we use a U gauge to test for leaks with the gas pressure. i find it weird they pin locked it normally we A tag shut off and zip tie with warning tag so repair tech can turn back on when repair is made if any.
I was a gas fitter / first responder for the gas utility in STL 35 years and now in my retirement consult for the gas Industry from time to time when things go wrong. I would like to say you did a pretty good job but I would like to go over some procedures that may help. If you’re municipal code requires a 15 pound pressure test , you should always disconnect the piece of equipment and cap the line (isolating the line with the shut off valve is not considered an acceptable practice because we don’t know it’s rating or its likelihood of passing , which would surely ruin the furnace’s gas valve, rated at at a 1/2 pound). Next you should pressure test the gas train with a low pressure ,pressure test using a manometer (you can do this in several ways ,#1 Direct, using a aspirator bulb or lung pressure. #2 reconnect the good piping and low pressure test from the beginning of a line #3 reconnect good line & good shut off valve , install the pressure tap at the sediment trap tee and Low pressure test between the shut off valve and gas valve in the furnace & # 4 once everything is reconnected including the gas meter ,1 more Low pressure, pressure test should be performed with everything in play ( meter, piping & equipment ) , reverifying your work and everything on that piping system. Just like everyone else in the world,gas company employees can make mistakes as well but the main thing is that we learn from them. Hopefully some of this information helps and you all stay safe out there, regards from STL.
Had the same issue downtown Toronto. 3 meters in a 7 unit complex, locked out by the gas provider for supply line leaks. Left the tenants with no heat for several days. Pressure tested each system the same way as in the video. Called the company who locked the meters and they said they used a mono test to determine if there was a leak.
@@HVACKnowItAll Sorry…. Spell checked myself Manomer test. He said the line had micro leaks. I tagged it after it held 15 for 15. Not sure what he was going off of.
Thanks for showing and explaining the parameters for the leak down test! Especially the pic of the book regs!! I have looked quite a bit on TH-cam to answer the exact question. Thanks so much
It was probably lakeside that did the meter swap I have had them shut down brand new furnace because of co over 100ppm but they were testing co levels in the vent with a personal co monitor on low fire and not an analyzer. Not sure if it's staffing issues or a lack of training or both.
That's definitely training. 100 ppm isn't even that high tbh. Goodman told me they accept 400 ppm as that's the ANSI standard. Now that's a little high lol.
@@HVACKnowItAll code that the gas company follows is anythin over 100 ppms needs attention, dosent matter what type of equipment it is needs to be under 100 ppms, its up to the contractor to decided to leave it on or not.
hi Mark you are right but when we pressure test we do the hole system with the unit valves on to test the valve in the appliance as well.This tells use if the appliance valve is holding as well. fyi we use gas pressure.
We spot the meter and if the 1/2 dial moves within 5 min its a failed test, sometimes with commercial equipment on the roof we are not allowed to go on roofs because of liabilities so ifva RTU is trying to fire off and were spotting the meter the test fails id rather leave the meter off and be safe than ahh its probably the unit trying to fire off and theres a open line somewhere dumping gas.
It’s probably leaking through one of the rooftop unit appliance regulators, not as big of a deal if it’s outside. test in ounces and isolate valves could be leaking through a gas control valve on a water heater too you never know
Quick question - would any testing need to take off the yellow button grades for testing? And then after testing the gas, put it back in the “box” as he said?
Mine had a hole .broken round in old meter. Comes straight from main. Was leaking and gas man, said it was done pretty much as a dangerous thing. Some one tampered with it
Sir if we put engine used oil 20 w 50 in side can it's work slow ??? What will happen if we put Oil in metter intake what will happen it will work slow or fast or Stop working plz guide and make video on it Thanks
My friend is working for them. I heard they will do the manometer test. They also have a expensive gas leak detector which is roughly $2k+. If they have a nice day, they will write down where is leaking. The leak detector is very sensitive and efficiency. I don't know how many contractors want to spend $2k+ for a gas leak detector.😂😂
@@HVACKnowItAllwhat was needed was a drop test with a manometer between 4" to 6" water column. You can pressure test the line & soap test, it will not show if the leak is in the equipment or appliances. The drop test will, smaller meters like that with a 2 foot drive only requires a 5 minute dial test, but that test can be misleading. In some places, you can't even pass your inspections without a manometer drop test.
someone of your stature should know better. 15 psi on a SPRING GAUGE will NEVER show minuscule leaks in 15 minutes. It’s as trust worthy as the dial test. Kuhlman Gage is the only way to go.
Its possible the gas pak was not in demand when the older meter was in place and when the new meter was installed the gas pak sent a call for heat and the meter started registering usage during the pressure test and the tech took this as leakage. Without access to all appliances or an appliance inventory the safe bet is to leave the meter off.
Here we test both flow pressure and lockup pressure from the meter with manometer to verify regulator is set to proper pressure and dial test for 5 minutes
@@DhhsiisgtafevdnjfiffI left this on another comment, what you said is exactly right. The pressure & soap test won't show him if the equipment/appliances is leaking. Manometer drop test will, it'll show lockup of service regulators & load. 5 minute dail test is ok, but it'll miss small leaks. There's also ways to test your manometer & your meter set in case there something leaking on your side.
fyi dont show the code book in your videos its not legal as per tssa. gas company uses gas pressure to test and did you test after the valve is it holding when not running?
I’m sorry your gas utility is still living in the 20th century . I am a gas fitter/1st responder for one of the largest gas utilities in the Midwest and personally locked out hundreds of gas meters due to customer fuel run problems. When receiving one of my reports you will get my phone number and a document of my findings . We as a utility try to work with the contractors in our perspective districts and most of them know our expectations of their repairs. In most cases we will dispatch a first responder / gas fitter in a timely fashion from the time we get a telephone call from the customer, owner or repairing contractor (we have technicians on 24 /7 & we consider somebody without gas service a high priority ,2nd only to a reported leak). We don’t require any report /documentation of your repairs because the gas doesn’t get turned back on without our approval and signature . Again, sorry you have to deal with a gas utility that does not work with the contractors & customers in the community.
@@HVACKnowItAll the true Enbridge employees are all on big pipeline projects now so it leaves us dealing with subs who I swear majority of the time got zero due diligence or competence.
You would be told to test it again here….15 minutes is not 30 minutes. Code specifies 15 minutes, your not suppose to go a minute past or a minute before.
@Venture Ontario think about what you're saying for a minute! If someone is busy tidying or dealing with customer questions and it runs a minute past 15 minutes the test is void? The code is minimum requirement, going above and beyond is not a negative lol
@@HVACKnowItAll so nothing else can change the pressure in a line over time except for a leak? They teach you this in school. We literally just discussed this in class, and many people had failed because they left their pressure gauge on beyond the specified time in the code book.
How do you guys do it?
20 mbar or 8" W.C for 2 minutes in the UK
we use a U gauge to test for leaks with the gas pressure. i find it weird they pin locked it normally we A tag shut off and zip tie with warning tag so repair tech can turn back on when repair is made if any.
I was a gas fitter / first responder for the gas utility in STL 35 years and now in my retirement consult for the gas Industry from time to time when things go wrong. I would like to say you did a pretty good job but I would like to go over some procedures that may help. If you’re municipal code requires a 15 pound pressure test , you should always disconnect the piece of equipment and cap the line (isolating the line with the shut off valve is not considered an acceptable practice because we don’t know it’s rating or its likelihood of passing , which would surely ruin the furnace’s gas valve, rated at at a 1/2 pound). Next you should pressure test the gas train with a low pressure ,pressure test using a manometer (you can do this in several ways ,#1 Direct, using a aspirator bulb or lung pressure. #2 reconnect the good piping and low pressure test from the beginning of a line #3 reconnect good line & good shut off valve , install the pressure tap at the sediment trap tee and Low pressure test between the shut off valve and gas valve in the furnace & # 4 once everything is reconnected including the gas meter ,1 more Low pressure, pressure test should be performed with everything in play ( meter, piping & equipment ) , reverifying your work and everything on that piping system.
Just like everyone else in the world,gas company employees can make mistakes as well but the main thing is that we learn from them.
Hopefully some of this information helps and you all stay safe out there, regards from STL.
Enbridge loves to make sure they're not the last ones onsite
Had the same issue downtown Toronto. 3 meters in a 7 unit complex, locked out by the gas provider for supply line leaks. Left the tenants with no heat for several days. Pressure tested each system the same way as in the video. Called the company who locked the meters and they said they used a mono test to determine if there was a leak.
Mono test?
@@HVACKnowItAll
Sorry…. Spell checked myself
Manomer test. He said the line had micro leaks. I tagged it after it held 15 for 15. Not sure what he was going off of.
Thanks for showing and explaining the parameters for the leak down test! Especially the pic of the book regs!! I have looked quite a bit on TH-cam to answer the exact question. Thanks so much
This video has been super helpful. I have to find a gas leak on a CSST gas line. Definitely feel better equipped!!
It was probably lakeside that did the meter swap I have had them shut down brand new furnace because of co over 100ppm but they were testing co levels in the vent with a personal co monitor on low fire and not an analyzer. Not sure if it's staffing issues or a lack of training or both.
That's definitely training. 100 ppm isn't even that high tbh. Goodman told me they accept 400 ppm as that's the ANSI standard. Now that's a little high lol.
@@HVACKnowItAll code that the gas company follows is anythin over 100 ppms needs attention, dosent matter what type of equipment it is needs to be under 100 ppms, its up to the contractor to decided to leave it on or not.
Finally a fellow Ontario HVAC tech
Yep
Have had the same issue and no leaks. I think they get paid per infraction notice. Great video!
Thank you sir!
hi Mark you are right but when we pressure test we do the hole system with the unit valves on to test the valve in the appliance as well.This tells use if the appliance valve is holding as well. fyi we use gas pressure.
Hello Chris, that's how you are supposed to check for valve leak by. In this case there wasn't a leak at all, just leaving the ownership onto others.
@@markshipley1532 he only use soap after the shut off how does he know thats its not pass the valve of the unit.
@@markshipley1532 that is the way we do things as per utility. We don't do repairs, we leave that to repair techs.
We spot the meter and if the 1/2 dial moves within 5 min its a failed test, sometimes with commercial equipment on the roof we are not allowed to go on roofs because of liabilities so ifva RTU is trying to fire off and were spotting the meter the test fails id rather leave the meter off and be safe than ahh its probably the unit trying to fire off and theres a open line somewhere dumping gas.
It’s probably leaking through one of the rooftop unit appliance regulators, not as big of a deal if it’s outside. test in ounces and isolate valves could be leaking through a gas control valve on a water heater too you never know
Quick question - would any testing need to take off the yellow button grades for testing? And then after testing the gas, put it back in the “box” as he said?
Great work thanks for the knowledge 👍
if superheat increases the inlet of a compressor what should happen to discharge temperature
Mine had a hole .broken round in old meter. Comes straight from main. Was leaking and gas man, said it was done pretty much as a dangerous thing. Some one tampered with it
I usually always open the unions too incase the shutoff bypasses during pressure test
Good job tech
Thank you as always!
Oh and after putting the gas into the “box” he mentioned it leaks down into the pumps to read information. It didn’t make sense.
Sir if we put engine used oil 20 w 50 in side can it's work slow ??? What will happen if we put Oil in metter intake what will happen it will work slow or fast or Stop working plz guide and make video on it Thanks
My friend is working for them. I heard they will do the manometer test. They also have a expensive gas leak detector which is roughly $2k+. If they have a nice day, they will write down where is leaking. The leak detector is very sensitive and efficiency. I don't know how many contractors want to spend $2k+ for a gas leak detector.😂😂
15 psi for 15 minutes is the standard that im used to as well
As the system pressure and pipe length increases, the pressure test requirements go up.
@@HVACKnowItAllwhat was needed was a drop test with a manometer between 4" to 6" water column. You can pressure test the line & soap test, it will not show if the leak is in the equipment or appliances. The drop test will, smaller meters like that with a 2 foot drive only requires a 5 minute dial test, but that test can be misleading. In some places, you can't even pass your inspections without a manometer drop test.
someone of your stature should know better. 15 psi on a SPRING GAUGE will NEVER show minuscule leaks in 15 minutes. It’s as trust worthy as the dial test. Kuhlman Gage is the only way to go.
Brother, this is code requirment for this size line. 15psi for 15 min on a 3" gauge.
Its possible the gas pak was not in demand when the older meter was in place and when the new meter was installed the gas pak sent a call for heat and the meter started registering usage during the pressure test and the tech took this as leakage. Without access to all appliances or an appliance inventory the safe bet is to leave the meter off.
Here we test both flow pressure and lockup pressure from the meter with manometer to verify regulator is set to proper pressure and dial test for 5 minutes
@@DhhsiisgtafevdnjfiffI left this on another comment, what you said is exactly right. The pressure & soap test won't show him if the equipment/appliances is leaking. Manometer drop test will, it'll show lockup of service regulators & load. 5 minute dail test is ok, but it'll miss small leaks. There's also ways to test your manometer & your meter set in case there something leaking on your side.
The gas company cant leave the meter on if it fails their spot test... its a liabality issue.
fyi dont show the code book in your videos its not legal as per tssa. gas company uses gas pressure to test and did you test after the valve is it holding when not running?
Awesome
I’m sorry your gas utility is still living in the 20th century . I am a gas fitter/1st responder for one of the largest gas utilities in the Midwest and personally locked out hundreds of gas meters due to customer fuel run problems. When receiving one of my reports you will get my phone number and a document of my findings . We as a utility try to work with the contractors in our perspective districts and most of them know our expectations of their repairs. In most cases we will dispatch a first responder / gas fitter in a timely fashion from the time we get a telephone call from the customer, owner or repairing contractor (we have technicians on 24 /7 & we consider somebody without gas service a high priority ,2nd only to a reported leak). We don’t require any report /documentation of your repairs because the gas doesn’t get turned back on without our approval and signature .
Again, sorry you have to deal with a gas utility that does not work with the contractors & customers in the community.
Lakeside? 😂
Maybe
@@HVACKnowItAll the true Enbridge employees are all on big pipeline projects now so it leaves us dealing with subs who I swear majority of the time got zero due diligence or competence.
👍
You would be told to test it again here….15 minutes is not 30 minutes. Code specifies 15 minutes, your not suppose to go a minute past or a minute before.
15 for 15 is minimum code requirement. Where does it say you can't go beyond code?
@@HVACKnowItAll where in the code does it say 15 psig for 30 minutes?
@Venture Ontario think about what you're saying for a minute! If someone is busy tidying or dealing with customer questions and it runs a minute past 15 minutes the test is void? The code is minimum requirement, going above and beyond is not a negative lol
@@HVACKnowItAll lol I’m saying what TSSA says
@@HVACKnowItAll so nothing else can change the pressure in a line over time except for a leak? They teach you this in school. We literally just discussed this in class, and many people had failed because they left their pressure gauge on beyond the specified time in the code book.