The old argument that we cannot do Hydrostatic Testing on our piping and must do Pneumatic Testing is as old as I have been dealing with process piping (32 years and counting). I was raised in the process and semiconductor industries, where we ALWAYS did hydrostatic testing, and pneumatic testing was our last resort. But some overlook the ease and safety of hydrostatic testing vs pneumatic (which I have written about over 40 times). For example, during Hydrostatic testing, there is no requirement to…
Bubble Test each joinment!
Sensitive testing (i.e., bubble testing) is REQUIRED ONLY when piping is pneumatically tested. A bottle of “SNOOP” runs about $15, and depending on how many joinments need to be tested, the cost of this solution can run into the thousands of dollars. Add in the cost of the trained personnel performing the testing, and we could be talking tens of thousands of dollars. And last but not least, add in the cost of the aerial devices needed to gain access to many of the joinments, we can begin to see that “bubble testing” can be a costly exercise when done properly!
Not to mention the cost of the pneumatic testing gas, such as Nitrogen or some very dry compressed air. These additional costs can easily push “leak testing” over $100,000 for a large process. And believe it or not, I still see new processes being built in 2025 with no budget to perform “leak testing”!
So imagine doing our PRESSURE and LEAK test using clean water at an ambient temperature. After the 10-minute pressure test, we reduce the pressure to normal operating pressure and inspect each joint for leaking water. We will still have the worker costs, the cost of accessing each joinment, but will save tens of thousands of dollars on the N2/Dry Air, SNOOP, spray bottles to apply the SNOOP, etc.