Section 27-919
§ 27-919 Inspection. Every new plumbing and gas piping system and
every part of an existing system that has been altered, except for
ordinary repairs, shall be inspected and tested to determine compliance
with code requirements except that the commissioner may promulgate rules
authorizing a certification from a master plumber for minor work that
was performed in accordance with applicable codes in lieu of the two day
inspection notification requirement of section 27-920 of this article
and the inspection reporting requirements of subdivision a of section
27-922 of this article. In no event shall such certification be allowed
for any new installation, or any alteration to an existing gas piping
system.
Section 27-920
§ 27-920 Notification. The holder of the plumbing permit shall give at
least two days prior written notice to the commissioner that the
plumbing work covered by the permit is ready for inspections and test.
Section 27-921
§ 27-921 Testing of plumbing and gas piping systems. (a) New, altered,
extended, or repaired systems. Every new plumbing and gas piping system
and every part of an existing system that has been altered or repaired
except for minor alterations and ordinary repairs, shall be tested as
hereinafter prescribed to disclose leaks and defects. However, testing
may be waived in the following cases:
(1) In any case that does not involve replacement, alteration, or
relocation of any water supply, drainage, or vent piping.
(2) In any case where plumbing equipment may be set up temporarily for
exhibition purposes.
(b) Representation at test.
(1) Tests required by section 27-922 of this article shall be
conducted in the presence of the commissioner or an authorized plumbing
inspector of the department.
(2) The commissioner may also authorize such test to be witnessed by
architects, engineers, master plumbers or representatives of utility
companies, each of whom must be acceptable to the commissioner. Persons
performing this function shall have had at least five (5) years
experience in inspection and testing of gas piping systems, or hold a
current master plumbers license. Such tests may be conducted without any
verifying inspection or tests by members of the department, provided
that verified statements and supporting inspectional and test reports
are filed with the department within one working day of such tests.
(c) Exposure of work. If any plumbing system or part thereof is
enclosed before it has been inspected, tested, and accepted as
prescribed in this subchapter, such system or part thereof shall be
uncovered upon the direction of the commissioner.
(d) Retesting. If, upon inspection and tests, any of the work fails to
meet the test requirements, the necessary corrections shall be made
before any reinspections or retests are conducted.
Section 27-922
§ 27-922 Requirements. (a) Drainage and vent systems.
(1) ROUGH PLUMBING. Except for outside leaders and perforated or open
jointed drain tile (subsoil drains), the piping of plumbing drainage and
venting systems shall be verified as to materials and shall be tested
upon completion of the rough piping installation and proven to be
watertight. The commissioner may require the removal of any cleanout
plugs to ascertain that the prescribed pressure has been reached in all
parts of the system.
a. Water test. A water test shall be applied to the drainage system
either in its entirety or in sections after rough piping has been
installed. If applied to the entire system, all openings in the piping,
except the highest opening, shall be tightly closed and the system
filled with water to the point of overflow. If the system is tested in
sections, each opening, except the highest opening of the section under
test, shall be tightly plugged and each section filled with water. No
section shall be tested with less than a ten foot head of water. In
testing successive sections, at least the upper ten feet of the
following section shall be tested, so that no joint or pipe in the
building (except the uppermost ten feet of the system) shall have been
submitted to a test of less than a ten foot head of water. The water
shall be kept in the system or in the portion under test for at least
fifteen minutes before inspection starts; the system shall then be tight
at all points.
b. Air test. An air test may be used only when permission for this
type of test is obtained from the commissioner. The air test shall be
made by attaching an air compressor testing apparatus to any suitable
opening and, after closing all other inlets and outlets of the system,
forcing air into the system until there is a uniform gauge pressure of
five psi. This pressure shall be held, without introducing additional
air, for a period of at least fifteen minutes.
(2) FINISHED PLUMBING. After the plumbing fixtures have been set and
their traps filled with water, the entire drainage system shall be
verified as to materials, and shall be tested and proven gastight by
either a smoke test or a peppermint test.
a. Smoke test. The smoke test shall be made by filling all traps with
water and then introducing into the entire system a pungent, thick smoke
produced by one or more smoke machines. When the smoke appears at stack
openings on the roof, these openings shall be closed and a pressure
equivalent to a one inch water column shall be maintained for the period
of the inspection.
b. Peppermint test. The peppermint test shall be made by introducing
two ounces of oil of peppermint into the roof vent terminal of every
line or stack to be tested. The oil of peppermint shall be followed at
once by ten quarts of hot water ( one hundred sixty degrees Fahrenheit
or higher), whereupon all roof vent terminals shall be sealed. The
detection of the odor of peppermint at any trap or other point in the
system shall determine the location of any leaks. Persons who have come
in contact with the oil of peppermint shall be excluded from the test
area.
(b) Building house sewer. The building house sewer shall be tested by
inserting a test plug at the point of connection with the street sewer
before such connection is made. The building house sewer shall then be
filled with water under a head of at least ten feet. The water level at
the top of the test head of water shall not drop for at least fifteen
minutes.
(c) Water systems. Upon completion of a section of a water system or
of the entire water system, the completed section or system shall be
verified as to materials, and shall be tested and proven tight under a
water pressure at least twenty-five percent greater than the working
pressure under which it is to be used. The water used for tests shall be
obtained from a potable source of supply.
(d) Gas piping systems. Upon completion of the installation of a
section of a gas system or of the entire gas system, and before
appliances are connected thereto, the completed section or system shall
be verified as to materials, and tested and proven tight as follows:
(1) Gas distribution piping:
a. Distribution pressures up to and including one-half psig. The
completed piping is to be tested with a non-mercury gauge at a pressure
of three pounds per square inch gauge (psig) for a minimum of thirty
minutes.
b. Distribution pressures over one-half psig through three psig. The
completed piping is to be tested at fifty psig for a minimum of thirty
minutes.
c. Distribution pressures over three psig through fifteen psig. The
completed piping is to be tested at one hundred psig for a minimum of
one hour.
d. Distribution pressures above fifteen psig. The completed piping is
to be tested to twice the maximum allowable operating pressure, but not
less than one hundred psig, for a minimum of one hour.
(2) Meter piping shall be pressure tested in accordance with the
requirements of the serving utility. These requirements shall be either
the same as those for testing distribution piping in paragraph one of
this subdivision, or if different, the piping shall be certified by the
local utility as being tested in compliance with their requirements.
(3) Notwithstanding the above, all coded or wrapped pipe shall be
pressure tested at a minimum of ninety psig.
For testing, the piping shall be filled with air or an inert gas, and
the source of pressure shall be isolated before the pressure readings
are made. All test duration time periods are to be measured after
stabilization of testing medium. Fresh water may be used as the test
medium only where the required test pressure exceeds one hundred psig.
(4) The commissioner shall publish a list of non-mercury gauges
certified by a nationally recognized testing lab or promulgate rules
with standards for non-mercury gauges within one hundred and twenty days
of the effective date of this paragraph.
(e) Other piping systems. All other piping systems shall be tested in
accordance with the requirements prescribed in reference standard RS-16.
To the extent possible under law, Friends of Devin Balkind for Public Advocate has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to New York City Administrative Code. This work is published from: United States.
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