What is The Best Plumbing Device For Preventing Backflow?

Backflow is one of the most potentially devastating plumbing emergencies that can occur in your home.

Not only can backflow put yourself and your loved ones in danger of illness from exposure to unsanitary water, but it can also put the entire city of Abingdon, MD at risk as well.

Fortunately, you can help prevent backflow in your home by installing a simple backflow prevention device and having that device inspected at least once a year by the best plumbing experts in the state, PlumbCrazy.

Read on to learn a bit more about each of the backflow prevention devices currently available to you.

Backflow: What is It?

Backflow is a term that plumbers use to describe the reversed flow of sewage in your pipes, usually occurring in the cross-section of two pipes, which can cause it to back up into your home's potable water supply lines.

Aside from being disgusting and causing a mess, backflow can also pose a serious health risk to everyone in your homes. It can even threaten to contaminate public water supplies.

There are several reasons backflow may happen, including something called back-pressure, or an imbalance in pressure within a pipe that allows the sewage to slip backward in the wrong direction.

What Can an Air Gap do to Prevent Backflow?

The idea behind air gap devices isn't very complex. Simply put, keeping an air gap between the sewer drain line and the clean water supply line makes it nearly impossible for the sewage to enter the water line, even if its flow should be reversed.

For a visual understanding of how an air gap prevents backflow, think of a bathtub. The faucet is placed at a level above the rim of the tub so that you could run water to the highest possible water level in the tub, but it still wouldn't be able to get back into the faucet it came from. This keeps the dirty bath water separate from the clean water inside the faucet at all times.

How Does a Pressure Vacuum Breaker Work?

Pressure vacuum breakers work a little differently from air gap forming preventers. In a pressure vacuum breaker, the pressure check gage normally allows water to pass through the chamber without opening the air inlet valve.

If, however, there is a change in pressure within the vented chamber, the air inlet valve will begin to open and close, restabilizing the water pressure in the pipe and preventing backflow.

Pressure vacuum breakers are among the most popular backflow prevention devices on the market, though they may not be ideal for all homes.

Which Device is The Best Choice For Your Home?

When it comes to choosing the best backflow prevention device for your home, there are a few factors that should be taken into consideration.

First, there is the issue of environmental concerns with your backflow prevention device.

Living in the northeast, where our winters can get very harsh, you may want to avoid installing a pressure vacuum breaker, since they tend not to hold up well in cold weather.

Set yourself a home cleaning goal to protect yourself and your loved ones from backflow. Call PlumbCrazy today for backflow device testing and certification in Abingdon, Md.