Quote:
Originally Posted by Tytus Gerrish
i have made it a habit to hydrotest my PVC devices before i use them.
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Clearly with PVC they're are many factors that contribute to the strength of pressure vessels made of PVC such as surface area glued in joints, external damage, exposure to sunlight. with makes every assembly unique and as a general safety precaution should be hydrotested.
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Many pressure vessels are tested by over pressuring with a fluid, generally water, inside. It is definitely the right thing to do. The overpressures used are 400% or more of the rated working load. The exact number depends on the pressure, operating temperature, and service conditions.
Hydro testing is used because the pressure is released as soon as there is a leak. It only takes a small amount of fluid to leak out to release pressure so the failure is not likely to propogate too far. If you use gas pressure however, A small leak just results in a very small reduction in pressure. The bulk of the energy is still there waiting to rip things apart.