Translate

Thursday, January 18, 2018

How Hydro Testing Works And What It

By Daniel Miller


There many different types of pressure vessels that can require this type of test periodically to ensure its functionality and safety. A pressure vessel can include anything from plumbing, boilers, pipelines, and gas tanks. Since businesses and homes have some or many of these types of containers or systems, it is important to stay up-to-date on hydro testing.

These vessels are built and designed to be able to hold pressurized gasses and liquids and very high or very low temperatures. Early vessels had problems that lost many people their lives over the years. Safety is a big concern for the manufacturers and inspectors of these containers.

Many people simply call the hydrostatic pressure test a leak test because the main thing that the tester is looking for is any pressure being lost. These small leaks can lead to big problems over time, and they can cause huge damages that can be very dangerous. Tests like this also look at how durable the vessel is an make sure everything is working as it should.

While this test requires trained professionals and specialized equipment, the process is not very hard to understand. The container or pipeline is filled with a liquid or a gas, most commonly water, through its supply valve. Once it reaches the designated pressure for the test, the valve is shut off; if any pressure is lost, it means that there is a leak somewhere.

The best way to tell where a leak is happening is by adding some kind of coloration to the medium being used. This is easily achieved in water with dye, which is the method many testers use. By simply following the dye and seeing where it is escaping from, sometimes a problem can be solved easily where it would've seemed like a major replacement was due.

As soon as a vessel or pipe system like this is made, it undergoes this test to make sure it is safe and up to standards before it reaches customers. Since they can also wear out or malfunction over time, it is also crucial that they are periodically reexamined by a certified professional. A proof pressure test or modified hydrostatic test is usually what they use.

The three main options for mediums to carry out this test with are air, water, and oil. The main drawback of oil is that it is expensive. Air requires specialized machinery in order to set up the test. That is why most professionals offering this service prefer to work with water.

It is necessary to make sure that a pipe or vessel can withstand pressure that is much higher than what it is expected to operate at on a normal basis. This is because extreme conditions sometimes do occur and mistakes are made. By performing the test at a percentage above normal pressure, there can be a margin for error.




About the Author:



No comments :

Post a Comment