There are things that homeowners and businesses want to avoid at all costs. This includes water backflow. This situation can cause major problems for a home or business and to the people who inhabit them—especially because of the danger of tainted water. There are many bugs that contaminated water can cause—none of them fun and many of them requiring greater use of plumbing systems.
Backflow is when the water in a home or business actually reverses flow and contaminates the city supply. What happens is the waste water heads out of the home plumbing system, when it suddenly reverses course and combine with fresh water. Needless to say, this is not a pleasant situation for the health of the public water supply.
Backflow occurs when water pressure drops suddenly and the flow of water reverses. The sudden and drastic drop in water pressure can be caused by a broken water main, opening hydrant, or other sudden changes to pressure, including a failure at the pumping station.
Backflow Preventer Devices
Backflow devices are available and can prevent contaminated water from entering the fresh water supply. These devices work by staying open when water flows in one direction. If the device senses that water is flowing in the opposite direction, the backflow device will shut down.
Residential homes generally use either hose bib backflow devices, or pressure type vacuum breakers to prevent backflow from contaminating a home’s water. A hose bib lets water to flow in one direction. If water pressure drops, a spring in the hose bib will close, and the valve will open which expels backflow water before it can contaminate the water supply.
The pressure type vacuum breaker is installed on the pipe that supplies water to the home, or other systems such as home sprinkler systems. This device monitors or senses the water pressure, and if the pressure turns negative suddenly, the air pressure closes the valve so backflow cannot occur. Businesses in South Florida rely on backflow devices which must be maintained and inspected on a yearly basis.
Both of these devices work best when installed by professional residential and commercial plumbing experts. A to Z Statewide Plumbing is your full-service Miami plumbing company and Hollywood plumber and we can ensure that you and your home are properly protected from backflow.
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