ASTM F1417-11a

This low-pressure air testing practice detects damaged piping or improper jointing by measuring the rate at which air under pressure escapes from an isolated section of sewer.

The rate of air loss indicates the presence or absence of damaged piping or leaking joints. This practice is not intended to show total system water leakage limits and shall not be used as a quantitative measure of leakage under service conditions for infiltration or exfiltration.

Note 1—A finding of acceptable air loss specified in this practice can be interpreted as an installation acceptance test in lieu of infiltration or exfiltration testing.

This practice provides assurance of initial condition and quality of workmanship of properly-installed sewer pipe.

1.1 This practice provides procedures for testing non-pressure plastic pipe sewer lines, using low-pressure air to prove the integrity of the installed material and the construction procedures. Two procedures are included to find the rate of air leakagethe constant-pressure method and the time-pressure drop method.

1.2 This practice is performed on lines after all connections and service laterals have been plugged and braced adequately to withstand the test pressure. The time between completion of the backfill operation and low-pressure air testing may be specified by the approving authority.

1.3 This practice is used as a preliminary test, which enables the installer to show the condition of a buried line prior to final backfill, paving, and other construction activities.

1.4 This practice is applicable to all non-pressure sewer lines made of thermoplastic pipe, reinforced thermosetting resin (RTRP) pipe, and reinforced plastic mortar (RPM) pipe, defined in Terminology D883, D1600, and F412.

1.5 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements, see Section 5.