Identify the primary piping system(s) of concern and address them first.   Although every piping system may be of interest, some piping systems present inherently greater threat and vulnerability over others – such as condenser water and pre-action fire sprinkler systems.  Gather all known information about the system such as pipe size, layout throughout the facility, whether the pipe is insulated, its physical access or inaccessibility behind walls, underground, etc.

Also important is the building size in square feet and number of floors of the building, its age, the level of corrosion protection provided, and pipe schedule.  Photographing any problem areas is especially helpful in providing an initial assessment of piping condition.

From the photograph at left, we were able to tell the client that this 58 year old 1/2 in. dual temperature run-out line was too severely deteriorated to safely test.  Evaluation, however, was possible to other areas of the system where larger diameter pipe existed.