Your Marion, IL home requires a safe flow of water so you can stay hydrated, clean your home, cook, wash clothing, and run appliances like your dishwasher. Water should flow in one direction within your plumbing system to protect the quality of your water. When water flows in the opposite direction, this can contaminate your clean water source. This is called backflow. Certain homes are more prone to backflow, but we’ll discuss the role of backflow prevention in residential plumbing systems.
Understanding Backflow
When water flow reverses in your plumbing system, your health may be at risk. Backflow can introduce microbes, bacteria, and other contaminants into the water you drink, bathe, and cook with. Backflow also has the potential to cause damage to your plumbing system. This can create a risk for leaks, pipes bursting, or corrosion, all of which can be devastating to the integrity of your home.
Homes can experience backflow because of a sudden change in water pressure. Also, you may have certain areas of your plumbing system incorrectly installed, which is preventing an appropriate flow of water in a certain direction. A water main break in your area can result in backflow as well. Essentially, any scenario where water pressure exceeds the water pressure from your water supply can lead to backflow.
Protecting Your Health and Well-Being
As we mentioned, there are several contaminants that can enter your water when backflow occurs. Even a small number of microorganisms or chemicals can lead to gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Small children, pets, and the elderly are at an increased risk of health issues because of backflow contamination.
If you know that your property is at risk of a backflow problem, you’ll want to work with our team to ensure that you have appropriate backflow prevention devices installed. Even if you don’t have a high risk of backflow, these devices can provide extra assistance if there is a water main problem in your area at any point. You’ve probably heard about municipalities recommending that residents boil their water for 24 to 48 hours after work has been done locally. You can often avoid this with backflow prevention and/or whole-home filtration equipment.
Protecting Your Plumbing System and Equipment
When backflow occurs, there is a risk of corrosion taking place. While pipes will corrode over time, it usually takes decades for this to occur. Backflow can speed this process up, leading to leaks. Water damage is something that can ruin your personal belongings as well as your residence. Just a small amount of water can rot the wood framing of your home. It can also lead to mold growth, which is dangerous to your health.
It’s not uncommon for backflow to create problems with your appliances. Things like your dishwasher, washing machine, and drinking water system can all be compromised because of backflow. This can lead to expensive and involved repairs.
Investing in Backflow Prevention Devices
Different types of backflow prevention devices are available. This includes pressure vacuum breakers, atmospheric vacuum breakers, and double-check valves. Regardless of what you choose, they will all provide you with the ability to limit your risk of contamination and exposure. We recommend having our team inspect your plumbing system to determine if you are at an increased risk. We commonly install backflow devices on areas of your plumbing system that are cross-connection points. These are areas that often experience water pressure changes. Backflow devices will utilize some type of barrier, vacuum, or valve to direct water one way. You will be able to use your plumbing system like you normally do. The devices activate when they sense backflow is occurring.
Maintaining Your Backflow Prevention Devices
You should always have a professional install your backflow prevention devices. Once the installation is complete, we recommend having our team come to your home once per year for a routine inspection. We can check your backflow prevention devices to ensure everything is working correctly and provide repairs or maintenance if necessary. It’s a good idea to catch an issue early before it becomes a more involved problem.
Recognizing Backflow Issues
Most homeowners don’t realize that backflow is a legitimate problem that they should pay attention to. If you notice things like frequent leaks or premature corrosion of your pipes, these may be signs that backflow is something that you need to address. Having professional repairs only to have the same issues occur again can indicate there is frequent corrosion going on.
Odd smells coming from your faucets and drains can be an indication of backflow. You may also notice that your water appears cloudy or dirty when it comes out of the tap. You should never drink water that you think tastes odd. Never ignore health issues with no known cause, such as nausea, persistent vomiting, fatigue, and headaches. Contact our team to diagnose what’s going on.
Is Backflow Common?
While there are certain homes that are more prone to backflow than others, this is a scenario that occurs more often than you realize. Some homeowners experience backflow with no obvious signs or symptoms, which makes a problem hard to spot. It can take a few years for plumbing damage to occur. As we mentioned, a water main break in your area can cause backflow. This isn’t something you can prevent from occurring. You can, however, take steps to protect you and your family from the fallout of the issue.
If you have fire hydrants in the area where you live, their use can cause backflow in your home. This is because of the large amount of pressure that comes out of these hydrants. One way to spot a potential backflow issue is to watch for low water pressure when hydrants are in use.
Your residence can experience backflow if you have remodeling or construction work being done on your property or in your home. Make sure that you’re working with an experienced plumber from our team before you start any work at your home. We can help you prevent backflow and ensure all the work is being done correctly and to code. There are codes in place that apply directly to backflow prevention devices to ensure they don’t cause issues of their own for your home or your nearby neighbors. You may be required to have testing performed on your backflow device periodically. Certifications may also be required.
Our team at Baker & Sons Plumbing in Marion can inspect your plumbing system for signs of backflow risk, providing you with a professional recommendation for how you should address this issue. We can also provide other plumbing services, such as drain cleaning, leak detection, water heater maintenance, and toilet installations. We work on septic and sewer systems as well, providing trenchless sewer repair, septic aeration systems, and video camera inspections with specialized equipment. We even offer commercial services and below-ground storm shelters. Contact Baker & Sons Plumbing in Marion today to schedule an appointment.
