Fear the Backflow
With Halloween fast approaching, there are plenty of scary things lurking around your neighborhood. From teens looking to make trouble to toddlers dressed as mummies, everyone is getting in the tricky spirit.
As a homeowner, how can you keep the fear in the costumes and decor and out of your plumbing? Believe it or not, there is something terrifying that could be prowling through your pipes this fall, and it’s called backflow.
What is Backflow?
Backflow is when backpressure causes water to run in the opposite direction of your pipes’ flow. This typically happens when there is an uneven balance of pressure between the water supply and your home. It can also occur when water pressure drops significantly from overuse, for example during fire-fighting emergencies or city projects requiring a large amount of water.
The Dangers of Backflow
When your water changes flow direction, it can create a big, hazardous mess. New and clean water becomes mixed with your used and dirty water, changing the color, taste, and smell. It is also contaminating your water with:
- Human waste
- Fertilizer
- Soaps
- Pesticides
- Chemicals
These contaminants can make your home dirtier and make your family sick. To avoid using or even worse, consuming this tainted water, homeowners should install a backflow preventer.
Preventing Backflow
Luckily, the solution is simple in the form of a backflow preventer. This gadget is like a traffic director, moving the water supply to and from the correct places in a safe manner. If the pressure should change, the preventer is there to stop cross-contamination of your clean and used water.
Backflow Testing in Lynbrook, NY
We want your Halloween to be filled with treats, not tricks! Give AWS Plumbing, Heating & Cooling a call at (516) 217-2196 for backflow testing you can trust and start protecting your water from all the spooky contaminants out there.