We Provide Certified Backflow Testing Services in the Metro Denver, Boulder & Loveland Area!
Automatic sprinkler systems, whether they’re residential or commercial, typically have an important valve whose function is to protect your health and that of your neighbors, too. In many cases, these plumbing control valves are even required by local code – and their use extends well beyond just lawn and flowerbed sprinklers. They go by a variety of names, but the most common are “pressure vacuum breaker (PVB),” or “backflow prevention device.” Our licensed plumbing team at Save Home Heat Company has been installing them in homes for years.
In this blog post, we’d like to introduce homeowners and business owners in the Denver Metro, Boulder, and Loveland areas to our expanded backflow prevention services, which now include state certification and accredited testing for single-family and multi-family dwellings, restaurants, and many other commercial applications.
What is Backflow Testing?
Backflow testing is a plumbing safety check which ensures that a home’s or business’s potable water (for drinking, showering, medical, cooking, dishwashing, and more) cannot mix with non-potable water that’s used in applications such as sprinkler systems or a wide range of commercial uses that don’t require drinking-certified water.
When we perform backflow testing and certification, the primary thing that we check is the system’s backflow prevention device, to make sure it’s installed correctly, in full accordance with Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), and doing its job as designed. Periodic certification of backflow preventers is required in most commercial applications.
Why Backflow Testing Is Needed
Backflow testing ensures that potentially contaminated, non-potable water doesn’t mix with a home or building’s potable water supply, the latter of which is certified for uses such as drinking and cooking, as well as locations including restaurant kitchens and doctor’s offices, among many other commercial applications.
Contaminants that may be present in non-potable water may include varying levels of substances such as fertilizers, pesticides, sewage, and even chemicals from industrial or commercial applications that may have entered your nearby environment. So it can be seen that backflow devices and testing help to protect your health and wellbeing!
The benefits of backflow testing include:
- Prevents unhealthy contaminants from entering potable water in homes and businesses
- Satisfies health and safety code requirements
- Help identify backflow device issues before they can become a health & safety issue
- Extends backflow device lifespan
- Help avoid service disruptions in commercial applications
State Licensing for Backflow Testing: What You Should Know
A current plumbing license is not required in order to perform installation, testing, inspection, or repairs of a backflow prevention device in Colorado. However, in all cases in Colorado, in order to perform approved testing or repairs on backflow prevention devices, an accepted “cross-connection control” certification is required.
In Colorado, plumber certification for backflow testing that’s recognized by municipalities and water providers is often provided by the American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA) and the American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE), among others.
Some local municipalities may, in addition, also require a current plumbing license to do approved backflow testing and related work, even though this isn’t required on the state level. Our plumbing team at Save Home Heat is led by a licensed Master Plumber, and all our lead plumbers and plumbing techs are licensed plumbers, providing an additional level of professionalism and peace of mind for our customers.
Side Note: our team is not currently licensed to perform backflow testing on fire suppression systems, which requires additional training and another level of certification. That may be added to our services at a later date.
Commercial Backflow Testing & Certification
In commercial applications, periodic backflow testing is normally required by state and local code, i.e. required by law. Restaurants and food services, healthcare facilities, doctors and dentist offices, office buildings, irrigation and watering systems, senior living, and a variety of multi-family residences are some examples of where this service is routinely needed.
For many commercial systems, backflow testing and documentation are required annually. After successful testing, our certified plumber ‘tags’ the backflow valving, and our team sends documentation to the appropriate water utility or governing authority for our customers.
Backflow Testing in the Metro Denver, Boulder, and Loveland Area
In summary, our team at Save Home Heat Company has been installing PVBs and backflow preventers for many years, and now our customers can enlist our expertise for a broader range of locations and needs that require backflow device testing, maintenance, repair, or new installation.
In the Denver Metro, Boulder, and Loveland area, for both businesses and homes, please reach out to our certified plumbing team for dependable, professional backflow prevention services – and please keep us in mind for your complete home plumbing needs, too!
Please contact me to schedule a backflow test in Greater Denver – Loveland – Boulder
