When it comes to your plumbing, a backflow prevention device does some serious heavy lifting. This helps you rest easy, knowing that your sewage isn’t going to back up into your potable water systems. Instead, it keeps sewage moving in one direction: Away from your home and your pipes.
It can’t flow back into the home with backflow prevention in place.
What should you know about backflow prevention to keep your potable water supply in good working order? Below are some facts to help you safeguard your water supply:
Installing Backflow Preventers
No matter where you want to use water in or around your home, you need a backflow preventer installed in your home’s plumbing. This is important not just for drinking water or cooking water but also for showering and watering the lawn. The last thing you want is for your potable water system to mix with non-potable water.
Often, backflow happens when water pressure drops, but with a cross-connection control program in place, your pipes can cut off sewage before it backs up into the home. Water flowing in the right direction doesn’t trigger the backflow preventer. It flows freely, and you don’t have to think twice about it.
If this device finds that water is trying to travel in the opposite direction (back into the home), it activates and closes.
Getting the Right Type of Backflow Preventer
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions when it comes to backflow preventers. A cross-connection is important, but several types of prevention devices can keep potable water supply systems in good working order. There are three different varieties:
- Air gaps: These devices use a bubble of air between the water outlet and the flood level, mostly used in areas like sinks and dishwashers. One hose fills with clean water while the other drains the dirty water away. The air in between keeps them from mingling. Air gap devices are inexpensive to install and maintain over time.
- Atmospheric vacuum breakers: AVBs are great at identifying when atmospheric pressure drops off within your pipes. When this happens, it seals off your water supply so that water can’t move back into your lines.
- Check valves: Check valves are one of the easiest to understand. When water pressure is high coming in, it opens and allows water through. Low water supply pressure and high outgoing water triggers it to close and doesn’t allow clean water to mix with dirty or non-potable water.
Get Inspected By Professionals
Getting your backflow prevention devices serviced at least once a year is always a good idea. You want to ensure they’re in great working order to prevent contaminated water from entering your home while cooking, drinking, or showering. Clean Line is the answer to your Winnipeg plumbing problems.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can maintain your backflow preventers and limit how backflow occurs.
