ASTM F2786-16

Standard Practice for Field Leak Testing of Polyethylene (PE) Pressure Piping Systems Using Gaseous Testing Media Under Pressure (Pneumatic Leak Testing)

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 If required by the authority having jurisdiction, pressurized gaseous testing media leak testing is conducted after installation to discover and correct or repair leaks or faults in a newly constructed or modified polyethylene pressure piping system before placing the system in service. Leakage or faults usually occur at connections, joints, and mechanical seals where sealing under pressure is required.  
5.2 Safety is of paramount importance when conducting pressurized gaseous testing media leak tests because testing results include no leaks, leaks, sudden violent rupture, or catastrophic failure.  
5.3 Systems that contain lower pressure rated or non-pressure rated components that cannot be isolated or removed from exposure to test pressure, or where temporary caps or closures are not practical, are not suitable for testing in accordance with this practice.  
5.4 Leakage Allowance—Leakage is not allowed for butt, socket and saddle fusion joints, electrofusion joints, and restrained gas-tight mechanical joints. See 7.6. Contact the joint, connection or component manufacturer for leakage correction information if leakage occurs at a joint, connection or component having a mechanical seal. See 9.8.  
5.5 Poisson-Effect Expansion and Contraction—When test pressure is applied to plastic piping systems that have fully restrained joints such as heat fusion, electrofusion, bolted flanges, etc., either reduction of overall pipe length or an increase in longitudinal stress results from diametrical expansion of the pipe. Disjoining (pull-out) of partially restrained or non-restrained connections or joints such as bell-and-spigot joints having insufficient resistance to pull-out stress or length reduction is possible when partially restrained or unrestrained joints are in-line with the fully restrained test section. To prevent Poisson-effect disjoining of partially restrained or non-restrained joints take measures such as installing external joint restraints (diametri...
SCOPE
1.1 This practice provides information on apparatus, safety, pre-test preparation and procedures for conducting field tests of polyethylene pressure piping systems after installation using gaseous testing media such as unodorized inert non-toxic gas or air, and applying pressure to determine if leaks exist in the system (pneumatic leak testing). This practice applies only to testing to discover leakage. Testing for other purposes such as testing to establish operating pressure is beyond the scope of this practice.  
1.2 Leak testing with pressurized gaseous testing media shall be used only if one or both of the following conditions exists:  
1.2.1 The piping system is so designed that it cannot be filled with a liquid, or  
1.2.2 The piping system service cannot tolerate traces of liquid testing fluid.  
1.3 Where hydrostatic testing is specified in contract documents or by the authority having jurisdiction, testing using pressurized gaseous testing media (pneumatic) testing shall not be substituted without the express consent and authorization of the authority having jurisdiction.  
1.4 Some manufacturers prohibit or restrict testing of their products with pressurized gaseous testing media. Contact component manufacturers for information. Where the manufacturer of a test section component prohibits or restricts testing with pressurized gaseous testing media testing in accordance with this practice shall not be used without the express consent and authorization of the authority having jurisdiction and the component manufacturer.
Note 1: Components that are not suitable for testing with gaseous testing fluid may not be suitable for service with pressurized gaseous fluid.  
1.5 This practice does not address leak testing using pressurized liquids (hydrostatic testing). For field leak testing using pressurized liquids, see Practice F2164.  
1.6 This practice does not apply to leak testing of non-pressure, negative...

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 31-Jan-2016
• ICS: 23.040.20 - Plastics pipes
• Technical Committee: F17 - Plastic Piping Systems
• Drafting Committee: F17.40 - Test Methods

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: F2786 − 16
Standard Practice for
Field Leak Testing of Polyethylene (PE) Pressure Piping
Systems Using Gaseous Testing Media Under Pressure
1
(Pneumatic Leak Testing)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2786; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope* 1.5 This practice does not address leak testing using pres-
surizedliquids(hydrostatictesting).Forfieldleaktestingusing
1.1 This practice provides information on apparatus, safety,
pressurized liquids, see Practice F2164.
pre-testpreparationandproceduresforconductingfieldtestsof
polyethylene pressure piping systems after installation using
1.6 This practice does not apply to leak testing of non-
gaseous testing media such as unodorized inert non-toxic gas
pressure, negative pressure (vacuum), or non-PE piping sys-
or air, and applying pressure to determine if leaks exist in the
tems.Forfieldacceptancetestingofplasticnon-pressuresewer
system (pneumatic leak testing). This practice applies only to
lines, see Test Method F1417.
testing to discover leakage. Testing for other purposes such as
1.7 This practice does not apply to fuel gas piping systems
testing to establish operating pressure is beyond the scope of
that extend from the point of delivery to the appliance
this practice.
connections. For other than undiluted liquefied petroleum gas
1.2 Leak testing with pressurized gaseous testing media
(LP-Gas) systems, the point of delivery shall be considered to
shall be used only if one or both of the following conditions
be the outlet of the service meter assembly or the outlet of the
exists:
service regulator or service shutoff valve where no meter is
1.2.1 The piping system is so designed that it cannot be
provided. For undiluted LP-Gas, the point of delivery shall be
filled with a liquid, or
considered to be the outlet of the final pressure regulator,
1.2.2 The piping system service cannot tolerate traces of
exclusiveoflinegasregulators,inthesystem.Testingforthese
liquid testing fluid.
systemscanbefoundinNFPA54/ANSIZ223.1.Thispractice
does not apply to LP-Gas systems covered under NFPA 58.
1.3 Where hydrostatic testing is specified in contract docu-
ments or by the authority having jurisdiction, testing using
1.8 This practice is intended for use with polyethylene
pressurizedgaseoustestingmedia(pneumatic)testingshallnot
pressure piping that conveys gaseous media under pressure
besubstitutedwithouttheexpressconsentandauthorizationof
(compressed gas) if the owner or operator or installer of the
the authority having jurisdiction.
line does not have an established leak testing procedure that is
1.4 Some manufacturers prohibit or restrict testing of their acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
products with pressurized gaseous testing media. Contact
1.9 Warning—Failure during a pressurized gaseous testing
component manufacturers for information. Where the manu-
media leak test can be extremely violent and dangerous
facturer of a test section component prohibits or restricts
because energy that is applied to compress the gaseous testing
testing with pressurized gaseous testing media testing in
media and to pressurize the system will both be suddenly
accordance with this practice shall not be used without the
released.
express consent and authorization of the authority having
jurisdiction and the component manufacturer.
NOTE 2—To illustrate the violent hazard of failure, assumea5Hp
compressorisusedtoraisethetestsectiontotestpressureandthatittakes
NOTE 1—Components that are not suitable for testing with gaseous
1 h to achieve test pressure. If sudden rupture occurs, energy release may
testingfluidmaynotbesuitableforservicewithpressurizedgaseousfluid.
occur in 2 s. Therefore, the horsepower of the energy release would be 5
HP × 1 h × 3600 sec/h / 2 s = 9,000 Hp. Further, if diameter is doubled,
energy release is four times greater. For an example test section that is
twice the diameter, energy release would be 36,000 Hp.
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F17 on Plastic
Piping Systems and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F17.40 on Test
1.10 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be re-
Methods.
garded as standard. The values given in parentheses are
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2016. Published March 2016. Originally
mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for
approved in 2010. Last previous edition approved in 2010 as F2786–10.
DOI:10.1520/F2786–16. information only and are not considered standard. Numbered
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of t
...

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: F2786 − 10 F2786 − 16
Standard Practice for
Field Leak Testing of Polyethylene (PE) Pressure Piping
Systems Using Gaseous Testing Media Under Pressure
1
(Pneumatic Leak Testing)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2786; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope Scope*
1.1 This practice provides information on apparatus, safety, pre-test preparation and procedures for conducting field tests of
polyethylene pressure piping systems after installation using gaseous testing media such as unodorized inert non-toxic gas or air,
and applying pressure to determine if leaks exist in the system (pneumatic leak testing). This practice applies only to testing to
discover leakage. Testing for other purposes such as testing to establish operating pressure is beyond the scope of this practice.
1.2 This practice does not address leak testing using pressurized liquids (hydrostatic testing). For field leak testing using
pressurized liquids, see Practice F2164.
1.2 Leak testing with pressurized gaseous testing media shall be used only if one or both of the following conditions exists:
1.2.1 The piping system is so designed that it cannot be filled with a liquid, or
1.2.2 The piping system service cannot tolerate traces of liquid testing media.fluid.
1.3 Where hydrostatic testing is specified in contract documents or by the authority having jurisdiction, testing using pressurized
gaseous testing media (pneumatic) testing shall not be substituted without the express consent and authorization of the authority
having jurisdiction.
1.4 Some manufacturers prohibit or restrict pressurized gaseous media testing of their products. products with pressurized
gaseous testing media. Contact component manufacturers for information about testing with gaseous media under pressure.
information. Where the manufacturer of a test section component prohibits or restricts testing with pressurized gaseous media
testing, pressurized gaseous media (pneumatic) testingtesting media testing in accordance with this practice shall not be used
without the express consent and authorization of the authority having jurisdiction and the component manufacturer.
NOTE 1—Components that are not suitable for testing with gaseous media testing fluid may not be suitable for service with pressurized gaseous
media.fluid.
1.5 This practice does not address leak testing using pressurized liquids (hydrostatic testing). For field leak testing using
pressurized liquids, see Practice F2164.
1.6 This practice does not apply to leak testing of non-pressure, negative pressure (vacuum), or non-PE piping systems. For field
acceptance testing of plastic gravity flow non-pressure sewer lines, see Test Method F1417.
1.7 This practice does not apply to fuel gas piping systems that extend from the point of delivery to the appliance connections.
For other than undiluted liquefied petroleum gas (LP-Gas) systems, the point of delivery shall be considered to be the outlet of
the service meter assembly or the outlet of the service regulator or service shutoff valve where no meter is provided. For undiluted
LP-Gas, the point of delivery shall be considered to be the outlet of the final pressure regulator, exclusive of line gas regulators,
in the system. Testing for these systems can be found in NFPA 54 / ANSI Z223.1. This practice does not apply to LP-Gas systems
covered under NFPA 58.
1.8 This practice is intended for use with polyethylene pressure piping that conveys gaseous media under pressure (compressed
gas) if the owner or operator or installer of the line does not have an established leak testing procedure that is acceptable to the
authority having jurisdiction.
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F17 on Plastic Piping Systems and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F17.40 on Test Methods.
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2010Feb. 1, 2016. Published February 2010March 2016. DOI:10.1520//F2786–10.Originally approved in 2010. Last previous edition
approved in 2010 as F2786–10. DOI:10.1520/F2786–16.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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