Backflow Prevention by Licensed Boston Plumbers
Plumbers 911 Keeps Your Drinking Water Safe from Harmful Chemicals
Drinking water is a valuable natural resource. Unlike some states in the Southwest, New England has been very fortunate when it comes to its water supply. However, it’s still important to protect our drinking water from contamination.
In order to make sure that water from the municipal water supply makes it all the way to the tap, it’s kept at a certain minimum pressure. However, if that pressure is reduced for some reason, used water can seep back into the water supply. When that happens, it’s called a backflow.
The most common source of this kind of contamination are
water storage tanks, dishwashers, washing machines, and other appliances which have both a water supply and a drain. These are called cross connections. Other major cross connections are fire sprinkler systems that connect to a water main.
Most appliances that could be cross connections are required by law to have built-in precautions to prevent backflow. However, in some larger systems, additional steps have to be taken.
How Backflow Prevention Works
The simplest and most common method of preventing backflow is an
air gap. Basically, it’s an upward bend in a water pipe that is filled with air. In effect, it’s like an upside down P-trap, like you’d find under your sink. When necessary, water can flow through it, given enough pressure, but since backflow occurs at lower pressures, it prevents contamination.
There are times when there is not enough space or vertical clearance to provide an air gap. In those cases, we install a backflow prevention device. There is a wide variety of these on the market, which can be chosen depending on the particular needs of the site. Here’s a short list of the more common types:
- Double Check Valve (DCVA): This is basically two check valves coupled together in a row. If one fails, the other one acts as a backup. Usually used for low-risk applications such as fire sprinklers where hazardous materials are not involved.
- Reduced Pressure Zone Device (RPZD): RPZDs also use two check valves, but also have a low pressure area between them. This provides additional safety when dealing with hazardous liquids because it will still provide some protection even if both check valves fail.
- Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker (AVB): These devices use water pressure to keep a poppet valve closed in a 90-degree bend in a pipe. If the water pressure drops, the poppet valve opens, allowing air into the system. It is effective in situations involving hazardous liquids, but cannot be used in areas with air contaminants.
- Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB): This is a more versatile version of the AVB, which uses a spring-loaded poppet which allows it to function even if there are valves downstream of the PVB.
Most cities and states will dictate when backflow prevention device installation is required. Often, these regulations will also specify which device to use for different situations and applications.
Choosing the Right Boston Plumber
Once you’ve determined that you need to install, test, or repair a backflow prevention device, you need to decide who to trust with the work. Plumbers 911 is the best choice for independent, locally-owned plumbing contractors in Boston.
Plumbers 911 is a nationwide referral network that connects home and business owners to reliable and affordable plumbers. We work with established contractors who have worked hard to establish excellent local reputations. When they pull up to your door, it’s their name on the side of the truck, guaranteeing excellent service that you wouldn’t get from a chain or a franchise.
Despite its reputation as a center of culture, education, and the arts, we know that Boston is still a working class town at heart. That’s why we hire only the best union plumbing technicians who are fully licensed and insured. In order just to earn that license, each of our technicians must complete over a hundred thousand hours of training.
We are able to deliver you a wide variety of excellent services because we are constantly investing in our people and equipment. Our contractors have frequent access to professional improvement training to upgrade their skills on new equipment and techniques. We also provide them with all the tools and parts that they need for a job, so you won’t have to wait for them to “run back to the shop” because they were unequipped for the work.
What Plumbers 911 Can Do for You
In addition to backflow prevention, we also offer the whole range of plumbing services. Because of their extensive training and preparation, our contractors are ready for anything. Here are just a few of the things we can help you with:
24/7 Emergency Repair: If something goes wrong with your plumbing, it has to get fixed right away. An unrepaired leak can cost big money in structural repairs and mold removal. Because we’re local, we’ll get there as soon as possible to get everything patched up as quickly as possible.
New Construction and Remodeling: You don’t have to wait for an emergency to call us. If you’re building a new home, office, remodeling your kitchen or bathrooms, we can help. We can handle every aspect of installing a complete plumbing system or upgrading an old one. We’ll do everything from installing water-efficient appliances to connecting your home to water mains and sewers. We can even handle heating system and air conditioner installation.
Commercial Plumbing: We’re also equipped for bigger jobs. Whether it’s laying out the sewers and water mains for a new subdivision or installing professional-grade appliances for a restaurant and institutional kitchens, we’re happy to do the work for you, on time and on budget. Not only that, in case of a plumbing emergency, we’ll get you back in business in no time.
So what are you waiting for? Call Plumbers 911 today at (855) 550-9911 for reliable and economical services from a
local Boston plumbing contractor. You can save money and gain peace of mind by letting us help you get ahead of your plumbing problems now.
