Backflow Prevention
Perth and WA
EMERGENCY OR PREVENTATIVE BACKFLOW PLUMBING COMPANY
If you are in need of backflow prevention services or need to take care of a backflow problem, give us a call. Backflow issues can cause property damage and impact the safety of drinking water. It is important to get it seen to as soon as possible.
If you are an owner or leasing a property where your business is subject to a high or medium risk hazard rating, then your properties drinking water should, by law be protected with testable back flow prevention devices.
What is a high or medium risk hazard rating you ask?
It is a rating system that is used to provide the correct protection for drinking water against backflow. These categories are high, medium and low. A high hazard rating is defined as having the potential to cause death. A medium hazard rating is defined as having the potential to endanger health but not cause death.
Firstly you might be asking what is backflow and how does it occur?
Backflow is a reversal in the normal direction of water flow within the piping of a plumbing system.
This occurs in 2 ways: Backsiphonage, and Backpressure.
WHAT IS BACKSIPHONAGE?
Backsiphonage occurs when there is a partial vacuum (negative pressure) in the water system, which draws the water from a contaminated source into your drinking water supply. The water pressure within the suppliers (water corporation) system falls below that of your house or property plumbing system it supplies. This effect can be likened to siphoning or sucking water through a straw. Backsiphonage can occur when there is a burst or ruptured water main, or due to excessive demand during firefighting operations or other periods of high demand. During these events the water pressure is reduced significantly around the withdrawal point, creating a partial vacuum. During such conditions it is possible for contaminated or non-drinking water sources such as air conditioning systems, water tanks, boilers, fertilizer tanks and washing machines to be drawn back into the drinking supply. How often do you see a garden hose submerged in a container full of liquid? It just takes these events to occur and that liquid in the container is drawn up through the garden hose into your house drinking water.
WHAT IS BACKPRESSURE?
Backpressure is when the water pressure within a plumbing system exceeds that of the suppliers (water corporations) system. The higher pressure of the source downstream is pushing back on the water because the water upstream is lower in pressure. Pumps and temperature increases in water are usually the cause of increases in downstream pressure.
Different properties contain varying risks to water supply through backflow. They come under the categories of high, medium and low risk.
High and medium properties require testable backflow devices to be installed that are tested every 12 months, this is due to the high risk nature of the source they contain. By testing the valves every year it ensures that the back flow devices are working and drinking water is safe from backsiphonage and backpressure.
