Nothing wrong with pressurizing with air.

I've see air used and a pressure gauge on the pipes.

Yes the air option was talked about but builder has said testing w water is more accurate/preferred? So to clarify- you all are saying pressurized air would get us same results/just as good?

ODD please bookmark all you want! You may run into rural water issues down there in Tx someday!

All PEX is pressure tested with air. It’s standard. The only place air wont work is DWV. Someone ought to be able to bring in enough 5 gallon buckets to flood test the shower pans, no problem.

He’s stalling for no reason. Or maybe there’s another reason.

DWV?

Drain, Waste, Vent. The pipes not under pressure that remove the water and waste.

If you air test and find a leak, it's easier to repair since you don't have to worry about getting the pipes dry if you need to re-solder. In any case, whether you have soldered joints or PEX, you screw on a pressure gauge, pressurize through a fitting you can shut off, and see if the pressure goes down over the next several minutes. If there is a decrease in pressure, you may hear it. My preference is to use a spray bottle of soapy water and spray all the joints, even if you think the pressure is holding. That will help you determine if there are any really slow, pinhole leaks.

Install a Tee with a gauge. Pressurize the plumbing with 60 - 80 lbs of air. If it holds for 24 hours it's good to go.

60-80 psi is extremely dangerous advice for PVC DWV and it’s also a code violation.

”Nothing wrong with pressurizing with air.” Advice from a “Pro”?!

Well, PVC can (and will) shatter into sharp shards that may severely injure or kill you if pressurized with 60+psi. Though you followed up with an exclusion for DWV this really should be emphasized because it’s so dangerous.

The code compliant standard test is 10ft water above the highest fitting. It’s not just filling a shower pan. While doable, lugging 5gal buckets up a ladder to the test pipe is not fun.

@galore: Who's talking about testing PVC - we're talking about testing PEX. 60 - 80 lbs is normal water pressure. Wake up - nobody here is talking about testing the PCV.

geoffrey,

Maybe that’s the case in King’s Landing but in the USA, plumbing lines encompass supply pipes (PEX, copper, CPVC...) and DWV (usually PVC)

Strength charts for PVC pipe

The problem with PVC pipe breaking comes from incorrect joints or continual vibration as a rule. CPVC and PVC pipe are approved for use as supply lines for plumbing in my area. Manufacturers of both types caution against using air pressure to test these systems because of liability(mainly).

There are many water services with water pressure over 80 psi---my area has 120 psi at the building shutoffs.

Testing water and gas line systems with air pressure is an accepted industry standard. However, the industry maintains testing with water is the best method because water molecules are smaller than air molecules. Testing gas lines is done with a maximum of 5 pounds of pressure, while water lines often use 60 pounds(average water pressure to buildings). Test times vary from a couple of hours to 24 hours.

We pressurized the runs of PEX in the radiant heated slab before the concrete pour. And maintained pressure in them for 72 hours. Thankfully, there were no issues. We've also pressure tested CPVC supply runs with air in residences for 8 hours. You just monitor the gauges. It's not a big deal.

No one is talking about testing the DWV with pressure. Only the leakdown test for the shower pan. Which a lot of places skip. And shouldn't, because too many shower pans are built incorrectly.

If your testing cpvc I would use water. In my trade air is specifically prohibited from using on cpvc because if it blows apart the splintered shrapnel could kill someone.

Use a pressure pump and bring water in it won't take as much as u think just for the hot and cold supply lines.

"The only place air won't work is DWV."

I put the countertops in a new build where they capped the roof vents, pressurized the DWV, and found that a sider put a nail through a PVC wall pipe when the pressure wouldn't hold overnight.

The pipe doesn't know or care if it's leaking air or water. I do. And so does the insulation/drywall in that wall and attic.

Just wanted to say thank you all for your advice on testing! Hopefully we can reach a solution so we aren’t sitting for a whole month!

I've seen folks test the drain side by stopping up the drains at the sink/toilet/shower/tub and bottom drain, and then filling at the roof. In your case, you could drive in a truck caring water as long as it could pump.