Becoming a first-time homeowner means learning how to tackle all kinds of common issues, damage, and dangers in and around your home.
The backflow of sewage or contamination from groundwater making its way into your home’s fresh water supply is one issue that most homeowners don’t think about. That is until it happens to their home.
Backflow is a serious problem. Besides being a possible indicator of damage to your pipes, it can also put your health and the health of your family at risk. It’s also a problem that can only be diagnosed and treated by a professional.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about backflow, and how to find the best backflow testing Las Vegas has to offer.
What is Backflow Testing?
Backflow testing is a process performed by a plumber that is designed to test your home’s plumbing system.
The goal of this test is to determine whether or not your home’s freshwater is being contaminated by dirty water making its way into the water supply.
When is Backflow Testing Needed?
If this is the first time you’re hearing about backflow testing, you might be worried that unsafe water is a more common issue in homes than it really is. For the most part, dirty water making its way into your home’s drinking water isn’t a common problem.
However, for older homes with aging pipes or for a home that has suddenly experienced a drop in water pressure, it is a real concern.
Another cause of contamination in a home’s water supply is sewage backup. This issue occurs where your home’s water supply connects to your city’s water.
Sometimes backflow testing is needed even if a leak or drop in pressure isn’t obvious. The presence of chemical contaminants in your water or heavy metals leaching from old pipes also calls for backflow testing to help determine their source.
What Causes a Sudden Drop in Water Pressure?
Homes may experience a sudden drop in pressure for a number of reasons. One is freezing pipes that burst. Another is an unusually high demand for your home’s water supply. A broken pipe that’s been damaged by tree roots, contact from bulldozers working in your yard, or erosion can also allow contaminated groundwater to enter your pipes.
The damage to your pipes will cause your home’s water pressure to drop suddenly. That’s because the water in your home is kept at a constant pressure. This allows water to flow from one household device to the next; for instance, the same freshwater supply powering your shower, toilets, and sinks.
When a leak or break in a pipe occurs, this pressure is disrupted. Instead of a steady flow of water, like what you normally enjoy, your flow will be slow. Even with faucets turned all the way on, you may have a low flow of water. Sometimes the water coming from your taps will also be visibly dirty or discolored.
How Backflow Testing Will Help You Get to the Root of Your Pressure Problems
When you know or suspect that your home’s water has been contaminated, you’ll need to schedule backflow testing in order to confirm your suspicions.
If your only indication is a drop in water pressure, backflow testing is very important. This test can help you determine whether the loss of pressure is really due to pipe damage, or whether something else is affecting your water supply.
Why is Backflow Testing So Important?
A sudden drop in your home’s water pressure is far from the only consequence of backflow. The presence of heavy metals, sewage, and other contaminants in your water could be putting your health and the health of your family at risk.
Sewer water contains a variety of dangerous disease-causing organisms. Even in small amounts, these organisms can be very dangerous — or even deadly — if they make it into your drinking water without you realizing it.
Some of the organisms that could be carried into your home if a backflow of sewage occurs include:
- Pinworms
- Giardia
- Solmonella
- E. Coli
- Hepatitis A
- Shigella
- Camplobacter
- Enteroviruses
- Cryptosporidium
Contact with these organisms can lead to a variety of health problems. Other contaminants in your water, like heavy metals, also pose a serious health risk.
Can You Perform Backflow Testing on Your Own?
There are plenty of common plumbing problems that homeowners with the will to learn can tackle on their own. But backflow testing isn’t one of them.
Backflow testing requires specialized equipment, the knowledge to use it, as well as the ability to read the results of the test to determine whether or not a home’s water supply is being contaminated.
While you may not be able to test backflow on your own, you can install a backflow prevention device to decrease your chances of contaminants making their way into your home. These devices are a great investment. However, these devices can’t be tested once they are in your home. So you will still need to call in the professionals for backflow testing if you have reason to suspect that your device has failed.
Choosing the Best Backflow Testing Las Vegas Has to Offer
If you know or suspect that your home’s water has been contaminated, it’s important to stop using it right away, and take action to get the problem fixed. Call in the best backflow testing Las Vegas has to offer to get to the root of your problem fast so that you and your family can safely use your home’s water.
At Rakeman Plumbing, we specialize in backflow testing and backflow repairs. We’re offer the best backflow repair Las Vegas has to offer, with experienced professionals who can quickly and efficiently test your home’s water and fix the problem or test and repair your home’s backflow prevention device.
Don’t trust this sensitive test and repair to just anyone. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment or get 24/7 emergency plumbing repair when you need it most.
Recent Comments