Vacuum Leak Detection

T
HEUL
TIMA
TEGUI
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WHATYOUNEEDT
OKNOWABOUT
L
EAKDE T
ECTI
ONINVACUUMSYST
EMS
VA
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L
EAKDET
ECT
ION
VACUUM
LEAK DETECTION
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
LEAK DETECTION IN VACUUM SYSTEMS
© Copyright TAVENGINERING S.p.A. 2022

All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means without the written permission of the publisher.
www.tav-engineering.com
Contents
Earlier is better: the key benefits of early detection ................................................... 2
The most important thing is… Avoiding pitfalls!......................................................... 4
Diagnose your leak: real vs virtual............................................................................. 6
Operations done right from the start: criteria for decision-making ........................... 11
Are you leak-proof? Tightness testing and leak detection ....................................... 15
Water immersion bubble test ............................................................................... 16
Foam-spray test ................................................................................................... 17
Pressure decay test.............................................................................................. 19
Vacuum decay test or Pressure rise test ............................................................. 20
Tracer gas leak testing ......................................................................................... 21
tav-engineering.com 1
Earlier is better: the key benefits of
early detection
When it comes to dealing with leaks, following the mantra of “crossing that bridge
when you come to it” is a dangerous philosophy. Leaks represent the largest single
waste of energy and detecting them can help you realize significant immediate
savings.
Identifying and repairing leaks can reduce run time, increase equipment life and
reduce maintenance, as well as save energy.
Early detection is the best way to prevent increased costs and severe
complications.
No matter how well a process was designed, how expertly it was installed and
commissioned, or how expensive the components are, sometimes leaks happen.
But while some of them are obvious (for example, a leaking pump can be difficult to
ignore when there’s oil gushing out), others are not – and many can go undetected
for long periods of time.
Most leaks don't pose an immediate threat to equipment or systems function, but
some can. Your capacity to catch any technical anomalies before they become
major challenges can make the difference between running smoothly and
shutting down.
If something has caused sensor to register a trouble code, don't just presume it's
the sensor that's at fault.
Some leaks often go unnoticed because there are no visual indications to alert
operators of the problem until system performance has been severely affected.
Components with these hidden leaks are typically repaired in an unplanned, fire-
fighting mode of breakdown maintenance.
If the problem had been caught earlier, it likely could have been fixed during
planned downtime, resulting in lower associated costs and less impact on
productivity.
Just being a proactive operator and by timely undergoing repair or maintenance,

you can prevent costly issues down the road (not only can hidden leaks cause
extensive damage to equipment and/ or its parts over time, but they can also rack
up repair bills and cost you lots of money over).
Whether you need to avoid leakage under pressure or apply vacuum, the good
thing is that a leak is not hard to identify if you have the right tools and the proper
knowledge.
This special eBook has been designed to help you steer in the right direction and
get the job done swiftly and efficiently.
Remember – leaks do not go away by themselves. If they do, it is because of

Murphys’s 2nd law:
• If it doesn’t fail right now, it will fail much worse at a later stage.
• Or, it will fail as bad but at a much worse time.
The most important thing is…
Avoiding pitfalls!
The uncontrolled entry or exit of air or other gases/liquids can easily damage
equipment reducing the effectiveness of the process.
Although some problems, such as a sudden leak caused by a particle on a loading
door O-ring, can appear with no warning, most vacuum problems creep up on the
unwary in small, and seemingly insignificant, increments. Often these kinds of leaks
go on for extended periods of time because they are not causing any disruption to
daily operations.
This is a crucial point because leaks can gradually become worse due to stress,
fatigue, vibrations, thermal expansion and contraction, and all or any of these plus
time.
If not addressed promptly, even the smallest of leaks can jeopardize the quality or
functionality of products.
Out of all the equipment emergencies, a vacuum leak is one of the most nerve-
wracking.
Trying to identify why the system is having problems can be time-consuming and
frustrating – often requiring the services of a specialist.
Vacuum leaks have led more than one technician deep down the rabbit hole,
wasting precious time (and money), pressurizing the system with nitrogen – or
nitrogen and a trace gas, leak testing with electronic leak detectors, and soap
bubbles, removing panels to check evaporators, condensers, and other
components that are buried in places that are not easy to get to nor fun to go – to
find a leak that isn’t really a leak at all!
These non-real leaks (some prefer to call them virtual leaks) come in a variety of
types and sizes but they all have one thing in common: they are not caused by
leakage from outside the system but they do keep your system from pumping down
to as lower pressure or as quickly as you think it should so naturally you assume
you have a real leak.
Yield loss and performance degradation often come from a number of different
sources.
In order to better understand what you should be doing, your next step should be in
the direction of being able to distinguish between a real leak, which you may have
in spite of all efforts, versus a virtual leak.
Diagnose your leak: real vs virtual
Leaks are a problem all vacuum plant operators will likely have to face at some
point.
Before you feel the nerve-wracking fear of expenses to repair a leak, however, you
should keep in mind that some problems are simple cause and effect.
Something changes in the system and the resulting problem is traced to the
change, and problem solved.
Some problems are more subtle and require some detective work to identify the
culprit and solve the case. Some problems are just part of the job and cannot be
solved.
The best you can do is try to minimize the effect.
Leaks don’t spring up spontaneously. There are legitimate reasons why these leaks
emerged, and often a combination of factors leads to their occurrence.
To give an example, aging of seals, pumps that require rebuilding over time,
contamination, joining methods of the components of the system, can influence
leak occurrence.
Routine leakage tests of the system is the best way to determine the existence of
leaks.
When we think of vacuum leaks, we usually picture a physical leak caused by

scratches, cracks or holes, that allows air to be admitted into the chamber.
Basically, this category – know as real leaks – covers any time a pressure barrier
fails to contain or isolate a system fluid from the surrounding environment.
High-suspected areas are usually weld joints between metal parts, fittings that have
been improperly sealed or installed, and damaged (cut, worn, or melted) O-ring
seals, especially around the door.
Components that rotate or reciprocate are other prime leak sites.
But a vacuum system also can have virtual leaks, that are instead due to causes
such as system contamination from water or other vapors, outgassing of materials
used in the process, trapped air particles that are released from within the system.
Not many consider internal leaks at all, much less the risks associated with them.
This is largely because of the lack of evidence.
Unless we are monitoring pressure gauges or operational movements closely,
these leaks may go unnoticed.
The usual trigger for suspecting that a problem might exist with the vacuum system
is that uneasy feeling that it’s pumping down slower than usual or it isn’t pumping
down quite as far as it used to.
If a leak is suspected, it could be real or virtual.
To test which it is, a handy approach is to plot the rate-of-rise in chamber
pressure over time.
Leaks can be detected by comparing successive leak-rate values after long

pumping cycles.
If the leak-rate value improves whit each comparison (Figure 1), virtual leaks can be
considered a factor contributing to the total pressure rise.
FIGURE 1
THE LEAK RATE GRADUALLY IMPROVES OVER TIME, MEANING THE INITIAL RISE IN PRESSURE CAN BE
ATTRIBUTED TO A VIRTUAL LEAK.
If the leak-up rate remains approximately the same (linear) after the successive
long cycles (Figure 2), a real leak may be considered the principal cause.
The first step here is to compare the present performance with a previous cycle
made when the system was in good working order.
FIGURE 2
THE LEAK RATE REMAINS THE SAME OVER TIME, SIGNIFYING THE PRESENCE OF A REAL LEAK.
Of course, both phenomena can occur simultaneously. But what interests us most
of all here is to have a starting point to focus on – something that helps you narrow
your thinking towards the possible cause of the problem or problems.

While it will not identify where a system is leaking, the rate-of-rise test is useful to
determine what level of leak detection may be required to find exactly where a leak
exists if there is one.
Different vacuum applications and processes require different leak rates.

This means that while a certain leak rate may be okay at a lower vacuum it could
possibly be dangerous and unacceptable at a higher vacuum level.
What is in fact important about leakage is that the leak rate is low enough so the
required operating pressure, gas balance and ultimate pressure in the vacuum
container are not influenced.
As previously said, it is important to routinely check over your system for things like
leaks, but once you find something leaking it is also important to know how to
identify what is actually going on, so you can prioritize the most critical issues to
address based on safety, cost and productivity.
Operations done right from the start:
criteria for decision-making
Vacuum leak testing and leak detection are not simple issues.
Even the choice of the appropriate method must be carefully considered.
Which method is ideal for a specific application depends on many factors.
Sensitivity plays a role, as well as the marginal leak rate of the method used and
the cycle times that can be achieved in integral testing on the production line.
The repeatability and reliability of the testing process also should be considered
along with the capital expenditure and operating costs, which are all based on the
particular test method.
When evaluating individual test, you should assess each of these criteria against
one another and not decide based on a single specification.
Of course, there is no “simple choice”.

Competing claims and glossy marketing information all tout industry-leading
capability. And preconceptions frequently influence the “safe choice”.
Selecting the right solution to meet requirements of a production leak testing
application can be a struggle for all concerned and the whole process can be
confusing and overwhelming at times.
A set of criteria should be considered before making any decision on which method
and technology offers the best solution for your leak detection challenge:
1. Tightness. To begin with, the first question to ask is what are the tightness
criteria that need to be detected?
Highly sensitive helium leak detection is the best way of detecting leak
tightness in the range of 1 x 10-7 mbar*l/s or lower, but if your required leak
rate is above this value, then there are numerous other possibilities.
2. Cycle times. Another important question to ask is how important are
cycle/throughput times?
If your application involves testing of 100% of components and/or parts in a
production line, then speed is an important consideration.
If your leak testing challenge is limited to sample testing and laboratory
applications, then throughput times aren’t such a critical factor in your choice
of leak testing methodology.
3. Design considerations. The characteristics of the part under test – and
specifically the design of the seals – should also be considered.
Leak testing often involves pressurizing a test part to its maximum operating
pressure, and some seals will perform better under higher pressure and
vacuum than others.
4. Environmental factors. Leak test methods can also be affected by
environmental and working factors.
For example, look at pressure decay testing which relies on stabilization
times as well as temperature control in order to get reliable, accurate
measurements.
These requirements make it unsuitable for leak testing in a number of
different environments, e.g. when parts are very hot (as a part that has just
been welded) or when there are rapid and extreme temperature swings. In
these circumstances, vacuum air testing or helium testing are preferable to
pressure tests.
5. Response times. The time required for the test is directly associated with the
capacity of the test process – and different methods have differing test times,
stabilization time and/or drying time.
For example, helium leak testing is the quickest for medium and large sized
components, whilst mass extraction technology is faster than other air testing
methods like pressure decay.
6. Cost. In this context, we should also think about the life-cycle costing of the
test method and its overall suitability and not just the purchase price.
What are the other costs associated with this method?
Where can this technique be applied elsewhere in the operation?
Does it meet a short or a long-term requirement?
Does it provide flexibility to meet changing needs?
7. Sensitivity. In industrial applications where high levels of sensitivity are
required (for example, medical devices where any leak can cause a risk of
contamination) or which are underpinned by stringent and unwavering
requirements for safety and quality (such as aerospace), none can compete
with the sensitivity and the ability to pinpoint a leak that a helium leak
detector can offer.
Understanding how a leak detection system works and integrates into your
requirements will allow you to compare solutions and select the best fit for your
application. And while that takes a bit of work, it’s far easier than dealing with the
unintended consequences of any hasty decision based on abstract technical
features.
In many instances, there will be more than one leak test solution available.
However, by consulting a professional supplier that has the knowledge, experience
and genuine desire to find a long-term solution, you will get a solution that is not
only optimal to your tightness challenge, but which meets all other requirements
too.
Are you leak-proof? Tightness testing
and leak detection
Tightness plays a crucial role for the reliability and safety of production processes
and products.
Leak testing is a non-destructive inspection method which is used to guarantee the
tightness of the components, and therefore whether a component or a system is
operating within a specific leakage limit.
Depending on the application, several leak testing methods are available, spanning
from very simple approaches to systems that are more complex.
The performances regarding to detecting sensitivity are summarized in Figure 3.
FIGURE 3
SENSITIVITY RANGES OF VARIOUS LEAK DETECTION METHODS.
Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks.
The most commonly used leak test methods are bubble test, foam-spray test,
pressure and vacuum decay, and tracer gas-based methods.
The first three techniques, due to their characteristics and sensitivity, are normally
used for gross leaks.
Trace gas detection systems are much more precise than the previous group but,
sometimes, their sensitivity is more than is required.
Water immersion bubble test

Bubble emission leak testing is a procedure where leaks are visually detected and
located through the emission of bubbles.
This method consists of immersing a pressurized part, usually with high-pressure
dry air or nitrogen, in a water tank and watching for escaping bubbles, as shown in
Figure 4 below.
The larger and more frequent the bubbles, the bigger the leakage. Relatively small
leaks are possible, but very difficult, to detect.
This technique does offer leak detection accuracy in the 10-3 mbar*l/s in high
volume production applications and – in most cases – leak location, and is very
economical. Also, any operators without much training can perform it.
FIGURE 4
BUBBLE LEAK TESTING. BUT THIS METHOD DOES HAVE SOME DISADVANTAGES.
But this method does have some disadvantages.

One of the main problems is that after the bubble test, the part is wet and must be
dried. This step is time-consuming and costly, but must be done to avoid any
consequential damage that may be caused by corrosion.
Thus, it is not suitable for test a part that cannot tolerate moisture.
Another limiting aspect is the human factor.

Whether bubbles are detected or not depends on the individual tester.
Moreover, another problem that should not be underestimated is the clear view of
the part and bubbles. If the part concerned has a complex shape, or the location of
the leak cannot be seen, you may not see the emerging bubble.
Foam-spray test
The foam-spray test is similar to the bubble test method.
In both cases, the person testing the part has to observe the formation of bubbles.
With this method, the part being tested is also filled with compressed air (or another
gas).
The tester, however, does not immerse the test part under water, but sprays it with
a surfactant or liquid soap solution – specifically at the locations where any leak is
suspected.
Areas that leak will cause the soapy water to bubble (Figure 5).
This technique has a higher sensitivity than water immersion, by allowing detection
of leaks up to 10-5 mbar*l/s, and is suitable for very large systems.
FIGURE 5
FOAM-SPRAY TEST.
Advantages and disadvantages of the foam-spray test are basically the same as
with the bubble test.
The procedure is simple and relatively inexpensive, but its success or failure
depends on how alert the person who performs the test is. Due to its
characteristics, this test is best used when the approximate area where a leak may
exist is known.
The area to be sprayed must be a simple and easily accessible surface.
An example to understand better, on finned pipes or the bottom part of a large heat
exchanger, it could be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to spray the
part and watch for a bubble.
Moreover, this method is not well suited for high productivity lines.
Pressure decay test

In simplest terms, pressure decay tests involve measuring the drop in pressure of a
sealed part or vessel.
The part is first pressurized to a predeterminate level, usually with dry air (or
another gas), then monitored for set amount of time. Any decrease in pressure
indicates a leak.
The sensitivity of this method depends on pressure measurement resolution, test
time and pressure values.
Longer test times allow for a more sensitive check but, in this way, the test can be
very time-consuming because some low-level leaks may require a very long holding
period, some even hours.
Pressure decay methods are an easy choice for many applications.
However, external factors, such as temperature variations and mechanical

deformations, affect this test.
The internal pressure depends on temperature, and thermal fluctuations may cause
changes in pressure, altering the results.
The performance can be improved using a pressure differential. In this mode, the
test unit is pressurized together with a reference volume and the two pressure
trends are compared.
Pressure decay proof is a go/no-go test.
While it detects the presence of a leak, locating the leak requires the use of other
techniques such as soap bubbles, or better, tracer gas detection. Usually, the limit
of sensitivity for pressure decay test is in the range of 10-3 mbar*l/s without
pressure differential and 10-4 mbar*l/s for pressure decay test with pressure
differential.
Vacuum decay test or Pressure rise test

Vacuum decay testing is essentially the opposite of pressure decay testing.
Instead of pressurizing the part, this procedure involves evacuating the part to
suitably low pressures and, after stabilizing the pressure, measuring the increase in
pressure caused by test media entering the part.
However, care must be taken when pressurizing the vacuum pump or vacuum
system. Too much pressure can cause individual components such as seals and O-
rings to collapse. Only parts that are able to withstand external pressure can be
tested in this way.
This method is less sensitive to temperature changes since the pressure inside the
part is lower than atmospheric pressure.
However, surface outgassing and liquid evaporation affect and limit the real
sensitivity.
Similarly to the previous method, this is a go/no-go test. It detects the existence of a
leak but leak location requires other techniques.
Tracer gas leak testing
Tracer gas leak testing is a simple and highly-efficient method to identify the source
of a leak, and can detect gross leaks as well as fine leaks which are undetectable
by the naked eye.
The benefits of tracer gas testing versus traditional means of measuring airflow
rates in vacuum systems are:
• Enhanced sensitivity and resolution for increased leak test accuracy.
• Capability to detect micro-leaks down to 1x10-9 scc/s.
• Faster test times than air-flow leak testing technology.
• Non-temperature dependent test accuracy.
• Significantly reduces false leak failures.
In the past several different tracer gases have been used to find leaks and to
measure leak rate as, for instance, halogens. But since the leak test method with
the tracer gas helium and the detection of this gas with a mass spectrometer was
developed, all other methods became less significant compared to the superior
sensitivity of the helium method.

Helium molecules are very small, so using helium as a tracer gas will find very
small leaks that other leak tests may not find (minimum detectable leak of 10-12
mbar*l/s).
The use of helium leak detectors is related to vacuum and pressure testing.
In the vacuum method, a pumping system evacuates the system to be tested, and
helium is introduced to locate a leak.
With the pressure system, the piece to be tested is pressurized using helium.
Helium leak testing can be conducted in the following ways: detector-probe
technique, tracer-probe technique, or hood technique.
1. The detector-probe test is conducted by pressurizing a component with

helium gas, and then scanning the component by “sniffing” for the presence
of helium with the detector probe (Figure 6).
The mass spectrometer is monitored to verify the presence of helium
leakage.
FIGURE 6
HELIUM SNIFFING LEAK TEST.
2. The tracer-probe test is conducted by placing the component under a

vacuum and connecting it to the mass spectrometer.
The tracer probe is then used to “spray” helium around the part subjected to
testing (Figure 7). If a leak is present, the helium will be drawn into the part
due to the differential pressure.
leakage.
FIGURE 7
VACUUM SPRAY METHOD.
3. The hood test is conducted by placing the component under a vacuum and
connected to the mass spectrometer.
A “hood” is then established around a portion of the component under test,
such as the tube-sheet bundle of a heat exchanger.
The hood, which is normally made of a plastic material or bag, is then filled
with helium to test a large area at one time (Figure 8).
If a leak is present, the helium will be drawn into the part due to the
differential pressure.
leakage.
FIGURE 8
VACUUM HOOD METHOD.
Leak testing is a quality control step to assure component or system integrity.

As mentioned before, each method has practical applicability and coverage area.
Thus, you must assess your needs and how these methods may fit your budget
and objectives.
The success of a leak test lies beyond the process itself.

A prerequisite to troubleshoot leaks is the knowledge and understanding of the
equipment.
Knowing how the equipment functions, what each component installed in the
equipment is, what the component does, how the component does what it should,
and how the components interact are essential in applying any methodology or
process.
––
It is critically important to choose the appropriate test method for a specific
application, to configure the system correctly, and to make the leak detection
process as foolproof and reliable as possible – certainly not a trivial task.
If you want to ensure the quality of your production and avoid costly product recalls,
it is not enough to simply check something.
A negative test is no guarantee that a test part actually meets the requirement set.
You can only have this guarantee if your test methods and processes work reliably.
The challenge is to do the right measurements and in the right way, every day and
at every level.
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© Copyright TAVENGINERING S.p.A. 2022

The most important thing is… Avoiding pitfalls!......................................................... 4

Diagnose your leak: real vs virtual............................................................................. 6

Are you leak-proof? Tightness testing and leak detection ....................................... 15

Water immersion bubble test ............................................................................... 16

Foam-spray test ................................................................................................... 17

Pressure decay test.............................................................................................. 19

Vacuum decay test or Pressure rise test ............................................................. 20

Tracer gas leak testing ......................................................................................... 21

Just being a proactive operator and by timely undergoing repair or maintenance,

Remember – leaks do not go away by themselves. If they do, it is because of

• Or, it will fail as bad but at a much worse time.

find a leak that isn’t really a leak at all!

The best you can do is try to minimize the effect.

When we think of vacuum leaks, we usually picture a physical leak caused by

If a leak is suspected, it could be real or virtual.

To test which it is, a handy approach is to plot the rate-of-rise in chamber

pressure over time.

Leaks can be detected by comparing successive leak-rate values after long

your thinking towards the possible cause of the problem or problems.

Different vacuum applications and processes require different leak rates.

address based on safety, cost and productivity.

Of course, there is no “simple choice”.

Water immersion bubble test

But this method does have some disadvantages.

Another limiting aspect is the human factor.

Pressure decay test

Pressure decay methods are an easy choice for many applications.

However, external factors, such as temperature variations and mechanical

Vacuum decay test or Pressure rise test

• Enhanced sensitivity and resolution for increased leak test accuracy.

• Capability to detect micro-leaks down to 1x10-9 scc/s.

• Faster test times than air-flow leak testing technology.

• Non-temperature dependent test accuracy.

• Significantly reduces false leak failures.

sensitivity of the helium method.

1. The detector-probe test is conducted by pressurizing a component with

2. The tracer-probe test is conducted by placing the component under a

Leak testing is a quality control step to assure component or system integrity.

The success of a leak test lies beyond the process itself.

Nomat terhow well aprocesswasdesi gned,how exper t

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