Backflow Prevention Newcastle
Backflow prevention
It is a crucial element in protecting the supply of drinking water in Australia. Backflow prevention mechanisms are installed into plumbing to ensure that, when water pressure changes, there is no ‘backflow’ of contaminated water back into the clean supply.
Backflow devices can be installed in many different types of properties and in fact, depending on the type of property you own or live in, you may be legally required by your local water authority legislation to have a backflow prevention device fitted. It’s also important to book in a backflow prevention test once a year to ensure your backflow prevention device is working as it should.
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How does backflow prevention work?
Backflow can happen when water pressures changes in the pipes, for example when there’s a break in the main water line or if a nearby fire hydrant is opened. Pressure will be lost from the system, and water may no longer be pushed forwards, instead of flowing back into the main supply.
When this happens, backflow, or contaminated water, can get into the clean water supply, bringing with it pesticides, waste, and chemicals. This is why it’s so important that certain kinds of properties install a backflow prevention system and ensure it’s regularly maintained.
Backflow prevention devices are actually relatively simple devices which ensure that water can flow in one direction but never the other, so if backflow starts to seep back towards the main supply, the backflow prevention device will stop it in its tracks.
Why install a backflow prevention device
Backflow prevention devices are crucial in preventing the potentially dangerous contamination of the drinking water supply.
If you own a commercial property, you should be aware of whether your property has backflow hazards. These property types are more at risk of contamination from backflow than others, and should always have backflow devices correctly installed and maintained. Properties with backflow hazards include:
– Hotels or other premises with swimming pools
– Factories and chemical plants
– Pest control facilities
– Food and beverage processing plants
– Hospital autopsy areas and funeral parlours
– Caravan parks
– Rubbish dumps
It’s not difficult to see why backflow prevention devices are so important in some of these properties, where backflow of dirty water making its way back into the main supply could pose a serious threat, both in terms of chemical hazards and sickness.
Maintaining your backflow prevention device
You can’t just ‘fit and forget’ a backflow prevention device. It’s important to make sure your backflow prevention device is working as it should with regular tests, usually once a year. Over time, wear and tear or other kinds of damage can prevent the device from operating properly, and annual inspections are designed to identify any problems and fix them before serious issues arise.
At Murphy Plumbing, we frequently install and test backflow prevention devices to a high standard. To book us in or get a quote for backflow prevention testing, just give us a call or get in touch here.