15 replies to this topic

[Rob Randall]

Some friends have asked us to look after their house while they're away for the summer. An awkwardly-worded letter from the CRD arrived in their mailbox stating that it is time for their backflow preventers to be tested.

They say that in order to reduce the frequency of interruption they are trying to synchronize the test dates for all devices and that some devices require testing earlier than anticipated and that synchronization may take "a few weeks". I have to take the attached form to "the BFP tester of my choice" (as if I have a favourite BFP tester like I have a favourite local ale brewer or classic rock station).

I have no idea what the hell any of this means. Is anyone else here dealing with this?

Edited by Rob Randall, 24 July 2015 - 07:30 PM.

[phx]

It's for the irrigation system.  I'm thinking an irrigation company would be able to do the testing.

[Rob Randall]

OK, thanks, that makes sense. There's nothing on the forms mentioning sprinkler or irrigation.

[Sparky]

Backflow preventers must be tested by a licensed "individual" annually and the required certificates shall be submitted to the CRD. Typically they are installed on irrigation systems and building sprinkler systems in order to prevent the water within these systems from feeding back into the domestic water pipes.

[LocalMom]

CRD requires testing every three years for residential (single-family?), yearly for commercial (and multi-family?!).

Edited by LocalMom, 24 July 2015 - 10:41 PM.

[Sparky]

I don't see anything on their website that says that residential (read single family) is any different. Multi residential is definitely annual.

[LocalMom]

Our irrigation company that performed our BFP testing (this year, 2015) and submitted to the CRD informed us that it now didn't need to be done for three years.

[sebberry]

I don't see anything on their website that says that residential (read single family) is any different. Multi residential is definitely annual.

 

I don't know if we even have one of these things on our irrigation system.

 

And I'm a little confused at how the water can flow back from the irrigation system into the domestic supply when the irrigation valve closes with 30+psi of water behind it?

[jklymak]

Google is your friend.
http://www.irrigatio...preventers/#why

[Sparky]

I don't know if we even have one of these things on our irrigation system.

And I'm a little confused at how the water can flow back from the irrigation system into the domestic supply when the irrigation valve closes with 30+psi of water behind it?

Water pressure can change. An example is if a fire hydrant down the street is opened up there can be a negative pressure in your building for a short while causing all the water in your building to go backwards.
There was a situation in Vancouver some time ago where this happened and someone had a garden hose sitting in a vat of somthing toxic, the negative pressure sucked this crap into his neighbour's pipes causing harm. All new houses are required to have "check valves" on their hose bibs now because of that incident.

[Bingo]

Like the olden days when you could siphon gas out of some ones tank. Is that the same thing?

[Mike K.]

You can still do that, no?

[Bingo]

You can still do that, no?

 

It's not as tasty...no lead in it.

[LJ]

There was a situation in Vancouver some time ago where this happened and someone had a garden hose sitting in a vat of somthing toxic, the negative pressure sucked this crap into his neighbour's pipes causing harm. All new houses are required to have "check valves" on their hose bibs now because of that incident.

I hate those things, they make such a racket. I took all mine off.

[LJ]

I don't see anything on their website that says that residential (read single family) is any different. Multi residential is definitely annual.

To the best of my knowledge I have never had mine tested, perhaps the irrigation guy that blows the pipes out in the fall does it, but he hasn't said anything to me.

[Sparky]

Maybe you don't have a backflow device. Maybe only houses that had irrigation installed under permit is known to the CRD......hence the notice that Rob's friend received.