Leakage test with testball

After having detected a leakage in a certain line, the leakage will be localized as follows: 1. Put a vacuum meter with pipe onto one of the existing inspection pipes' upper pieces behind a vacuum sluice valve in the rear part of the ramification. 2. Close the collection chambers which are situated in the corresponding line section with a house closure plug. 3. Loosen the vacuum withdrawal hose from the controlling box and close it with small rubber plugs. 4. Close the vacuum sluice valve on the way in direction vacuum station. 5. In case the vacuum meter with pipe (item 1) shows loss in vacuum, the leakage is in this limited line section. 6. Open vacuum sluice valve (item 4) and evacuate the lines again completely. 7. Put in a vacuum meter with 5 m hose and testball (1st inspection) behind a vacuum sluice valve in direction end inspection and inflate testballl with pump (2'' testball until approx. 2,7 bar, 3'' testball until approx. 2,4 bar). 8. In case the vacuum meter shows failure in pressure, the leakage is situated behind the testball in direction end of the lines. 9. Deflate testball and repeat procedure during the next inspection, as long as no failure in pressure can be seen any more. Herewith it is clear that the leakage is situated between both corresponding inspections. 10. Remove vacuum meter with 5 m hose and testball and put them in the previous inspection in direction vacuum station (do not yet inflate testball). 11. Put in approx. 25 m of the 50 m-long vacuum hose with testball into the inspection which showed no more failure in pressure (vacuum meter). 12. Inflate testball (back testball). 13. Inflate testball in the set vacuum meter with 5 m hose and testball (item 10), in order to block a piece of the line of approx. 25 m by means of 2 testballs in the front and in the rear part. 14. Should the vacuum pressure diminish; the leakage is situated between both testballs. In case it does not reduce, the leakage is after the testball at the 50 m hose. 15. By means of pulling-out and re-entering the testball the leakage is finally exactly localized until approx. 1 m. 16. Open trench in order to have access to the lines and start repairing. Yet some more hints for using the testball: - Before closing a pipeline, determine the volume of the vacuum which has to be tolerated by the ball. - Never surpass the value of the vacuum. - Use always the respective size of the testing ball according to the size of the pipeline. - Measure the inner diameter of the pipeline and make sure that this diameter lies in the recommended section for the use of the testball. - Do not cleanse the testball with diluents and with products containing mineral-oil. This could damage the ball and result in a complete failure of this ball. - During pumping activities and its use never jut the testball out of the pipe. - Please pump the testball until the recommended operational pressure. - If the pressure is too high, the testball can tear up. If the pressure is too low, the testball loosens from the service line with vacuum pressure.