We are building a new house and all the plumbing is in. The inspector says we have to perform a test to show that these pipes can hold 5# of pressure for 15 minutes. How do we do this ?

Nancy, your Inspector want you to test your new gas system for leaks. It is usually 15 lbs of pressure for 15 minutes.

You have to disconnect all gas appliances and incoming gas line on right side of your gas meter. Cap off all ends. Install gas pressure gas gauge anywhere on the system. Pump it up with bicycle pump to 15 lbs. Call for Inspection. After inspection, you will have to disconnect all appliances.

This test on final inspection is required to make sure gas pipes didn't get damaged between the Rough-In inspection and the Final.

From my experience, only every other Inspector asks for gas system test on final inspection. Yours is obviously one of them...

At the end (beginning) of the line where the house plumbing will connect to the water supply (well, water meter) you will temporarily install a tee with a pressure gauge and an air valve stem (something like what is on the tire of your car). Usually this is done before any faucets and commodes are installed, so the ends of the lines, the stubouts, will have to be plugged. Close any valves that are installed (showers, bathtubs) and pump the whole system up to 5 psi. I like to see if they hold 50 psi overnight, but that is not required. The gauge must hold the test pressure with no drop for the specified time. Usually problems show up pretty quickly. :)

EPM

Nancyharold...

My guess here is that both these guys missed the question by a bit, but you'll have to tell us when you come back... ;)

It appears to me that you are asking about how to test the waste and vent system in your house..?

Water pressure test is typically between 100 and 125 PSI...

Waste and vent test is usually between 3 and 5 PSI

And gas is usually between 3 and 5 PSI although some towns call for as much as a 25PSI test.

MILO presented gas test, EPmiller presented water test (although pressure is off... water test must be much higher than 5 oe even 50 lbs?? )... I will present how to test waste and vent.

WHEN I GET BACK FROM WORK... LOL... I'll be back later. If someone else wants to take this question please do. Otherwise when I get back I'll post info.

Thanks...

MARK

Mark's bang on! They're asking to test the drainage.

Milo, nothing was said about gas. Where did that come from?

Miller, The only time I ever saw a water pressure test ordered is when we roughed in a condo with hard copper and underslab joints. And then I had to pressure up to 125 PSI and hold it overnight for the inspector.
As a rule when the inspector checks the drainage he makes sure the water pressure's on and he eyeballs that too for any leaks. All accomplished at one stop. No guys! The test called for is a drainage test.

Nancy, When we test for drainage we use inflatable test plugs, (see image) to seal off all openings starting at the house cleanout. We then take a hose up on the roof and fill the stacks until they over flow. We do that the night before inspection and the next day the inspector checks for any leaks or a large drop in the water level. If everything checks out your job passes inspection. Good luck, Tom

I see Tom stepped in and presented basics of testing drain and vent system.

You can test with water as Tom presented... or with air, but I highly recommend that you use the water test as it is much easier to do overall.

Tom presented the test balls we use to install in toilets, or at the main drain itself, for example.

I wanted to throw up another couple pictures of TEST CAPS ("jim caps".. see 1st picture), test caps with drains in them (see 2nd picture), wing-nut test plugs (3rd picture) and finally, cherne clean-seal test plugs (last pic.).

First, you should already have performed an underground plumbing test..? What happened there?

Then after all waste and vent installed above ground I use the cherne clean-seal test plug at the base of all waste stacks where you should have test tees (or dandy cleanout) installed. Here, I pipe dope the threads well and spin this in where the cleanout plug screws into. Then I cap all pipes with jim caps or plug pipes with test balls and then up to roof to fill vent pipe to overflowing.

If you have already connected the p-trap to the tub or whirlpool you will need to remove the tub waste assembly, teflon tape the desanco fitting (male threaded transition fitting) and cap it off using a female adapter (screws onto male fitting) and a cap... ;)

Be sure to pipe dope ALL CLEANOUTS VERY WELL... use lots of pipe dope here as this is where most leaks occur during a water test

The nice thing about the cherne clean-seal is that once test is complete you just need to deflate the test ball and water flows past the ball and down the drain without making a mess... ;)

If no other alternative and your cleanouts are not in best location for test then you can also install the jim cap with the drain in it so that again, when you drain the system after test you can drain it without having to pull a test ball (which can be dangerous with head of pressure developed from test).

These test balls and test caps,plugs, etc. are best purchased at a local plumbing supply house.

So there you go... all kinds of info. From all of us. Let us know if you neeed more info...

MARK

Yeah, you guys are right. I should have caught that 5 psi number. I focused on supply pipe because that's the job I just worked on. I don't run the pressure up to 100 psi because 50 or so will tell you if you have a leak. Copper is the biggest culprit. New pex never leaks unless someone slipped a ring on and missed the crimp! Had a coworker do that on a repair job. Of course the house shutoff was in a completely different area of the house. He got SOAKED until he could crimp it under pressure. :D :D

Nancyharold sure got a full load of advice, don't you think. :)

EPM