Every commercial and business facility must have a backflow prevention device in place to protect drinking water. Like any other kind of equipment, such a device must be well-maintained in order to perform its intended task. The key to ensuring this is testing your backflow preventer at least every year to three years, depending on the model.
There are different types of backflow preventers, so it is difficult to lay out a single way to test one. However, the basic idea is the same for every model. The water supply must be shut off as the test happens, so it is recommended to do it after hours.
Observe which direction water is flowing through the device, and gather the appropriate kinds and amount of test cocks and bushings. Shut off the downstream valve and wait several minutes and see if any problems arise. All test kit hoses come with instructions, so be sure to follow these to read results properly and attend to anything specific to your model.
We always recommend that a plumbing professional perform backflow preventer tests to minimize the risk of a misread or unintentional damage. Our trained technicians at MaintenX are the professionals for you, so give us a call when the time comes to test your backflow preventer.
