drainage Drainage Air Test Kit

[ToughButterCup]

Anyone got any recommendations of which to avoid, please?

 

 My reading suggests cheaper ones, like this

The 'sensible' ones are about £100.

The way I'm going at the minute I'm going to open a tool hire shop.....

 

 

[ProDave]

I have this one from screweys http://www.screwfix.com/p/bailey-drain-air-testing-kit/19536?_requestid=433848

 

It does the job and has satisfied BC so far.


 

[Gone West]

I bought a Monument kit with some extra bungs, it was cheap. It didn't work very well and the BCO said air test kits rarely do. He told me to block the soil pipe in the inspection chamber and fill the system with water and leave it for a few hours. It didn't leak and he was happy.

[ToughButterCup]

Mmmmmmm, @PeterStarck, I got the feeling from smooching about online  that your experience is not uncommon.

[jamiehamy]

6 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I have this one from screweys http://www.screwfix.com/p/bailey-drain-air-testing-kit/19536?_requestid=433848

 

It does the job and has satisfied BC so far.


 

Same here - mainly 'cos ProDave recommended it before I think! but yes, did the job. 

[ProDave]

I found there was slight leakage from the bubble you pump it up with.  Solution: Kink the pipe to the bubble to seal it and it holds pressure well.
 

[Alex C]

what you need is one of these and a hose pipe. Put a 1.2m vertical pipe on the head and fill it to the brim. See if the level goes down. Job done.

[ProDave]

Why pressurise to 1.2 metres? the building regs test only requires a test at 100mm head.
 

[Oz07]

If you're going to test do it in stages. Don't want to put all your drains in and not know where a leak is. I normally just put a Bing in at start and put a bend on where I want to test to. Fill with water. Think you're actually allowed a not insignificant amount of leakage depending on surface area of run. I've never really seen the level drop on PVC systems 

[dogman]

I bought one of the type you have listed and never really got on with it. I could get a seal on a straight length of pipe but as stated above had a leak from the bulb that needed the pipe bending and clamping.

We did trace the problem to a leaking air admittance valve after taking apart the system. 

I will be testing each stage as i go this time around 

 

All building control did was to plug the soil at the nearest chamber. Flush the loo and wait a few minutes to make sure it held.

[Alex C]

 I thought I had read 1.2 m somewhere although I think it may be dependant on drain length and fall on the drain. You are allowed a leak as mentioned above, although really there shouldn't be any on newly laid pipe.

[ProDave]

The test only demand 100mm because that's all the depth of the average water trap on a toilet or sink etc, so in real like it never can presurise above 100mm.

 

Building control tried to fail my last house because a whole house test (with the stack plugged) and it would only pump up to about 75mm.  I pointed out one of the showers had a low profile trap and any attempt to go above 75mm just blew bubbles through the trap, but it would hold all day at 75mm.  They accepted in the end.
 

[mafaldina]

In thirty plus years for myself and same for my husband (plumber) we have never encountered BC doing an air test on drainage. suppose there is always a first time...

[PeterW]

Horobin ones are pretty good - and the bungs don't corrode as they are nylon !

 

http://www.plasticdrainage.co.uk/100mm-4-drain-test-kit-boxed-7952.html