Why Do I Need Backflow Prevention?

The easiest answer is because you want to protect your potable water. Potable water is essentially the water that flows from your tap that is used for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing. A backflow prevention device will stop undesirable water from coming into your system. It is also known as a cross connection. Here at New Age Plumbing, we can install the proper device for your plumbing needs.

What is Backflow?

Backflow is what happens when a reversal of non-potable water flows through a cross-connection because of a change in hydraulic levels. This causes the contaminated water to get into potable water systems. Because of this, a whole variety of adverse situations can arise depending on where the non-potable water came from. A cross-connection is a connection between drinking water and a system or device using non-potable water.

What Causes Backflow?

Backflow doesn’t happen often. A plumbing repair that requires draining down a home or building can cause backflow. A broken main or distribution pipe, as well as power outages, can sometimes cause backflow. Firefighters using large quantities of water can do so too. The city usually has some form of backflow preventer between a home and city sources of water. However, there are cases which you may need to install a backflow preventer as well. A potential for water contamination exists and requires preventative measures.

Why Do I Need Backflow Prevention Device?

The best preventative measure is a plumbing device. There might be several instances that require this plumbing device to be installed in your system. If you are installing a watering irrigation for your yard or farm, a backflow prevention device is a must. This will stop fertilizer and pesticides from flowing into your potable water system. If you are a business owner needing to install a fire sprinkler system it will require a backflow prevention device. Typically, fire sprinkler systems aren’t used very often. The water sits for long periods of time and becomes stagnant. For this reason, a prevention device will stop any bacteria from flowing into the potable water.

Contact New Age Plumbing Today

The plumbing terms and jargon may be foreign to you. If you are confused about backflow prevention and whether you need it or not, we can help. Our experts can assess your system or your corporate building and let you know what you need. Give us a call today for more information.