Have you ever noticed water coming back up out of your drains? Not a clog, where water just refuses to drain, but a situation where water is actively flowing backwards through the system. If so, you have a backflow problem. Backflow is a serious issue that can cause serious damage, prompting thousands of dollars in repairs. Read on to find out more about backflow, and how you can prevent it from happening to you.
What is Backflow?
Backflow is when a sudden change in your water system’s pressure sucks waste water back up into the system. Aside from being disgusting, this can have serious effects on your plumbing system. Your home’s plumbing network is designed to flow in only one direction for a reason: to keep fresh water and waste water separate. If backflow causes sewer water to run through all of your fresh water pipes, it essentially contaminates your entire water system. At that point, it isn’t safe to use any water for drinking or washing in until the entire plumbing system is thoroughly cleaned.
Why Backflow Testing is a Good Idea
Backflow is common enough, and damaging enough, that most cities legally require homes to be equipped with backflow prevention devices. In some areas, however, you may not necessarily need to worry about backflow. You don’t want to have your first hint of trouble to be when it actually happens to you, though, which is why backflow testing is a good idea.
Backflow testing is when your plumber evaluates your system to determine the possibility of backflow occurring. After that’s done, you can have a backflow prevention device installed as necessary. With backflow prevention testing, you can stop the problem before it starts.
If you’ve never had backflow testing done on your system before, call Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing. We provide backflow testing services throughout Chevy Chase, MD.