Hydrant Commissioning Hydrostatic Testing

Hydrostatic pressure testing ensures the hydrant system has been installed correctly and wont develop leaks during service. Testing temporarily exceeds the design pressures of common hydrant system materials and causes flange bolts to stretch. Having precise control of the applied test pressure and communicating with the plumber prior to, and during testing minimises these concerns and maximises the chance of a stress free test that passes!

The most common causes of failure are leaks in the flange that are experienced when the flange bolts stretch under pressure. HTC recommend tightening the flange bolts after applying 80% of the test pressure to prevent a leak developing.

Hydrostatic testing will always result in some drop in pressure as air is forced into solution and as PE pipes expand. Methods given in AS2566.2 allow HTC to select the most appropriate methodology to determine the allowable leakage rate. More details on the test methodology and acceptance criteria can be found in the article below.

5 yearly maintenance hydrostatic testing

Hydrant systems with a booster are required to be hydrostatically tested to 1.5 times the working pressure (boost pressure). This ensures the fire brigade can have confidence that the on-site hydrant system will not fail them when they really need it.

Reticulation Main Hydrostatic Testing

Before water mains are put into service they are required to be cleaned and hydrostatically pressure tested. This is a critical time in the project and HTC are here to help you get the results you need to hand the project over. on budget and on time.