Backflow prevention is an indispensable part of commercial and residential plumbing systems.
After all, you won’t want to see dangerous and unclean materials seep into your family’s drinking water. Not only is it potentially harmful to their health, but it is also unpleasant and smelly to deal with.
Here’s where a backflow prevention system comes to the rescue! We curated this guide to inform you about everything you need to learn about preventing backflow and the benefits of installing backflow prevention devices. The upcoming sections discuss backflow, why it happens, and how a backflow prevention system works.
So, let’s get into it!
What Are The Causes Of Backflow?
Factors like gravity, vacuums and negative pressure induce opposing forces, causing the water to flow backward or in the opposite direction. Opposite forces are of two types: back pressure and back-siphonage.
Back-siphonage is caused by sudden water demands, undersized or broken pipes, and low water pressure experienced by the consumer at the source. Negative pressure in the pipes creates a vacuum that sucks water back. On the other hand, gravity is the causative factor for back pressure, where the water starts flowing upwards in a tall building. Water expansion and excessive plumbing also lead to back pressure.
What Purpose Does A Backflow Prevention System Serve?
When water flows in a direction opposite to its intended one, hazardous toxins and chemical compounds flow along with the water. You don’t want these chemicals to enter the house’s water system. Consuming contaminated potable water supplies damages your health.
The backflow prevention system acts as a one-way gate for water, so the backward water can’t pass through. As such, you or your family can avoid contact with contaminated water.
When getting individual backflow devices or a backflow prevention system for your home, ensure it’s an authority-approved preventer. According to government regulations, installing a backflow prevention system is mandatory. It’ll prevent cross-contamination of potable water. The connection between potable and non-potable water systems is called a cross connection.
This can occur naturally in appliances such as clothes washers and dishwashers, but they must be carefully designed and installed to prevent backflow. It’s also advisable to perform regular backflow prevention testing. This annual testing can prevent the potential to endanger health and cause other problems.
Why Do You Need A BPS At Your Home?
Everybody needs access to clean and safe drinking water. A backflow prevention system or backflow prevention methods help you stay secure against backflow risk. Your backflow prevention devices also prevent contamination of your drinking water supply system. You don’t have to worry about several disease-causing germs and other pollutants. Different types of preventers are available for installation. Professional plumbers can install them to ensure your family can drink clean and germ-free water.
Although your municipal system must have an industrial backflow prevention system installed to prevent contamination of the community’s water supply system, every home should have one. So, in case of issues like increased pressure at the bottom or a broken pipe, waste water doesn’t flow back to contaminate the fresh line.
Contaminated water has a very unpleasant taste and smell. If not dealt with, it can seriously harm your family. Besides damaging your health, backflows can substantially damage your water pipe, which can be costly.
What Are The Types Of Backflow Prevention Devices?
Several devices are used to prevent the backflow of water. Although the result is the same for all. These devices use varying operating principles to prevent backflow. Some common methods, assemblies and devices are air gaps, hose bib vacuum breakers and others.
An air gap is probably the most common and effective backflow prevention system. It creates a physical barrier between the water source and the container the water is running into. The device is generally installed in residential sinks, bathrooms and kitchens, showers, dishwashers and others to protect the water supply.
At the same time, hose bibs are installed in the taps of most houses. This is so the owner can attach a garden hose to water the garden, wash the car and perform several chores that need water. Most modern homes have a pre-installed vacuum breaker to prevent backflow. But this might not be the case with older homes. So, you will need to install them separately to manage the backflow issue.
How To Install And Maintain A Backflow Prevention System?
As mentioned, most homes have a backflow prevention system installed. But if you don’t have any or need to replace your old one with a new one, contact a professional plumber for the job. There are numerous reputed plumbing agencies in Australia. Fixed Today Plumbing is one of them. Rest assured, you can keep your water supply safe from contamination.
Has Your Water System Been Compromised? Call Us Today!
That’s all about the backflow prevention system!
Although many homeowners might not know how the backflow prevention system works, they understand the importance of water and plumbing systems. You are responsible for keeping yourself and your family members safe. You’re also responsible for ensuring the site containment backflow prevention device is properly maintained and, where a medium or high hazard backflow device has been installed, is required to have the device routinely tested annually.
Contact a professional plumber (an accredited backflow plumber) if you detect the slightest impurities in water, feel your water system has been compromised, or need backflow testing. Reach out to us! Only licensed plumbers with backflow prevention accreditation issued by a registered training organisation (backflow plumbers) can inspect, commission and test medium and high-hazard backflow devices. You can also request backflow prevention testing on your property. We’ll thoroughly survey and test backflow prevention devices and fix your backflow issues.
On that note, we’d like to wrap up our guide. Goodbye and take care!
