The makers of faucets and related plumbing components have traditionally tested their products for leaks by pressurizing them, submersing them in water and then watching for bubbles.
But Delta Faucet Co. (Indianapolis) has found a better way. The company, a major manufacturer of kitchen, lavatory and bathtub faucets and shower heads, was looking for a less subjective, more repeatable method of leak testing. Delta found what it was looking for in the Sentinel I-21, a pressure decay-based leak detection system supplied by Cincinnati Test Systems Inc. (Cleves, OH).
"We installed our first Cincinnati Test system about five years ago in our Jackson, TN, plant, and we've been adding more units each year since then as part of a continuous improvement process," says Terry Stephens, a Delta Faucet advanced manufacturing engineer.