I've just acquired a compressor with a modest sized air receiver. It's a
I need to perform a hydraulic test on this but at what pressure? Some articles say 1.25 bar others 1.5bar.
Is there a BS or similar standard?
I'll be checking the relief valve too.
A test pressure of 1.25 or 1.5bar is not going to find faults on a receiver rated at 10bar.
The legislation is in The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000
John
Testing *below* working pressure is surely pointless? I suspect that it should be 125% or 150% of rated pressure.
Tim
No, sorry I meant 1.25 / 1.5 rated pressure.
Many thanks for the link.
However the word "must" is used twice:
1) Before using any qualifying pressure equipment (new or otherwise), a written scheme of examination (WSE) must be in place, and an examination undertaken. 2) An important feature of the in-house competent person is that they should be independent from the operating functions of the organisation, and they must have sufficient authority to stop the use of the pressure equipment should the need arise.Not sure what an "operating function" is, but hey!
Well spotted, that is what I intended to mean!
"rated at 10 bar" does not necessarily mean "working pressure is 10 bar"
I pressure tested my underfloor heating at 7 bar. It runs at about 1.2 bar.
Oh and I hired a pump and gauge from a tool hire place. Pressure testing with WATER is safe.
I needs to be filled 95% with water.
I assumed it would be filled as far as possible and likely more than 95%.
The issue is I can't find any of these numbers in official publications.
It is intended to have a working pressure of 10/11 bar. There is a distinction of the relevant two working pressure that I don't recall.
I was looking at Amazon kit today and pressure testers with a handpump and gauge seem quite affordable.
That was the standard used in the past. It substantially reduces the energy released if there is a catastrophic failure.
The competent person must be someone who is not going to be infuenced by a user of the system that says "You cannot do that. I don't care if it blows up, we need this compressor to run the business."
The general management of that part of the organisation that uses the compressor, which may be all of it.
The receiver in my Dads workshop (Tecalemit, 1963) was rated at 200 psi, and hydraulically tested to 312 psi, if that helps.
It usually ran at 170-180 psi.
The less air inside the better. I went for 100% water. With the inevitable disslolved gases of course.
As close to 100% as possible is how it was done at the local model engineering society for locomotive boilers when I was there. Also at work in the '90s - although some of those were up to 10m3 (24 Barg working pressure) and smaller ones up to 125,000 psi working pressure.
Sounds about right. Pressurised water contains very little energy. Pressurised air or steam does.
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