James Stephens
New Member
I'm a homeowner building my own small house along with contracting out parts of the work. I'm a worrier by nature, and being involved in building a house may not have been the best idea but I'm more than halfway there. I'd greatly appreciate some knowledgeable advice about a plumbing concern...
I had PEX water lines installed (top out) and the plumbers air pressure tested the lines with a shraider valve and pressure gauge assembly. They tested at 30 psi for 24 hours, per code, and all was well. The gauge was left on the system, work stopped for 3 1/2 months, and I couldn't help but notice that the pressure slowly dropped a bit over that time, and ended up at 26.5 psi. Temperature changes seemed to make for swings of a pound or so but the pressure has definitely dropped aside from that factor. I realize this is a very small loss of pressure but I'm thinking that 3 1/2 psi could mean a drippy leak and who wants even a little leak. I guess that the loss could have happened due the shraider valve and/or fittings of the test assembly but I can't know for sure. I'd like peace of mind on this before putting up sheet rock.
If I retest the system, would it be best to hook up a garden hose and test with water so any leak would be easily visible? Freezing is not too much of a concern because I will be insulating and rocking soon and we're not freezing here yet. I could also reinstall the plumbers test assembly and air test with my compressor and spray soapy water on the fittings to ensure no leaks.
What do you all suggest? Am I nuts for worrying about a 3 1/2 lb loss over such a long time or is any loss still a possible leak? Should I water or air test? Any problems in using a newish garden hose to water test? What kind of soap (and dilution) would I use for an air test?
Please help asap. Thanks much
I had PEX water lines installed (top out) and the plumbers air pressure tested the lines with a shraider valve and pressure gauge assembly. They tested at 30 psi for 24 hours, per code, and all was well. The gauge was left on the system, work stopped for 3 1/2 months, and I couldn't help but notice that the pressure slowly dropped a bit over that time, and ended up at 26.5 psi. Temperature changes seemed to make for swings of a pound or so but the pressure has definitely dropped aside from that factor. I realize this is a very small loss of pressure but I'm thinking that 3 1/2 psi could mean a drippy leak and who wants even a little leak. I guess that the loss could have happened due the shraider valve and/or fittings of the test assembly but I can't know for sure. I'd like peace of mind on this before putting up sheet rock.
If I retest the system, would it be best to hook up a garden hose and test with water so any leak would be easily visible? Freezing is not too much of a concern because I will be insulating and rocking soon and we're not freezing here yet. I could also reinstall the plumbers test assembly and air test with my compressor and spray soapy water on the fittings to ensure no leaks.
What do you all suggest? Am I nuts for worrying about a 3 1/2 lb loss over such a long time or is any loss still a possible leak? Should I water or air test? Any problems in using a newish garden hose to water test? What kind of soap (and dilution) would I use for an air test?
Please help asap. Thanks much