SERVICES

Each year, every business must have their backflow prevention equipment or assemblies inspected and tested by a certified backflow prevention tester.  Inspection should be done at installation and once a year afterwards.  If hazards or violations exist, municipality water departments will deny or immediately discontinue service until the business or resident has corrected the issue.

We test assemblies for two reasons:  to see if backflow is present, and if there is, to determine the issue so that it may be repaired.  Each municipality has specific criteria that needs to be met during the testing process. For a list of Georgia city and county watershed management resources, click here.

Before we test your backflow prevention assembly test 770BACKFLOW does the following:

1.Obtain permission from the owner or representative of the property, for the water to be shut off.  If the device being tested supplies a fire line, the appropriate authorities need to be notified of the shut off.

2. Observe and record the conditions of the device assembly and surrounding area.

3. Record or verify the manufacturer, the model, the serial number, size and location of the device.

There is nothing specific a property owner needs to do to prepare for a backflow test.  They can, however, uncomplicate their life and speed up the process by making sure everyone involved knows the water will be shut off and that they need to make alternative plans for water use.

A question we often hear - Do we replace backflow prevention assemblies, or do we repair them when they fail our testing? It depends on the situation. A backflow prevention assembly repair can be many different things. It can be as simple as removing a cover to examine the assembly or a simple cleaning of internal parts. Sometimes it can involve replacing parts or the installation of a completely new device.

There are several variables, but here are some things to consider...

How old is the assembly? 

Are the repair parts readily available? 

Is it less expensive for you to replace rather than repair? 

How difficult will the repair be? 

Is it simply time to update the assembly? 

What material is the backflow assembly made from?  

What does the county or city watershed management require?

In an instance of new construction or when a new device is required on an existing property, backflow prevention assemblies must be installed according to municipality watershed management specifications. Usually the information needed by the municipality includes the make, model, size, and serial number. The location of the backflow prevention device will need to be provided well as well (i.e. looking from the street, left side of house next to AC). For more information on your municipality requires click here.    

 770BACKFLOW is a division of Royal Flush Plumbing.  For a list of all Royal Flush Plumbing commercial and residential plumbing services, click HERE.