Looking to pressure test new builds with water, but don’t want to be pumping them up by hand everyone. Is there a a better way to do this? Cordless preferred
Air compresses though so if a fitting isn't secure enough it might not just come off, it might launch. Not saying don't use air - I do - but just make sure you're not in the line of fire, or that anyone is else for that matter.
1. If you are pressure testing with other people about, air testing is highly dangerous. As WillyE above states, air is compressible, and is thus capable of storing a lot of energy which can be suddenly and explosively release if a fitting gives way or a pipe bursts. If you have to test with air then no-one else in the building and never go over 1/2 bar. 2. Water pressure testing is the professional way. 3. If you have a lot to do, you can get powered pumps. E.g. Rothenberger RP Pro. But they are very expensive, £600 +. Provided you can fill the system from the mains, and make sure all the air is out of it, then it shouldn't take many strokes of the handle of a manual pump (e.g. Rothenberger RP50) to reach the desired pressure. 4. If testing whole systems, make sure that any devices which can't take the pressure you are going to use are fully isolated from the system before you over-pressure them. Boilers are a prime example.
Who said anything about 1/2 bar. Point 4 refers to water testing, which can easily be 10 bar on plastic pipe.
I usually use 6 bars for 24 hours ... with water. Obviously you need to isolate things that can't cope with 6 bars, but pretty much all of them can nowadays ... even boilers. The reason I test at 6 bars is that that's the pressure my house can get to if the pressure regulator fails. It is still with its factory preset 3 bars, but I have had two fail on me in the last 31 years.