Enter the double detector check valve.  Just as the name suggests, when water flowing in the wrong direction is detected, the two check valves will close, thus preventing the flow of water, and they will not open again until water begins flowing in the correct direction.

Most irrigation systems are connected to a potable water supply. Backflow preventers, as the name implies, prevent contaminated water from flowing back into the potable water supply. Backflow can occur if there is a sudden pressure drop in the municipal water line. This could be caused by the opening of a fire hydrant for example. When the pressure drops on the supply side of an irrigation system, water that is standing around a sprinkler head can be drawn back into the municipal water line, thus contaminating the potable water supply. Backflow preventers keep this from happening.

Double Check DetectorAssembly

State Licenses & Certifications State Lic. BP0004915 State Registration SCR-U-2005364 State Lic. RME-U-2005362 State Lic. LI0003339 Certified Water Auditor State of Texas Training Provider-699

Homeowners are required to have their water system inspected one each year.  For affordable backflow prevention, those in Texas turn to City Backflow Testing, licensed and certified pros in the backflow field.  When your family’s health is your chief concern, only the best will do, and the best is City Backflow Testing.  Why settle for less than the industry-leading experts in backflow testing?

Because the potential risk for contamination is high, most municipalities require the installation of a backflow prevention device on all irrigation systems and require that they be tested at least annually.

A double detector check valve is a double check assembly used in backflow prevention to protect potable water supplies from contamination.

Double Detector check valvevs backflow preventer

Hose Connection vacuum breaker

Most major cities across the country require some sort of backflow preventer system, since Federal law requires the protection and supply of clean water to citizens.  Backflow has been and is a very real concern, so let’s take a brief look at the cause of backflow or back-siphonage.

Many people do not understand the importance of having an irrigation backflow preventer and why it is necessary. The landscape around your home or business is filled with all sorts of things that can make you sick if ingested. Fertilizers, pesticides and the bacteria found in pet wastes just to name a few.

Visit the irrigation specialists at W.P. Law, Inc. for quality irrigation systems and supplies, plus get more information and advice on why an irrigation backflow preventer can be a benefit for your system.

But what happens if the water pressure suddenly decreases?  This can happen quite easily if several water mains are opened to fight a fire, and it can happen during flooding situations.  In those cases, where there is a dramatic decrease in water pressure, the water will actually reverse flow, or backflow, meaning that contaminated water from inside homes and businesses will flow back to the main supply.

The most common usages of a double detector check valve are on lawn irrigation systems, fire sprinklers, and combi-boiler systems.  If the hazard is higher, a more reliable check valve system is used, such as a reduced pressure zone backflow preventer.

This particular type of backflow preventer used two check valves assembled in a series, and this is done for two reasons: one, if one check valve fails, another is still in place; and two, the closure of one valve reduced the pressure differential across the other, allowing a better seal and avoiding leakage.

FEBCO

Water systems function on a water-pressure theory.  Water pressure is increased at the city’s end of the water supply, and that water pressure “pushes” water from the potable water supply to individual homes and business.  All is well as long as the water pressure is higher at the city’s end of the system.

There are several types of backflow prevention devices. The type of device you are required to install is largely dictated by local codes. These codes can vary by water purveyor so make sure you contact them for a list of approved devices and manufacturers.

Sign up today to keep up with the newest information from one of the Southeast’s leading suppliers of fluid handling equipment!