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soundness testing

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teddyruxspin

Hey everyone , got a question
Im replacing some taps in a downstairs cloakroom
Do i need to complete a soundness test on all hot and cold water systems in the dwelling or just the taps and their pipework ?
Also , if the soundness test is for all the systems do i need to drain down both the cwsc and the hot water storage vessel before i open up the stop tap to stage fill the pipework ?
 
Is this part of a new installation or an existing system?

If all you have changed are the taps I wouldn't be doing a pressure test as its unnnecessary and you could end up opening a can of worms.
 
personally id do a preasuer test on the whole install water gas and drainage id also check the electrics for earth continuity reverse polarity and while your there id also check the gigling pin hasnt fallen out of the laughing stock
 
Its on an existing system - but i wont be doing it for real!
This is a particular problem on a simulated scenario im working on for my level 2 plumbing course.
Ive replaced some leaking taps and now im required to perform a soundness test. . .
 
Its on an existing system - but i wont be doing it for real!
This is a particular problem on a simulated scenario im working on for my level 2 plumbing course.
Ive replaced some leaking taps and now im required to perform a soundness test. . .
i realy worry about whats being taught to the next generation of plumbers
sureley you should be doing a preliminary preasure test before starting work but first of all remember to do a risk assesment and method statement
set of taps love thatll be 500 quid
 
Its on an existing system - but i wont be doing it for real!
This is a particular problem on a simulated scenario im working on for my level 2 plumbing course.
Ive replaced some leaking taps and now im required to perform a soundness test. . .
train 4 trade destruction skills scenario 2,
if i am not mistaken?.;)

in the real world, in out one hour £50 luv.
t4t = 3hours £200 pal. training for homeserve b/g employees only imho..

put the pressure gauge under the sink in kitchen after turning of mains to test for pressure drop, reinstate water supply.

the onlything i have to do with t4t is i have that disc.lol:eek:
 
Hey everyone , got a question
Im replacing some taps in a downstairs cloakroom
Do i need to complete a soundness test on all hot and cold water systems in the dwelling or just the taps and their pipework ?
Also , if the soundness test is for all the systems do i need to drain down both the cwsc and the hot water storage vessel before i open up the stop tap to stage fill the pipework ?

sorry, don't under stand,change taps,turn water on use those things in your head called eyes ,look for leaks,god the crap they tell you in college these days
 
you need to change colleges,soundness usaully relates to testing for gas leaks,sure tutor not on a windup

maybe he is replacing gas taps next to a basin :rolleyes:

I think I am going to get into this risk assessment ,going to write it on bottom of invoices,so customers appreciate the dangers I go to,must be worth an exta £25 on invoice total :cool:
 
spot on pal!
oh yeah im lovin those scenarios man . . .
having another crack at it today .
cheers for the advice ( may need a walk through, no patience with computers)
 
I suspect the college are looking for you to state a VISUAL inspection for soundness rather than a pressure test.
 
just cracked mate.
nah, found out it was the other way round!
replaced the taps, checked em over, pressure tested both hot and cold systems, then gave the whole house a good look ( maybe not required )
In my course book however , it says i need to check for leaks prior to pressure testing.
by this it means opening up the stop tap ( never touched it) and stage filling to the various service valves, checking for leaks along the way
on my scenario i got away with not doing any of that.
Anyway. . . thanks to everyone who had a say on this matter
( the put downs were pearlers! ) :)
 
What a load of borrocks they teach them now, but I don't think I learnt anything useful when I was at college in the seventies so not much changes!
 
thing is its distance learning not college based.
i learn hoew to, by being shown not whATS WRITTEN its a big difference.
 
allways remember to fil the kettlt first,
time how long it will be to test fit the new loo, just when you need to use it but before you remove it again to tile.
plumbers perk.
 
nuggets of wisdom! i wont find those in a textbook!
yes, it is distance learning but its just a means to an end. My way in.
Its not the best way but it is a way . . . :D
 
Bit of trivia for you. There are actually no words which really mean what we refer to as "toilet"

"Toilet" really comes from the French "toilette" meaning small cloth and the English meaning is technically to wash and clean oneself (though never used this way in modern language)

"Lavatory" from Latin "Lavatorium" is a place for washing, orignally used in plumbing speak to describe a wash stand (lavatory stand) or basin. Originally the lavatory did not contain a WC, though as usage changed it has become more associated with WCs and the presence of the basins incidental.

"Water Closet" or WC is technically the room in which the pan is situated

"loo" is believed to come from the French "l'eau" (water) or "lieu" (place)

The only correct term really would be WC pan and WC cistern

The first WCs were:

The Valve Closet (now mainly found on aircraft and ships etc),

The pan closet (a foul contraption outlawed in late Victorian times), A variation on it is the "portaloo" you find on building sites but the original type had a bowl underneath the pan which was impossible to clean and soon became foul.

The Washout closet which had a shelf on which the waste matter was deposited and the flow of water washed it away. These were made illegal as unhygienic under the old Water Byelaws and later the Water Regulations, but can still be found on the continent.

The washdown closet (the modern type)

The Syphonic closet (still occasionally found today - it is designed in such a way as to start a syphon in the pan when flushed.


Many of the Water Regulations we are familiar today originated from the late Victorian era with the first Water Byelaws. Many people tend to think these regulations are new but most of them originate from the late 19th Century. When domestic plumbing started being installed there were no established ways of doing things and disease was rife.

As a result the Victorian sanitary engineers were tasked with developing standards and include the requirement for water traps and the trap seal depths, vent height distances from windows, overflows and prevention of back syphonage from cisterns, falls on drains and waste pipes, sizes of waste pipes, standards for WCs, drain cover seals, not linking overflows from different cisterns together, and many, many more things too numerous to mention.

The first Water Byelaws differed between different local authorities, though much of the actual content and design requirements were the same.

It was originally believed that the sewer gases themselves rather than sanitation as a whole were the primary source of disease and much effort was originally put into dealing with sewer gases. At the end of the 19th Century it was acknowledged that the sewer gases themselves were not the cause, but that their presence inside and aroud dwellings and streets was a result of poor sanitation in general.

Many developments and designs of sanitary equipment happened in the latter part of the 19th Century and some of these were very elaborate indeed, incorporating much artwork and craftsmanship rarely seen today. Public conveniences were very ornate in every detail and design, from the shape of the building, the layout inside, the applicances themselves down to the patterns of the tiles. They were designed by eminent architects and interior designers of the day. Where such ornate versions survive, they are usually listed buildings and in a few cases actually tourist attractions!

The Victorians did this as they saw sanitary equipment as a huge step forwards in civilisation, something to really show off and make a statement about. Huge sums of money were spent on decorating them, with custom made urinals and tiles, and ornate patterns in the tiling itself, custom made plaster ceilings and skylights, imported marble and custom made doors for the cubicles. The designers wanted to add some "wow factor" to people using them so it would be a most pleasant experience in doing do. You will still come across features today such as ornate brackets and fancy pierced cowls on soil stacks to name a few. Even soil pipes at the back of WCs were elaborately painted.
 
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nice bit of triv whpes.
my fave is ' brick **** house '
a term i remember my grandad using to describe the one in his garden.
mind you the Japanese are masters of the bog arts now , what with them that talk to you and all
 
just cracked mate.
nah, found out it was the other way round!
replaced the taps, checked em over, pressure tested both hot and cold systems, then gave the whole house a good look ( maybe not required )
In my course book however , it says i need to check for leaks prior to pressure testing.
by this it means opening up the stop tap ( never touched it) and stage filling to the various service valves, checking for leaks along the way
on my scenario i got away with not doing any of that.
Anyway. . . thanks to everyone who had a say on this matter
( the put downs were pearlers! ) :)

Hi im having same problem on this scenario how do you complete the soundness test for the hot and cold water systems. do i need to do a pressure test? cant see any options for connecting a pump anywhere

Lee
 
Is there no elbow / tee / connection you can undo?

not from wot i can see the problem with the virtual scenario's is you are limited to what you can do you cant dismantle everything if you get me i have noticed i can cap the vent off on the cwsc which wasn't an option on the last scenario so there must be something somewhere else that i haven't come accross yet. where would you normally connect the pump and would you drain the whole system before hand?

Lee
 
Remember you can't pressure test the hot water system by capping off the vent pipe or you will pop the bottom out of the cylinder and knacker it (expensive mistake!)
 
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