Backsiphonage: What It Is and How To Prevent It
If you’re a business or homeowner and have had your water shut off, you probably want to know more about it. Sometimes referred to as a backsiphonage, it happens when the pressure in a part of your plumbing system drops low enough for contaminated water to flow backward into uncontaminated pipes, such as those which carry drinking water.
How Does Backsiphonage Happen?
Backsiphonage occurs when water in pipes or plumbing fixtures becomes contaminated with air. The resulting pressure difference causes the dirty water to be sucked back into your home’s clean-water supply system, which can contaminate it and cause serious health problems.
What Is the Difference Between Backflow and Backsiphonage?
Backflow occurs when contaminated water is returned to the clean supply. This can happen if you leave a hose connected to your outside faucet all winter and don’t drain it.
Backsiphonage occurs when someone tampers with or improperly operates valves on plumbing fixtures like toilets, sinks, and dishwashers. For example, turning them off too quickly after use can cause contaminated air from inside pipes to enter through open traps.
How To Prevent Backsiphonage
The most common way is using an atmospheric vacuum breaker on all of your outdoor hose bibs, faucets, and irrigation systems. A vacuum breaker will release the negative pressure, which causes water to flow backward. You can also use an anti-siphon device that has specially weighted floats with metal balls inside to prevent suction forces from moving it.
If you are facing backsiphonage issues, then it is time to get in touch with Southside Atlanta Backflow Repair.
We are a team of highly trained professionals who have years of experience dealing with this problem. Our technicians can help you resolve this issue once and for all without causing any damage to your property.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our experts.
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