Backflow repair is crucial for ensuring that the water supply system remains safe and free from contamination. When backflow occurs, unclean water can flow backward into the potable water system, potentially causing health hazards. Repairing and maintaining backflow prevention systems is essential to protecting our public water supply and avoiding liabilities resulting from backflow contamination.
Backflow Test Pros backflow repair and replacement services provides timely backflow repair services and ensures that your water is not shut off due to leaking or damaged backflow assemblies.
When backflow preventers are faulty, failing, or damaged, it’s important to address these issues promptly to avoid disruption of your water supply. Regular maintenance and testing by qualified professionals can help identify and fix these common backflow repair issues before they lead to serious problems.
All approved backflow preventer assemblies have check valves and seals that prevent water from flowing in the wrong direction. Over time, these components can wear out or become damaged due to age, pressure changes, debris buildup, etc.
Common issues include:
- Worn seals: This can cause leaks around the valve, allowing water to pass through when it shouldn't, leading to potential contamination.
- Damaged check valves: If the check valve is cracked or malfunctioning, water can flow in reverse, bypassing the backflow prevention mechanism.
- Damaged check valve seats: The seat where the check valve aligns to seal off potential backflow is integral to the backflow preventer's integrity. In most cases these check valve seats are replaceable.
Debris, rust, or sediment can accumulate in your backflow preventer. This can prevent the device from functioning correctly, leading to:
- Leaking Backflow: If the device is an Reduced Pressure Principle type of backflow, which is very common in California, debris in the line will most likely cause it to visibly leak.
- Failing Backflow: Even the smallest amount of debris in the backflow preventer can cause the results for its annual testing to be below acceptable values.- Faulty Backflow: If debris clogs the valve or chamber, it could prevent the device from opening or closing properly, making it unable to stop backflow.
- Restricted flow: Blockages can restrict normal water flow, leading to pressure issues in the system and potentially damaging the device over time.
The relief valve is a critical component to the reduced pressure principle backflow preventer (RPP). In the event that the check valves fail, the relief valve will always dump any backflow to the atmosphere through the relief valve vent. This is why the RPP is the preferred choice whenever a potential contaminant is connected to the potable water supply.
If the relief valve is damaged or malfunctioning, it can cause:
- Leaking Relief Valve: A common symptom of relief valve damage is leaking from the relief valve vent. This vent is directly underneath the backflow. Leaking vents waste water, and can cause serious water damage quickly if left unrepaired.
- Failure to Prevent Backflow: A relief valve that is failing to open will not properly prevent backflow from occurring. Usually relief valves stick in the closed position due to scale or hard water build up.
- Pulsating Relief Valve: Sometimes relief valves can pulsate, which is usually due to air being trapped inside the relief valve. This should be resolved immediately as the pulsating can get more and more intense causing plumbing damage.
Backflow devices are often exposed to harsh conditions, including water with high mineral content, chlorine, or other problematic elements.
Over time, this can lead to:
- Corrosion of internal components: Corroded parts, such as metal components like springs, seats, and valves, may fail to operate as intended. In addition, the internal rubber/plastic parts wear down over time.
- Mineral deposits (Scale Build Up): Hard water deposits, and other minerals can build up inside the backflow device, causing improper opening/closing of valves. This is the most common cause of relief valves on Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Preventers not opening properly.
- Rust Accumulation: Rust can collect inside the shut off valves or the body of the backflow eventually washing into the critical areas of the valve. These pieces of rust can obstruct the backflow preventer from working properly, and cause leaks.
The main body of the backflow preventer is responsible for housing all the vital internal and external components. These components are integral for backflow prevention, and annual testing.
Vandalism, corrosion, warping, or fractures in the body can lead to:
- Leaks: Damage to the backflow body may cause the backflow preventer to leak. These leaks may result in wasted water and property damage. In some cases emergency water shut down may be necessary.
- Annual Testing Failure: Internal components depend on the integrity of the valve body to achieve acceptable backflow testing results. On the other hand, external components connected to the body are relied on by the certified backflow tester to confirm the backflow preventer is function properly.
- Repair Failure: Damage or warping of the backflow preventer body may result in repair attempts being unsuccessful. In such cases, the entire backflow preventer will need to be replaced. Installation will require an approved backflow preventer by your local water authority.
If your backflow preventer isn't installed correctly, it can lead to various ongoing issues, such as:
- Inadequate Backflow Prevention: Backflow preventers need to be installed according to code to ensure they are functioning as per their original design. Any installation deviation may lead to failure to prevent backflow.
- Water Supply Disruption: As soon as an improper installation is identified it must be corrected immediately. Failure to do so will lead to water service termination by the water department.
Most backflow preventers rely on springs to open and close valves in response to pressure changes.If the springs become worn, damaged, or corroded, they can:
- Fail to open/close properly: A weak or damaged spring might not allow the valve to open or close fully, preventing the device from effectively stopping backflow. This can also lead to leaks at the backflow preventer.
- Stick in one position: If the spring or valve mechanism becomes stuck, it can leave the device in either the open or closed position. This can cause the backflow preventer to leak and no longer properly protect the water supply.
Shut off or isolation valves are used during testing and maintenance to isolate the backflow preventer from the rest of the plumbing system.
f these components fail, it can lead to:
- Inability to repair the backflow preventer: Failing shut off valves make repairs to the backflow preventer more difficult. In some cases, shut off valves will need to be replaced before any repairs can be made to the device.
- Inability to test the backflow preventer: If shut off valves don’t close properly, the certified backflow tester will be unable to test the device. These results in a fail, and the shut off valve will need to be replaced before retesting. Usually we recommend complete backflow preventer replacement in such cases.
Backflow preventers often include moving parts such as springs, rubber parts, and plastic parts that all combined to guarantee water safety.Over time, wear and tear can cause these components to fail, resulting in:
- Leaking Backflow Preventer: Internal parts no longer sealing properly can cause the device to leak. Repairs should be made at first signs of leak.
- Annual Test Failure: Periodically, these parts do wear out, which is one of the main reasons for your annual testing. Once we identify the issue, we can replace, and rebuild almost any internal components to the backflow preventer.
Sudden pressure changes, or "water hammer," can damage a backflow device.Water hammer occurs when the flow of water is abruptly stopped or changed, causing a shockwave through the pipes.
This can lead to:
- Damaged components: The shockwave can damage internal components, such as check valves, leading to a leaking and failing backflow preventer.
- Leaks and fractures: Excessive water hammer can cause cracks or leaks in the body or valves of the backflow preventer.
- Relief Valve Spitting & Wasted Water: Excessive pressure fluctuations on a line with a Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Preventer will result in constant spitting of the relief valve.
Our recommended solution to address both water hammer & pressure fluctuations is the installation of a soft seated check valve on either side of the backflow preventer."
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If a backflow device is found to be malfunctioning or damaged during testing, repairs must be made promptly to prevent potential contamination of the water supply. If a backflow device is found to be malfunctioning or damaged during routine testing or inspection, timely repairs are essential for several reasons.
A malfunctioning backflow device can allow contaminants - such as chemicals, bacteria, or other harmful substances to flow backward into the potable water system. This could lead to a risk of waterborne diseases, health hazards, or contamination of the public water supply, which directly affects the community’s health.
Most municipalities or local governments have strict regulations in place to ensure backflow prevention devices are tested regularly and maintained. Failure to repair a malfunctioning device promptly could result in violations of local codes, fines, and legal liabilities for the property owner. In many cases, it could even result in the building being shut off from the water supply until the issue is resolved.
Keeping backflow devices in good working condition through timely repairs ensures public safety, regulatory compliance, and the ongoing integrity of the water system. It’s essential that any damage or malfunction is addressed quickly to avoid any risk to water quality and public health.
Delaying repairs to a backflow device can potentially cause more severe and costly damage over time. Addressing repairs early can often be more cost-effective than waiting for a system failure. A small investment in timely repairs is much cheaper compared than contamination-related liabilities and non-compliance with health and safety regulations.
Our highly experienced technicians know how to properly test, diagnose, and repair these devices without causing damage to other parts of the plumbing system, increasing the cost of repairs or resulting in prolonged disruptions to the water supply.
Relying on Backflow Testing Pros' licensed, certified and bonded professionals ensures that your backflow repair or replacement is performed by certified cross connection control and backflow prevention experts in a timely manner conforming to repair protocols required by state water board regulations and backflow prevention certification bodies.
