Which of the following is the minimum amount of time required according to NFPA 54 to perform a pressure test on a new gas piping system that has 6 cubic feet of piping in total?

Which of the following is the minimum amount of time required according to NFPA 54 to perform a pressure test on a new gas piping system that has 6 cubic feet of piping in total?

• A. 5 minutes
• B. 10 minutes
• C. 15 minutes
• D. 20 minutes

Answer: (B)

Testing time is based on how much total piping there is to fill with test pressure. The idea is to give enough time for any leaks to show up as a pressure drop, so the system can be declared tight only if the pressure remains steady during the hold period. For a total piping volume of six cubic feet, it falls into the category that requires a ten-minute pressure hold. That duration provides a reliable window to detect leaks without making the test longer than necessary for this size of system. If the volume were smaller (five cubic feet or less), a shorter hold, around five minutes, would be specified; larger volumes would call for longer holds. So the ten-minute minimum is the correct choice for a six-cubic-foot system.

Testing time is based on how much total piping there is to fill with test pressure. The idea is to give enough time for any leaks to show up as a pressure drop, so the system can be declared tight only if the pressure remains steady during the hold period. For a total piping volume of six cubic feet, it falls into the category that requires a ten-minute pressure hold. That duration provides a reliable window to detect leaks without making the test longer than necessary for this size of system. If the volume were smaller (five cubic feet or less), a shorter hold, around five minutes, would be specified; larger volumes would call for longer holds. So the ten-minute minimum is the correct choice for a six-cubic-foot system.