Line reinstatement checklist: free template for after the pressure test (Excel and PDF)
Deskely Completions team Singapore
Reinstatement is everything done to a line after its pressure test to put it back in its operating condition: draining and drying, removing spades and blinds, fitting the permanent gaskets, tightening the joints, removing temporary supports and caps, and putting back every instrument and valve that was taken out for the test.
It is also where test packs most often stall. This page gives you a free line reinstatement checklist in Excel and PDF, with a reinstatement log, and explains each check.
- Reinstatement is part of the test pack. The pack is not closed until it is signed.
- Every spade and blind on the register comes out, checked off by number.
- Test gaskets are replaced with the permanent gaskets, never reused, and the joint tightened to procedure.
- Spring hanger travel stops come out after the test, or the hanger cannot do its job.
The checks
| Area | Check |
|---|---|
| Draining | Line fully drained from the low points, vents open; no water left in dead legs, valve bodies or instrument connections. |
| Drying | Dried with air or nitrogen where the specification asks for it, to the dew point or dryness criterion it sets. Typical for gas, instrument air and some process services. |
| Spades and blinds | Every item on the spades and blinds register removed or turned to its operating position, and signed off by number. |
| Gaskets and joints | Test gaskets replaced with permanent gaskets to the line spec; joints tightened to the bolting procedure and recorded. See the bolt torque record. |
| Temporary items | Temporary supports, test vents and drains, caps and plugs removed; permanent plugs or seal welds fitted where the spec requires. |
| Spring hangers | Travel stops (locking pins) removed and the hanger set to its cold load position. |
| Instruments | Gauges, transmitters and switches reinstated, or their isolation valves set to operating position; impulse lines reconnected and leak checked. |
| Control and relief valves | Control valves reinstated in the right orientation; relief valves fitted with valid test certificates and set pressures checked against the data sheet. |
| Orifice plates and inline items | Orifice plates, flow elements, strainers, check valve internals and spool pieces reinstated in the right direction. |
| Valve positions | Valves left in the position the commissioning team needs, normally as listed in the procedure. |
The template
The checklist covers one test pack, with a status and initials for each check. The log keeps one line per item put back: tag or joint number, what was done, by whom and when, so a missing item is visible before the walkdown rather than at start-up.
Why reinstatement goes wrong
- A spade left in: a line that will not flow on start-up, or worse, a relief path blocked. The spades and blinds register in the test pack exists to stop this.
- A test gasket left in: test gaskets may not suit the service. Every joint broken for the test is remade with the right gasket.
- Instruments not reinstated: removed for the test because they could not take the pressure, then forgotten.
- Travel stops left on spring hangers: the pipe cannot move as designed when it heats up, overloading nozzles and supports.
- Water left in the line: corrosion, freezing, or contamination of the process, catalyst or dry gas.
From reinstatement to commissioning
Once reinstatement is signed, the test pack can be closed and the line counts towards mechanical completion of its subsystem. Flushing or cleaning may follow, and joints that are broken again later go back through the same checks.
In Deskely Testpack, every spade, gasket, instrument, vent and drain is listed and ticked back in before the pack can close, and a closed pack updates the subsystem in Deskely Core.
The Deskely products for this
Frequently asked questions
What is line reinstatement?
Putting a line back into its operating condition after the pressure test: draining and drying, removing spades and blinds, fitting permanent gaskets, tightening joints and reinstating instruments and valves.
Why are spring hanger stops removed after the hydrotest?
The stops lock the hanger to carry the weight of the water during the test. Left in, they stop the hanger moving with the pipe in service.
Can test gaskets be reused?
No. A gasket that has been compressed should not be reused, and the test gasket may not be the right type for the service. Fit the permanent gasket to the line spec.
Who signs off reinstatement?
Normally the contractor's piping supervisor and QC inspector, often with the commissioning team or client, before the test pack is closed.
- In production since 2014
- Thousands of daily users
- On MODEC FPSO projects since 2016