backflow: Archives - Annapolis Plumbing Contractor

What’s So Important About Backflow Testing?

The Basics of Backflow

In most places (including Annapolis), commercial buildings and multi-family homes must have backflow prevention devices. These devices must also undergo regular testing by professional plumbers who are authorized to do it. This is a requirement because the dangers of backflow are so great that they can affect the water supply for hundreds or thousands of people if a backflow preventer fails.

But it’s not just commercial and apartment buildings that need backflow preventers. Homes with sprinkler systems also need this maintenance and must be tested regularly. This article will explain the dangers of backflow and how backflow testing helps to prevent this potentially disastrous situation.

Why Is Backflow Dangerous?

Backflow happens when wastewater flows backward into a plumbing system, contaminating the clean water in that system. This usually happens because of a sudden change in pressure, such as a broken water main or firefighters accessing the municipal plumbing system to fight a fire nearby.

If wastewater is allowed to flow back into a system, contaminating the clean water, it can threaten the health of anyone who comes into contact with that contaminated water. Ensuring the contamination is dealt with effectively is extremely time-consuming and costly. This is why backflow is so dangerous — and why backflow testing is so important.

What Backflow Testing Entails

Backflow preventers need to be tested regularly to ensure they function properly. Since a single faulty backflow preventer can have such wide-ranging consequences, most local ordinances require that they’re tested annually. However, some localities require less frequent testing than this. It’s best to check local laws to see how often these devices must be tested.

A professional plumber performs the testing process itself, and it is a relatively quick process. The plumber will test the device to ensure it will act as needed during sudden pressure changes. The specifics of these tests will depend on the type of backflow prevention device. Once signed off by a certified backflow testing plumber, the device will be good to use until the next test is required.

The Critical Importance of Backflow Testing

Water contamination can happen in several ways. Most people think of wastewater when they think of possible contamination. However, pesticides and dangerous chemicals can also work into the water supply if backflow testing isn’t done regularly. The water may be shut off in many places if the backflow testing isn’t done on time.

For homes, backflow testing helps ensure that contaminated water from the sprinkler system doesn’t get into the home’s plumbing. Irrigation systems are often more susceptible to wear and tear from the elements, tree roots, or breakage during landscaping or yard work. If the backflow preventer isn’t tested regularly, it could fail and allow dirty water into the system, threatening the health of those who live in the house.

So backflow testing is important whether it’s a commercial building, an apartment building, or a single-family home with a sprinkler system. It can help ensure drinking water stays clean, preventing a public health emergency.

About Heidler, Inc.

The friendly professionals at Heidler, Inc. have been serving Annapolis, MD, with dedication and honor since 1947! As a family-owned-and-operated business, they pride themselves on expert workmanship and efficient service. They also provide flat-rate pricing, so there are no surprises! Contact them today for backflow testing in Annapolis, MD.

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Understanding the Importance of Backflow Testing

FAQs About Backflow

While water is the safest and most convenient it has ever been, most people don’t understand the vast amount of infrastructure and work it takes to keep water clean and readily available. Water is the perfect carrier for many different chemicals and harmful organisms. Under certain conditions, these pollutants and pathogens can find their way into the safe water supply.

One of the most common conditions that causes contamination of safe water is called backflow. The fluid dynamics in plumbing are such that under the right conditions, water can be siphoned backward through the system. When this occurs, contaminated water mixes with safe water and can endanger everyone on that section of the water grid. Everyone should be familiar with certain devices that prevent backflow and practices like backflow testing to help keep water safe. Here is a quick guide to backflow, answering some commonly asked questions about backflow.

What Happens During Backflow?

In fluid dynamics, there is a process called siphoning. In its simplest form, it looks like a third-grade science experiment where a tube pulls water from a higher bowl to a lower bowl with no mechanical help. The principle behind a siphon is the fact that there is a pressure differential across the tubing. The same thing can happen in plumbing, but it is called backflow.

Backflow generally occurs under circumstances that generate a pressure differential. When a high demand occurs in a large pipe, it can siphon water backward from smaller pipes, like when a water main ruptures. If the proper precautions aren’t in place, the smaller lines will pull whatever fluid they are in contact with backward into the system. This can include anything from sewage and groundwater to chemicals.

How Is Backflow Prevented in Plumbing?

Since backflow poses such a threat to clean water supplies, rigorous standards are in place to prevent backflow. The easiest and simplest way to prevent backflow is to leave an air gap between the supply and drain lines. These are common in homes in places like sinks and overflows for water heaters.

Air gaps are not always appropriate where piping is concerned, so devices called backflow preventers can also be used. In the home, they are common on irrigation systems and sometimes near the service entrance where water lines enter the house. Most commonly, they are in industrial settings protecting huge water lines.

How Often Should Backflow Devices Be Tested?

Backflow devices are crucial for keeping the water supply safe, so they must be tested for proper operation by qualified experts. Backflow devices are essentially more reliable check valves that ensure that water only flows in one direction through piping so that, in the event of a pressure differential, no contaminated water will enter the plumbing.

Backflow prevention devices are required to be tested annually. This allows plumbers to ensure they operate as expected and correct deficiencies. Having them tested routinely is essential not only to protect a home’s water supply but also to prevent the contamination of multiple homes’ water and the spread of waterborne diseases.

About Heidler, Inc.

Heidler, Inc. is a family-owned and operated business that has been serving Annapolis and the surrounding areas for over 70 years. They offer flat rates, live assistance, and a maintenance club. Call them today for backflow testing and certification in Annapolis, MD.

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Watch Out For a Backflow Scare This Halloween

Prevent Plumbing Backflow

Backflow is when dirty and contaminated water enters a clean water line. It can occur because a clogged or burst pipe creates a sudden water pressure imbalance in the plumbing system. The contaminated water can contain human waste, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other dangerous substances.

Residential and commercial properties should have backflow prevention devices installed. One of the reasons why backflow can be unpredictable is because a sudden storm or flooding could cause backflow to flood plumbing fixtures. Backflow can cause water damage to the property, corrode pipes and plumbing fixtures, and expose homeowners to health hazards.

Homeowners can protect their homes from the horrors of plumbing backflow this Halloween by hiring a professional plumber to perform backflow testing on their backflow prevention devices. Annual backflow testing helps to protect homeowners from the hazards of backflow.

Backflow Dangers

Water contamination is a severe threat to public health. People can contract illnesses and viruses from exposure to contaminated water. Homeowners can do their part to protect their community by keeping their plumbing safe from backflow.

Another risk of backflow is a home flooding with dirty water. The pressure imbalance in the pipes could cause the water line to burst. Moisture from flooding and burst pipes can lead to the growth of mold and mildew in the home. Inhaling mold particles can also cause a myriad of health problems.

Another risk of backflow is damage to the plumbing hardware from corrosive chemicals. Backflow can permanently damage the plumbing system by corroding metal pipes and fixtures. Testing backflow prevention devices annually is the best way to keep the plumbing, home, and community safe from backflow and contaminated water.

Backflow Testing

During backflow testing appointments, the plumber will inspect the plumbing system and ensure there are properly working safety features to prevent backflow from entering the system. Shutoff valves prevent backflow from getting into the plumbing during storms and other plumbing emergencies. The plumber will replace worn-out valves to keep the device working properly.

Homeowners and businesses may receive notice from the city that it is time to do backflow testing. The city can shut off water for commercial properties that fail to complete backflow testing in time. During backflow testing and plumbing maintenance appointments, plumbers can identify the source of any pressure imbalance in the system and recommend solutions.

Benefits of Backflow Testing Services

Backflow testing helps to protect public health from the spread of illness via contaminated water and helps protect the homeowner’s property from water damage and plumbing from corrosion. Trusting a professional plumber with backflow testing can give homeowners peace of mind that their plumbing system will protect them from backflow contamination.

Backflow prevention devices need to be tested to ensure they are working properly in case of an emergency. Flooding and storms can be unpredictable, so homeowners need to be prepared by maintaining their backflow prevention devices with annual maintenance and testing.

About Heidler, Inc.

Heidler, Inc. is a family-owned and operated business serving Annapolis, MD, and the surrounding areas since 1947. They offer flat rate pricing, unparalleled customer service, and emergency assistance. Call them today for backflow testing and certification in Annapolis, MD.

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How Important Is Backflow Testing?

All Your Questions About Backflow Testing Answered

Owning a home is amazing. It’s a big part of the American Dream, and it’s a point of pride for anyone who has worked hard to keep their home looking good and its systems operating properly. But for many homeowners, there are things that may come as a surprise. Every homeowner knows the importance of keeping the plumbing system healthy, but not every homeowner is familiar with why this entails backflow testing. They may not even know what backflow testing is and why it’s important.

Luckily, this article will go over these and other questions about the importance of backflow testing.

What Does Backflow Mean?

Backflow is a term for a type of flooding that can happen to a plumbing system that causes water that’s flowing out of the home to flow back into it. As most homeowners can guess, the water that’s flowing out of the home is doing so for a reason: because it’s dirty. So when dirty water is allowed to flow back into the home, it can contaminate the entire plumbing system, making incoming water dangerous.

Backflow happens when there’s a sudden and drastic change in water pressure in the plumbing system. This is often caused by a break in the main water line or a fire hydrant that has been opened nearby. Too much rain can actually cause backflow too.

Why Is Certification Required?

Backflow certification is required because backflow is so dangerous. It can be sneaky because it’s not always apparent that backflow has even occurred. This means that homeowners could be drinking and bathing in contaminated water, not realizing it until it’s too late. This is why many areas require backflow certification by law.

In fact, if backflow happens, it can end up contaminating the water supply for multiple houses or even an entire area. And fixing this issue – decontaminating all that water and those systems – is a costly and involved process. And it’s not just sewage that can cause contamination with backflow. Other dangerous substances, such as herbicides, fertilizer, and pesticides, can also contaminate clean water through backflow. This is why backflow testing and certification are incredibly important.

Who Can Perform Backflow Testing and Certification?

Backflow preventers can’t be tested and certified by just anyone. Even those hand DIY homeowners can’t do their own testing and certification. These important devices need to be tested by a certified plumbing professional. These backflow prevention devices don’t often get used, so it’s somewhat common for them to malfunction. This is why it’s so important to have a professional check the device.

Those homeowners that aren’t sure whether they’ve had their backflow device tested recently should call their local professional plumber to schedule a test. Knowing that the backflow preventer is working can give homeowners confidence in the cleanliness of their water supply and the safety of their family from dangerous backflow.

About Heidler, Inc.

The friendly folks at Heidler, Inc. have been serving Annapolis, MD since 1947. They offer local expertise and flat-rate pricing on every job. They’re a family-owned and operated company that’s happy to provide emergency service any time of day. Call them today for backflow testing in Annapolis, MD.

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Plumbing Backflow: Scarier Than a Swamp Monster

Understanding the Dangers Posed by Backflow

Most homeowners have never heard of backflow in their plumbing. This is fortunate because backflow is a dangerous condition that can happen anywhere in a residential or municipal water supply. When backflow occurs, it means something catastrophic has happened somewhere in a freshwater system’s supply lines. Whatever the cause of a backflow condition, the problem will need fixing, and the water checked and certified that it is safe again. This is where backflow testing and certification specialists can help.

Backflow happens whenever contaminated water gets sucked backward through plumbing into clean water supplies. The water can be contaminated with chemicals, groundwater, sewage, or a host of other culprits. All local plumbing codes require the installation of backflow prevention devices to protect potable water supplies, but sometimes they fail or were never installed to begin with.

Home and business owners are required to have backflow preventers periodically tested to ensure that their devices won’t allow the contamination of large portions of municipal plumbing.

Grisly Messes That Need To Be Cleaned Up

While the phrase “contaminated water” may not conjure up frightening images like a scary movie, some of the stories that come from backflow prevention case studies are truly creepy.

A few examples of creepy stories from contaminated water supplies are:

A father running a bath for his child discovered parasitic worms swimming around in the tub. The worms came from the home’s irrigation system that wasn’t protected from backflow. During a water main break, worm-ladened groundwater was siphoned back into the home’s plumbing.
At a hospital, nurses complained of rusty water coming from a drinking fountain. When maintenance workers went to investigate, they found that it was blood coming from the fountain. The blood was coming from autopsy tables that had unprotected fixtures for washing after examination.
A small town’s residents were left without water for weeks after a toxic insecticide was back siphoned into municipal supplies. Water lines across several city blocks were flushed for days, but the insecticide had leached into the pipe walls. The extermination company responsible was forced to pay $21,000,000 in damages.

While these stories are extreme examples and not likely to be encountered by most homeowners, any case of backflow can lead to flood damage, requiring lengthy and expensive repairs.

Health Risks

Indoor plumbing that provides safe, clean drinking water is one of the miracles of modern society. Humans are susceptible to diseases and illnesses caused by waterborne organisms and chemical contamination, so water supplies must be protected. Backflow preventers are an essential part of protecting the water supply and keeping it safe for consumers. When they fail, people can be exposed to dangerous pathogens, chemicals, worms, and fecal matter. Backflow testing and certification help keep consumers safe from all of the threats carried through contaminated water supplies.

Why Testing and Certification Are Important

Backflow testing and certification are necessary to protect clean water supplies. Most local codes require these devices to be tested regularly to ensure they are functioning properly. Suppose it is found that backflow has occurred in a plumbing system. In that case, a licensed plumbing contractor must perform the certification process to ensure that no contamination is present after repairs and flushing of the water line.

By abiding by backflow testing and certification procedures, homeowners, business owners, and plumbers help keep municipal water safe for everyone who uses it.

About Heidler, Inc

Heidler, Inc has been serving customers since 1947. In over 70 years of customer service, their core values have changed very little. They still strive to offer honest and excellent service to all of their customers. Contact them to schedule Annapolis, MD, backflow testing and certification today!