are always initially tested before extra testing the further they along in their life. The older the piping, the more often it requires testing.

Testing at 150% will suitably challenge its operating ability and should there be a malfunction, there is already a procedure in place compared to a spontaneous accident. This is the preferred way of testing fire extinguishers which need constant regulation. A benefit in hydrostatic testing compared to gas is that gases are more volatile and exposed to reacting negatively in the form of explosions or other general hazards.

To enhance the testing, dye is added to the base to help determine whether there is a leak or the possibility of one occurring. There’s also an amateur way of performing hydrostatic testing which is available to anyone with a garden hose. It’s as simple as filling up a vessel with water and examining if there are any leaks present. This is not really advised in a professional capacity wherein more resilient and versatile means of testing are required.

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