In short, hydrostatic testing is a way of utilizing pressure decay to measure integrity of pressure containment vessels such as fabricated pipe, BOP stacks, tanks, well-head, pipelines, reactors and much more across various industries. A traditional hydrostatic test uses water as the test medium and four main pieces of equipment: a dual-pen chart recorder, deadweight tester, pressure pump, and a pressure gauge. The test requires the operator to record the ambient temperature of the test environment alongside the pressure of the unit under test for a specific period of time (typically 8 hours) to document any notable pressure leakage not related to temperature fluctuations. In short, the test is designed to find leaks that could compromise the integrity of the vessel while in service. These tests are often performed before the unit goes into service and periodically after the unit is installed (as seen with buried pipelines).

Digital hydrostatic testing is designed to accomplish the same integrity tests performed with the traditional mechanical setups; however, they require less test equipment to achieve the same result. In a digital hydrostatic test, the operator utilizes a digital pressure gauge outfitted with the capabilities to read and record ambient temperature, RTD temperature, and pressure in unison. The gauge is placed directly onto the pipe of the system under test or connected with pressure hoses from a safe distance. The operator places the RTDs in their appropriate locations, puts the gauge in log mode and the test begins. Once the test is completed, the recorded test session is then uploaded via custom software to a PC or Tablet for results and reporting. The benefit of a digital hydrostatic test is the elimination of the need for the large heavy mechanical equipment. The gauge is twice as accurate as the traditional deadweight tester and this replaces the need lug it around. The custom software generates a printable pressure/temperature graph showing the test trend, min/max, duration, etc. thus replacing the need for a paper chart and because the gauge is digital, you can watch the pressure display in real time with much more precision. Digital reporting also eliminates the possibility that the paper chart gets damaged, fudged or lost as all of the raw test data is stored directly in your gauge where it remains until deleted. Digital hydrostatic test gauges such as the Vaetrix HTG can be used in both hydraulic and pneumatic testing applications.