Why is Backflow Testing Necessary?
Backflow occurs when contaminated water mixes with potable water, or water safe to drink. That can become extremely dangerous for obvious reasons, so it’s vitally important to prevent that problem by having a backflow testing procedure done every year.
Even though backflow testing is very important for your home or business and the health of each person who could be exposed to contaminated water, you may not realize if there is a problem. If backflow starts happening, it will not necessarily cause a large, noticeable leak. Your water won’t start coming out of the sink looking brown or yellow. While the taste and quality of your water might change, you might not notice it for a long time. A specifically trained plumber must complete a backflow test to detect it.
Furthermore, since plumbing systems in cities and towns interconnect, contaminated water can potentially spread to nearby homes and businesses. Therefore, an annual test of the backflow in every home and business in Illinois is required by law. The Lake County, IL water use ordinance states that the law requires backflow testing to protect the public water supply from contamination or pollutants.
The Importance of Certified Backflow Testing
Certified backflow testing ensures that your water supply is not only safe but also compliant with state regulations. A certified backflow tester will use state-approved equipment to detect any issues with your backflow prevention device. This process identifies potential hazards before they escalate, safeguarding both your property and the larger community.
Regular backflow inspection and testing prevent serious health risks, such as exposure to contaminants like fertilizers and chemicals that can backflow into your water supply. With licensed backflow testers at American National Sprinkler & Lighting, you can trust that every test meets strict legal and safety standards.
Where Can Backflow Occur?
Backflow can only happen with a cross-connection, a link between a clean water supply and contaminated or polluted water. If you are not sure what this would look like, you might be surprised to realize that there is probably a perfect example of cross-connection right in your backyard.
After you finish using your garden hose, you might turn the water off and wrap the hose up again immediately. That would prevent your hose from coming in contact with any dangerous substance.
However, many people overlook this. They often let their hoses run while resting in the grass, pool, or elsewhere, and then leave the hose out. This way, garden hoses can easily touch harsh, toxic chemicals used for insecticides, lawn fertilizers, weed killers, and more.
This situation represents a cross-connection because your hose initially dispenses clean, potable water. However, if it sits in a cesspool of bacteria, dirt, or toxins, contaminated or polluted water might flow back through the hose.
To prevent backflow in situations like this, you must install a backflow prevention device at every cross-connection point.
At American National Sprinkler and Lighting, we call all the backflow prevention devices we install RPZs, or Reduced Pressure Zones. The state of Illinois approves these backflow prevention devices, but they require an annual check. This routine maintenance ensures cities and towns avoid backflow problems.
How Do I Know if My Backflow Has Been Tested?
The most common device for preventing backflow in Illinois is the RPZ backflow preventer. These devices are designed to regulate water flow, ensuring that contaminated water does not re-enter your clean water supply. Backflow prevention devices must undergo annual testing to remain compliant with Illinois law and to guarantee their functionality.
If your system includes additional water connections, such as sprinkler systems or pool fill lines, testing your backflow prevention assembly becomes even more critical to ensure all cross-connections are secure.
Check your RPZ or backflow prevention device for a small tag. This tag should always be there. It indicates the last testing date for your device. If you can't find a tag or if the date has expired, contact American National Sprinkler and Lighting immediately.
If you recently became the owner of a property in Illinois, you must schedule and complete an annual backflow testing. If you’ve never done this before, contact American National Sprinkler and Lighting to set an appointment with a licensed plumber.
How to Book a Backflow Testing Appointment
Each year, the state of Illinois will remind you to schedule your backflow test. After testing, ensure your test report reaches your village and state.
We understand you have a lot on your plate, and remembering an annual plumbing appointment might not be a priority. If you are a customer at American National Sprinkler and Lighting, we simplify this process for you. In fact, we don’t need you to adjust your schedule or to-do list!
Each spring, we contact all our customers to schedule their sprinkler's seasonal opening. During that call, we will also inquire about completing your backflow test. Most of our customers prefer both appointments simultaneously.
After testing, we manage all paperwork, so you don’t have to. We provide you a copy of the backflow test report and submit it to your village and the state of Illinois.
Annual Backflow Testing: Why It’s Non-Negotiable
Skipping your annual backflow testing can lead to fines, water contamination, and plumbing issues that are costly to resolve. The process is straightforward with American National Sprinkler & Lighting. Our team completes the backflow prevention test with minimal disruption to your day and manages all necessary paperwork for state and municipal compliance.
Protecting your water supply is not just a legal requirement—it’s an investment in your health and peace of mind.
Talk To A Professional Today
Our system continues to work great, and we always appreciate getting the phones calls to let us know when it is time to schedule the opening and the closing of our system. Andres and his partner do a terrific job putting our system to bed in the fall, and opening it up again in the spring, noting any work that might need to happen before we can begin to water again the next season.
Erica RegunbergOctober 16, 2019
What to Expect from the Backflow Testing Procedure
If you aren’t familiar with backflow testing or plumbing, the process might seem daunting. But with American National Sprinkler and Lighting, you can complete your backflow testing swiftly without adding tasks to your to-do list.
Here’s a breakdown of what we do during your backflow test:
Understanding Backflow Testing Costs
Many property owners are concerned about the backflow testing cost, but the expense is minimal compared to the potential damages caused by water contamination. American National Sprinkler & Lighting offers competitive pricing for backflow device testing, ensuring that you get top-quality service without breaking the bank.
For those requiring repairs, we also provide affordable solutions for backflow preventer repair to keep your system in peak condition.
1. Before the Test
To properly test your backflow, licensed plumbers have to get permission from the owner of each property to temporarily shut the water off. If you are the owner, this doesn’t require any extra steps. However, if you are a property manager, this is something American National Sprinkler and Lighting will take care of for you.
In Illinois and Lake County, almost all of our customer’s RPZs are located on the exterior of their home. If this is the case, you do not even need to be at home for us to complete the test.
Since almost all home and property owners in our area of Illinois have exterior backflow prevention devices, we schedule backflow testing appointments by location. For example, we will schedule and complete 30 or more tests in Highland Park or in Deerfield. Since we are managing your backflow testing procedure, we make the best use of everyone’s time and energy.
In the rare case that your RPZ unit is in the house, we will schedule a more specific day and time to complete your test. If you need to test your pool or fire sprinklers, this will apply to you.
2. During the Test
If you are like the vast majority of Illinois home and business owners, your backflow prevention device is located outside of your home. And in this case, you don’t have to be home during the backflow testing, and the entire process will not interfere with your schedule or routine at all.
Our procedure for backflow testing takes about 20-30 minutes. If you are home, we will let you know that your water will be turned off temporarily.
The backflow testing procedure consists of various checks to make sure your backflow prevention device is, in fact, preventing backflow. All plumbers from American National Sprinkler and Lighting are licensed and use a state-approved gauge that is regularly calibrated.
Backflow can only become a problem when there is a change in water pressure that causes the pressure of contaminated water to become more powerful than the potable water. Therefore, testing your backflow consists of opening and closing valves to make sure that all your maintenance systems are working correctly. If your plumbing system passes the test, it means that your device is doing its job to prevent water pressure from contaminating your water supply.
3. After the Test
After your test has been completed, will we return on a different day to tag your backflow prevention device. This is an additional way to track the maintenance of your device. It shows you and authorities when your last test was completed.
You will also receive a copy of your backflow testing report, and we will mail it to the correct village office. At the end of the year, we also mail out each of our customers’ backflow testing reports to the state office of Illinois.
Why Choose American National Sprinkler & Lighting for Your Backflow Needs?
At American National Sprinkler & Lighting, we go beyond just backflow prevention testing:
- Our licensed backflow testers are equipped with the latest tools to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
- We provide comprehensive services, including backflow valve inspection and maintenance.
- Our team simplifies the process, combining appointments for sprinkler system maintenance and backflow testing to save you time.
Call today to schedule your certified backflow testing or learn more about our services. Protect your water supply with trusted professionals committed to keeping your system safe and compliant.
Get Peace of Mind with Backflow Testing Benefits
If you’ve never heard of backflow testing, it might be scary to think about how dangerous it could be. In fact, it should be scary! If there is a problem with your plumbing system, you could be giving toxic chemicals to your entire family every single day, and not even realize it.
All you have to do is schedule an appointment, and our plumbers will complete the test while you are at work, school, or having coffee. If you need more information about the pros and cons of backflow testing, read this article.
Your backflow prevention device, or RPZ, should be something that you don’t have to think about or worry about. When you choose to work with us, we take care of every detail. You can be sure that your water is always clean--all you have to do is say yes!
You can call us at 847-338-0321, or fill out our form below.