One of the greatest attributes of our society is our access to clean drinking water. Turn on a faucet in your home or business, and you expect to see clear clean water which has gone through an extensive treatment process. Before it reaches your plumbing system, water is filtered and treated at your municipality’s water treatment plant. However, there are still ways in which contaminants can reach your home, and backflow testing is one of the best ways to prevent this.
If a cross connection exists anywhere in your pipes, there is a possibility of backflow. Backflow occurs when there is a sudden drop in your water pressure and the pipes draw in liquids from a cross connection. This can include lawn irrigation systems, in which water pools around sprinklers and may contain animal droppings or fertilizers. Or it can happen at a boiler tank, which is problematic if your boiler feedwater is treated with chemicals.
Unfortunately, many plumbing systems contain cross connections that are not regulated by a backflow prevention device. A backflow prevention device contains valves which only allow water to flow in one direction. If the pressure drop causes liquid to get sucked into the pipes, then it is blocked. But it is possible that problems can occur, so backflow testing helps to ensure that your water system remains protected.
In some cases, regular backflow prevention testing is mandated by law, so check with local codes to find out if you need to get on a regular backflow testing schedule. For residential use, you may only call a plumber for inspections by choice, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your home. Experts will go over every portion of your backflow prevention device to ensure it is in proper working order. They may make a few minor adjustments as well. Afterwards, you’ll get certification that everything is functioning correctly, or our technicians will go over your options for repair.
Contact the experts at SPS Mechanical Inc. to schedule services for the backflow preventer for your home or commercial property in Sewell. Give us a call today!