What is Backflow, And How Can I Prevent It?

06/29/2015

If you’ve ever been washing your hands or taking a shower, and suddenly found a flow of disgusting water coming up through the drain, you’ve encountered backflow. There are two systems that make up the waterworks of any home, the plumbing system and the sewer system. These two systems rely on a balance of pressure that allows water to flow in one direction, from the plumbing system to the sewer system. When that pressure suddenly changes, it can cause the flow of water to reverse, causing sewer water to flow back up into the home and out of the drains. Read on to find out more about the problems this can cause, and how to prevent it.

Backflow Problems

Aside from being pretty disgusting, backflow can have some substantial negative effects on your home. The largest concern is that when backflow occurs, you have sewer water flowing through pipes that is only meant to carry fresh water. This contaminates the pipes, making all of the water in your home unsafe to drink or bathe in until you have the whole system cleaned. This is obviously a time-consuming and costly process, which no one wants to deal with if it can be avoided. The easiest way to prevent backflow issues is with a backflow prevention device.

Backflow Prevention

A backflow prevention device is a valve that ensures that water continues to flow in the proper direction through your system. When backflow does occur, the valve closes and prevents it from contaminating your plumbing. This is the single best way to protect your home against the negative effects of backflow. In fact, it’s so effective that most cities require backflow prevention devices be installed in all homes.

If you need a backflow prevention device installed in your home, call Rooter Man. We install and service backflow prevention devices throughout Albany, NY.