Backflow Preventers

Winter Haven Backflow Preventers

Liberty Plumbing and Septic has been installing and inspecting backflow preventers all over Polk County, including recently at Stewart’s Auto on 42nd street (off Havendale) and Winter Haven Honda in Winter Haven, Florida.  Backflow preventers are required for most commercial properties as a safety measure against polluting the water mains, and they are so important that they have to be inspected annually. 

What is backflow prevention and why is it so important?  Well, remember that water from the water main flows into every house and business, filling all the pipes, water heaters, pools, etc.  All this water is kept in place by the water pressure in the mains, but some businesses have to put their water under significant pressure, too.  If the water pressure in the mains dips down (maybe when everyone in the city flushes at the same time, or when a water main bursts), then the high-pressure water in houses and businesses can flow backwards into the main.  That’s fine if the water is clean, but if it is in a tank with chemicals, for example, the backflow would be a toxic catastrophe for whoever got that polluted water coming out of their spigots.

Backflow preventers come in different styles and strengths. The simplest ones look like an L sticking up out of the ground, like the ones mandated for new sprinkler systems.  Other backflow preventers use an air gap and a relief valve to let any backflowing polluted waters spill out on the ground before they can come near the water main.  The strongest ones have two air gaps and several valves to make contamination impossible, as long as everything is working properly

That security is what Liberty Plumbing and Septic provides, with Jerry being a certified UF TREEO backflow prevention tester.  Not only do backflow preventer have to be checked officially every year, but their certified testers have to be re-certified every two years, making sure they know the current technologies and the correct pressure specifications for all types of valves.  Though it may be an annoying annual inspection for Polk County businesses like Stewart’s Auto and Winter Haven Honda, it is essential to safeguard the water supply for us all.