Safe, clean drinking water is vital for any residential or commercial property. However, pressure changes within municipal or property plumbing systems can cause contaminated water to flow backward into the clean water supply—a hazard known as backflow.

Installing and maintaining certified backflow prevention assemblies ensures your drinking supply remains safe and uncompromised.

Understanding Backflow

Backflow occurs primarily due to two conditions:

1. Backsiphonage: Occurs when negative pressure in the main supply pipe draws contaminated water backward (e.g., during main breaks or high-volume fire hydrant usage).

2. Backpressure: Occurs when pressure downstream from the supply exceeds incoming city pressure (e.g., from boilers, booster pumps, or elevated storage tanks).

Cross-connections near irrigation systems, commercial chemical lines, fire sprinklers, or boiler setups are vulnerable points for backflow contamination.

The Importance of Annual Testing

To prevent cross-contamination, local health codes require commercial facilities and properties with specialized systems to install approved backflow preventers. Because these valves contain moving parts that wear over time, annual testing by certified technicians is mandatory in most jurisdictions.

A certified technician tests valve seating, checks pressure differentials, and repairs worn components to ensure absolute protection.

Schedule your mandatory annual inspection with a qualified full service plumbing company ohare to maintain safe water and comply with municipal requirements.