Backflow Testing: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
We do not perform backflow testing.
Fire protection systems keep people and buildings safe from unimaginable tragedies. Yet, most people don’t understand how fire protection systems work. Individuals think it’s as simple as pulling the alarm and the sprinklers going off—if only it were that easy. Instead, a highly pressurized system explodes when the alarm is pulled, releasing water that’ll keep people and the building itself safe. Another crucial component of the fire protection system is the backflow preventer. This article will answer the question, “backflow testing: what is it and why is it important?” There are more reasons than you may expect.
What Is Backflow?
Before we can discuss backflow testing, we have to talk about backflow itself. When you think about your home’s plumbing or a fire protection system, water should flow to the property. When water flows away from the property, that’s backflow. Backflow is dangerous because it can become a pollutant. Contaminants can find their way into the water, making it unsafe.
Backflow is common when dealing with fire protection systems because the water sprays all over. That’s why you need a backflow preventer to keep the H2O flowing in one direction. Though it’s not enough to have a backflow preventer—the world isn’t that easy. You must also test these devices to ensure they’re working properly. The rest of this piece will explain what backflow testing is and why it is important.
Where Are Backflow Preventers Used?
Backflow preventers are commonly associated with fire protection systems. However, residential plumbing systems use them as well. These systems prevent contaminants from making their way into the water supply. Essentially, they ensure that water is safe to drink.
Along with residential plumbing and fire protection, irrigation also uses backflow preventers. Think about it: if the water feeding the plants is full of contaminants, the plants will never grow properly. For this reason, you need to test your backflow preventer to ensure that your greens stay green.
Backflow Testing: The Nitty-Gritty Details
Backflow tests examine the backflow preventers to ensure they’re working properly. You should test backflow preventers regularly so people can rest assured that they’ll work in case of an emergency. Each backflow preventer should have specific dates marked on them, indicating when they need to be properly tested. So, why is backflow testing important? Here are some of the reasons below.
Health Concerns
The primary reason why backflow tests are essential is because of health concerns. If water travels backward, contaminants from the sewer system can pollute it. In a home setting, this is extremely dangerous because you could end up drinking polluted water, which poses a risk to your health.
Prevents Building Damages
Backflow preventers also stop buildings from getting damaged. Think about it, if the H2O travels backward, it’s likely to bump into the walls and get them all gross. This corrosion will lead to more substantial damage over time. If the water continuously hits the same spot, the walls will eventually crumble from the moisture. So, if you want to keep your buildings intact, test your backflow preventer today.
Environmental Concerns
Polluted water is never good for the environment. If contaminants are allowed back into the water supply, they re-enter the environment. Contaminated water goes back into the sewer system that eventually makes its way to our oceans and lakes. This is even more reason to test your backflow preventer regularly. Our oceans and lakes are contaminated enough as it is: you don’t need to add to it by putting polluted water back into these bodies of water.
Community Reasons
Backflow preventers help create healthier communities, as well. A community is never prosperous if contaminated water burdens it. Several community members can get sick, and buildings may begin to fall apart from the excess moisture. As a result, you should regularly test your backflow preventers before the entire community gets sick. Cities that don’t test their backflow preventers periodically or take them seriously can receive government fines or other regulations.
Backflow Testing Software
To simplify the backflow testing process, there are software companies out there that are specifically designed for testers. One of these sites is Syncta.com. These backflow testing software solutions eliminate the need for paper and allow testers to easily submit all their test reports at the click of a button.
This article has described the importance of backflow testing. Backflow preventers ensure that water only flows in one direction. If the H2O flows away from the property, it could reach the sewer line and collect pollutants and contaminants, which is dangerous for various reasons.
To begin with, not having a properly functioning backflow preventer may affect people’s health if they consistently drink contaminated water. Individuals could develop heart disease or certain types of cancers if exposed to this polluted water regularly. This could become a city’s problem if they neglected to test the system as often as they should have. City municipalities or building owners could face fines or worse if they don’t do inspections regularly. It’s also worth mentioning that contaminated water can adversely affect buildings, and it’s bad for the environment. Finally, a faulty backflow preventer can impact entire communities if several people get sick and buildings fall apart.
If you don’t test the component as often as you should, you’ll likely need a backflow preventer replacement. Luckily, Backflow Direct has everything you need in this department. We specifically fabricated our backflow preventers to fit your needs. They’re also incredibly lightweight and manageable so that they won’t get in the way of the rest of your water system and can easily be installed by one person. Our team knows how important backflow preventers are, and that’s why we offer the best in the business.
