Six Things You Should Know About Plumbing Backflow At Your Commercial Facility
Backflow is a severe plumbing problem that needs to be prevented at commercial facilities to prevent both safety issues and aesthetic problems in plumbing fixtures.
As the owner of a commercial facility, you should learn a bit about backflow so that you know how to prevent this problem.
The following are six things you should know about plumbing backflow:
Backflow occurs when water goes through a plumbing system in the wrong direction.
It's important to know exactly what backflow is in order to understand how you can prevent it and recognize it.
Backflow occurs when water in a plumbing system flows in the wrong direction. Rather than flowing away from a facility through the sewer line, waste water flows back into a building through pipes and into plumbing fixtures.
Backflow is either caused by pressure or siphonage issues.
The two causes of backflow are either back pressure or back siphonage.
Back pressure occurs when pressure levels become higher within the plumbing system of a facility than the pressure is on the water supply side.
Back siphonage occurs when pressure on the supply side is lowered for some reason so that backflow waste water gets sucked back up into the facility's plumbing system.
Backflow can put potable water at risk of contamination and cause unpleasant odors in plumbing fixtures.
Backflow creates a variety of different problems for a commercial facility, some of which bring about severe health hazards.
Waste water can contaminate the water supply to a building through backflow. It can also cause waste water to get into plumbing fixtures and lead to unpleasant odors.
Backflow prevention is of primary importance in designing the plumbing system for both commercial and residential facilities.
Building codes usually require some sort of backflow prevention measures in a structure's plumbing system.
Because backflow can be such a dangerous problem, building codes usually require that preventive measures are taken in the design of a plumbing system.
Backflow testing should be performed if cloudy, discolored water or strange odors are issuing from plumbing fixtures.
Recognizing backflow immediately when it occurs is important to having the issue corrected before it creates a health threat.
If a facility's water becomes discolored or smells unpleasant, it's important to have the problem looked into by a plumber to determine if backflow is the cause.
A backflow prevention device can be installed to prevent backflow.
Fortunately, there are numerous devices that can and should be installed in a plumbing system to prevent backflow.
One of the most simple ways to prevent backflow is to use an air gap system. This creates a vertical air space between the plumbing system's sewage drainage and the pipes coming out of plumbing fixtures to channel waste water away.
Some plumbing codes will specify a minimum distance requirement that must be met in the air gap backflow prevention device to ensure proper backflow prevention. Contact a plumbing service.