When is a Backflow Prevention Device Required?

We’re sure that most people would agree that preventing contaminated water from combining with clean municipal water is pretty important. How do plumbers and municipal contractors go make it happen? Enter the backflow prevention device. Sediments, fertilizer, bacteria, and other contaminants can pose major hazards the public health. That is why governmental regulations are in place that require certain types of facilities to have backflow prevention devices installed. At HVACDiscounters.com, we offer high quality backflow preventers and backflow parts to prevent potable water contamination.

When a flow of water is in a state of backflow, it is traveling through the water system in a direction opposite to which it normally should flow. The end result of this can involve serious contamination to the water supply, making the water supply to a particular facility or home unusable and undrinkable very fast.

Often water backflow involves either one of two important processes – backsiphonage or backpressure.

As a result of negative pressure and a partial vacuum effect, backsiphonage occurs. During this condition, systems that distribute water lag behind the system utilizing the water, as it regards water pressures. The result is that the contaminated water is transferred in the wrong direction by a siphoning effect. This condition can occur during an emergency when a fire hydrant in proximity is used (this involves high water pressures) or during a water main break. A backflow prevention device that utilizes proper backflow parts can prevent this condition.

An imbalance of water pressures can create a type of water backflow called backpressure. During this condition, the downstream pressure (at a home or building) is greater than the supply or upstream pressure (at the municipal water mains). This is not supposed to occur. The result is that wastewater is pushed from your plumbing system into the municipal water supply, causing potential contamination of potable water.

If you have a large water boiler connected to the potable water supply through plumbing and no backflow prevention device is present in the system, the high pressure in the boiler could transport contaminated water into the clean water. This would result in contamination of the clean water, making it hazardous for drinking.

For information about our backflow prevention device products and parts, call us today at 866.345.5111 or send us a message through our contact form. Or, shop on our website right now to purchase the backflow prevention devices and parts you need.