pipe leak help needed!!!!!!!
I am building a new house and am ready to put up drywall, we did a pressure test on the plumbing and at 120 psi was losing 5 pounds a day of air pressure on the line. could not find any air leaks at all after checking extensively.
put water on the lines and purged all the air out and put 140 psi of water on the lines, the pressure stayed the same for 4 days and on the 5th and 6th day dropped about 3 psi each day, I have checked every fitting and inch of the line and can find NO leaking water.
does anyone have any suggestions as what to do or look for, or am I missing something, I was leaning towards blaming it on the guage or the valve but I am not seeing any water on it either so I am stumped
any ideas how much water would be leaking to drop it 3 psi a day
any help appreciated!!!!!!!!!!
First, do not write off your pressure gauge yet. Have you tested anything with soapy solution? It is best if you use gas leak detector, but dish soap and water will work, just not quite as well.
Start at your gauge assembly, then work your way to ALL joints throughout the piping.
Keep the pressure around 100psi.
What you are looking for is any large bubbles or any really tiny bubbles, I call it a beard, as it resembles one. 3-5lbs per day will most likely be one or two real small leaks
Also don’t forget about you tub/shower valves. Did you plug off the shower head and tub spout? They must be plugged in case you are losing the pressure through the valve. Also, if you have any ball valves with nothing on one end, it should also be capped. Trust me, they are not always perfect.
I have pulled my hair out, (must be why I am half bald) many times, and have on occasion needed to test 2 or 3 times before I finally find the leak.
Also, just because you have put water into the system, does not mean it will produce the leak. If the leak is at the end of the line and there is an air pocket, it will not show up as water for a long time.
Also if all fails. Make sure there is not a large change in the outside temperature as it can have an effect on the pressure. I have even had the pressure go up if I tested in the morning and it became extremely hot in the afternoon.
