The purpose of testing a suspended pipe system is to ensure that the joints and fittings are watertight and that the bracing is capable of resisting the thrust for which it was designed.

It is recommended that all testing should be done hydrostatically.

The manner of testing should be carefully considered as a test requirement in excess of likely working pressures could significantly increase the cost of installation.

Test openings are made in two ways:
1.  An equal branch junction is used with a closed coupling on the branch.
2.  An access opening is obtained by cutting a hole in the pipe. After testing, this hole is then covered by a blank saddle that is fastened to the pipe with epoxy and stainless steel straps.

Test Plugs
Test plugs should be capable of resisting the thrust generated by the test pressure. The test plug should have the facility to release the test water before the plug itself is re-opened.

Volume of Water Required to Fill Line
For a guide to the amount of water required to fill the test section of a suspended pipeline refer to the following table. The amount of water in practice may vary due to pressure and temperature.

Test Pressure
The duration and test pressure will depend on the requirements of the authority or consultant concerned. A maximum of one hour for a test is deemed sufficient to test FRC™ suspended pipelines. The test pressure should not exceed the maximum working pressure.