Before the Day of the Test - Things to Cover With Your Client

There are important issues to cover with your client before the day of the test that you'll be performing for them. If these are not covered ahead of time and it's discovered on test day that the test cannot be performed, it can be very costly.

  • Water Pressure
If there is not an adequate water source with enough output and pressure to run your spray rack, you won't be impressing anyone that day. In fact, you'll be DEpressing people, especially yourself.

If your job is at a commercial site, find out ahead of time if you can gain access to the main water supply. A water main will run at a pressure exceeding 70 psi and will give you a good chance of being able to achieve the water pressure that is required. This still might not be adequate, especially if the spigot is far away or is a few stories below your test specimen. Having a booster pump can help to insure you'll have what you need.

If your job is at a residential single unit home, having access to a water main is not likely. Again, a booster pump can help this situation. However, in such a case a different water pump is required than that which you would use on a water main. Different booster pumps have different requirements as to the water pressure going into, or feeding the pump. You can see details on our booster pump page.
  • Deciding on the specimen to be tested
If there is an overall water penetration problem on a structure on which you're performing a forensic test to determine the cause of the problem, you will likely have a choice of many windows on which to perform the test. The ASTM E1105, which will be the most likely test standard you'll be adhering to (check out more details on the "Selecting the Test Procedure" story on our "Pro Tips" page) stipulates in section 10 that you and your client should have a mutual agreement as to the criteria for choosing the test specimen. It's best to come to that agreement in your first conversation with your client. You don't want to be haggling over that issue on the day of the test with all the witnesses already gathered.

The E1105 also stipulates that it is the responsibility of the specifying authority - your client - to determine which test specimens fit your previously agreed upon criteria ahead of time. There are some simple inspections you can guide your client to perform in order to do this. If you're near the test site, you may want to make these inspections together before the date of the test.

These inspections, the criteria you may want to consider for the test specimen, and other steps that you should take before any water is sprayed is covered fully in our training program.

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