Woo Hoo! Tanks tested leak free!

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:16 pm

Well I finally got everything closed on my tanks this week. This morning I decided that today was the day. I built a manometer and connected to each tank and added some water with green food coloring in it so it is easier to see. After an initial scare on each one where I didn't have the test connection fitting tight enough it settled in and I marked it at 10:30 AM. I kept checking it off and on all day as I did several things on the "honey do list". Well it has been over 12 hours and the water columns as seen in the photo both went up about an inch. The shop when the photo was taken was 2 degrees warmer than it was when I marked the columns so that counts for the rise.

This sure made my day and it is nice to have the tanks done!

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:35 am

Way to go, John!

That is a GREAT feeling, knowing the tanks are good!

You should take them swimming next!

Of course, that is only if you really like them!

CJ

Womack2005 · Post by **Womack2005** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:24 pm

John, those tanks look SWEET! I never really did any tank work back in my A&P days, so this will be new to me. Can't say that I really understand the manometer thing as you are using it. The alternative is the balloon method yes? I need to read up on this action

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:26 pm

Thanks Will. They look great to me after testing okay.

The method of testing is about as simple as it gets. Hook up the clear hose to one of the tank opeings. I used the return line I plumbed in. Then make sure you have a loop below the tank and fasten the tubing in place so it won't move. I used duct tape and should have used wire ties or somethign a little more stable, but the duct tape worked out. Once you get the tubing in place just put some water in the tubing. It doesn't take very much. I put some green food coloring in it so it was easier to see.

I was shooting for 24 inches of difference in the water column. so I needed somthing like 36 inches of the tube to have water in it. Before adding pressure the water will be level on both sides of the tubing. This is because the pressure in the tank and outside are the same.

Now I added pressure by putting air in the drain valve very slowly. The tank is pretty good sized so it takes some volume to build a little pressure. According to what I have have read 12 inches of water is approximately 1 psi. That is why I decided on the 24 inches, it should have given me about 2 psi in the tanks.

After adding the pressure then watch and see if the water column is stable or dropping. If it is dropping you have a leak. Both of mine leaked initially at the connection where the hose was attached. I had to tighten them up some more in order to get a good seal.

Once it is stable, make a mark at the top of the water column, if you have no leaks the water column should not drop. It will however rise and fall with the temperature or changes in the barometric pressure. Yesterday it appeared to move about 1/2 inch per degree in my case. Warmer goes up lower goes down. Last night a low pressure front came in and this morning they were both down about 1/2 inch more than the temperature accounted for.

I did both at once with the thought that if one dropped more than the other I would know I had a leak. In all cases they moved the same and maintained the approximately 1/2 inch difference in height.

I thought about using a balloon but wasn't sure I trusted the ballon to hold air for a 24 hour period. This was easy to setup and worked quite well. It was even kind of fun, it reminded me of experiments we did when I was a kid.

One thing that might be a little confusing in the photo for some one looking at this for the first time is that there are actually two test side by side with no connection of any kind. I just set them up that way so I could watch them and compare results.

Probably more of an explanation than anyone really wanted but maybe it will help someone out down the road.

N200PF · Post by **N200PF** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:46 am

Congratulations John!!! That has to feel PRETTY DARN GOOD to be past that milestone!

I had my first go-round with pro-seal this weekend sealing the trailing edge of the rudder and am dreading my tanks now more than ever...

- Peter

dons · Post by **dons** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:14 am

Congrats John! Thanks for giving that description on how it was done, sounds very reasonable to me. Hopefully next year some time I can give it a try.

Womack2005 · Post by **Womack2005** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:39 am

John,

Right on! Thanks for the discusion on exactly what you did. Very nice

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:47 am

I don't know why I didn't see this thread earlier...

Anyway, congrats John!! I like how you did the test. Looks great, and now a sigh of relief...which I'm sure you did almost a week ago when you wrote this...

Post by **Spike** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:09 am

Peter, I used T-88 epoxy for that job and really liked the way it came out. I have both flaps & ailerons to do the same way and Ill be using the epoxy for that again.

-- John