Tightness check

New facilities should not have leakages. But in order to be completely sure, you can perform an inspection or leak detection in the facility, a so-called tightness check. As a home owner, you are responsible for preventing sewage leakages, as stated in the Pollution Act. It is unacceptable for sewage to spread to the nature.

What is a tightness check?
To make sure newly laid or existing pipes do not contain hidden leaks, it is common to perform a tightness check. With modern equipment, we perform the tightness check fast and efficiently.

A tightness check includes measuring, where we block one pipe in both ends and apply a constant air or water pressure. If the pressure falls, it indicates a leak. If it remains stable, all is in order.

Before the tightness check starts, the pipe route is controlled with a pipe inspection camera. This control reveals visible fractures to concrete pipes or cracks in PVC pipes. It is also important to get an overview of how many branches are located along the critical stretch. There are often more leaks in private pipelines, and these leaks are also uncovered through pipe inspection.

How is a tightness check performed?
For the tightness check to show sufficient results, there are some requirements with regards to the process that must be met.

• The tightness check is performed with tightening balls that are placed into the manholes, on each side of the stretch in question.
• Then, an air pressure of 0,1 bar is introduced into the pipe through one of the tightening balls, which contains a passage. A computer connected to the tightening balls registers and logs the pipeline pressure for the entire testing period.
  • The pressure test must maintain more than 0,1 bar for 5 minutes, followed by 3 additional minutes. If these are the measurements, the tightness check has produced satisfactory results.
  • If the pressure falls by more than 15 millibar (mbar), there is a sign of leakage in the pipe. The pipe must be inspected for leakage and the error must be corrected.
  • The times provided here depend on the dimension and length of the pipes.

It can be dangerous to work with pressure, and therefore all our employees have high expertise and long experience with this. We are precise and careful, both due to safety and because it is important for us to perform a good and thorough job.

Control logging
During the tightness check the computer logs the results of the pressure check continuously. The customer will receive the results of the tightness check as a separate report when the job is done.

Where do we perform tightness checks?
Most of the tightness checks performed by us are on new facilities for wastewater, commissioned both by municipalities and entrepreneurs.