Have you ever heard of backflow? It’s not a commonly used word and, chances are, unless you own a home that has had plumbing issues in the past, it’s probably not a term you’re familiar with. In plumbing, backflow is when wastewater reverses its flow. So instead of being drained to a treatment plant, it comes in contact with clean water.
Let’s break it down even further. Water comes into your home from a main water supply pipe.
It comes out of a faucet and is flushed down the drain. The water is supposed to go through a pipe that will take it to a water treatment facility. However, if pressure changes in that pipe, backflow can occur. That water can come back into your home or flow back into the main water supply.
As you can imagine, this causes a ton of health problems for you, your family, and your home’s plumbing system.
How does Backflow Happen?
Backflow doesn’t happen naturally. So if your pipes and plumbing are in good shape, then you should have nothing to worry about. It only occurs when there’s a break in the main water line or when a fire hydrant is opened for use. Because pressure is lost during these events, water is no longer being pushed forward into your home. It will instead go where it wants to go, which can be nowhere, forward, or backwards.
And when this happens, backflow can contaminate the public drinking supply with:
Fertilizers/pesticides
Human waste
Chlorine from pools/spas
Soap from sinks/dishwashers/showers
Areas Susceptible to Backflow
Areas that experience back pressure are more susceptible to backflow than others. What is back pressure? It’s where high-pressure fluids are pushed into areas with low-pressure fluids. Think of areas that experience high temperature differences, such as in/near a boiler, or in pumps in a water system.
It’s easier to picture it like this, though: imagine putting a straw into a cup of water, and then blowing into it. You’ll see bubbles coming to the surface. The bubbles are one pressure, while the water is another. The bubbles change how the water flows, which is how backflow can happen.
Another common area for it is back siphonage. This happens when higher pressure fluids are pulled to a lower pressure area. It’s a lot like back pressure, but instead of blowing into a straw, you’re using it like it should be intended — sucking the liquid up into it.
Examples of this include water main breaks or the high usage of local fire hydrants. Indirect cross-connections cannot have back pressure introduced and are therefore susceptible to back siphonage.
Why Is Backflow Bad?
Any kind of backflow is bad. Backflow can transmit contaminated water back into the municipal piping system or even your home’s piping system. In industrial systems, backflow can also cause cross contamination.
Basically, it turns clean water into contaminated water that may not be safe for drinking or contact with skin!
How to Prevent Backflow
There are ways to prevent backflow — the top one being a backflow prevention system. While it’s name is a little on the nose, the device delivers that promise. They’re installed onto a pipe so water can only flow in its intended direction. .
It’s basically a pair of check valves that prevent contaminated water from flowing backwards. Think of it like a gate that opens and closes, and diverts contaminated water away from your property or the clean water supply.
Most municipal codes and water utility companies require backflow prevention devices to protect the water main lines from contamination. The average homeowner should have a backflow device for a lawn irrigation system or for a boiler heating system. If you don’t have one on either of these devices, you could be putting yourself and family at risk of getting sick or worse.
If you have a preventer, make sure you get it inspected when you have your pipes inspected and cleaned. A defective backflow device in a boiler heating system could be very dangerous too! If it’s not working properly, you may get bursts of contaminated fluids leaking back into your home.
Thankfully, these preventers are easy to get. So don’t waste time worrying, call us today! Better Choice Plumbing offers Residential Backflow services, as well as plumbing inspections to make sure everything is in tip top shape. If you have any concerns with your current backflow prevention device, or would like to have a backflow prevention device installed at your residence, schedule an appointment with us now, BC Plumbing has you covered.