Backflow Device Tests for Milton Buildings
A backflow device keeps water inside your building from siphoning back toward the town main. The Region expects many commercial owners to have theirs tested regularly.
- Testable devices checked with a calibrated gauge kit
- Failed checks and relief valves rebuilt
- New devices installed where a hazard calls for one
- Test results recorded for your filing
- Reminders so the next test is not missed
- Licensed plumbing trade
- Booked around your day
- Price agreed before work
- Phone only, no forms
On the truck
- Moisture meter and thermal look
- PEX crimper, copper torch, push fittings
- Pressure gauge on a hose bib
Tested before we leave
- House held under pressure after the repair
- Every joint wiped dry and looked at again
- Main shut-off worked before we leave
How pricing works
Quoted on site, after we have opened it up and found the cause. Nothing starts without your yes.
| You notice | Usual cause | On the job |
|---|---|---|
| Stain spreading on the ceiling | Leak at a fitting in the floor above | Moisture meter, open a small hole, repair |
| Meter dial moving with taps off | Hidden leak on the supply side | Isolate zones, pressure-test each |
| Pinholes in copper, green crust | Corrosion from water chemistry | Replace the run in PEX or copper |
Where backflow devices are found
- Main water entries for plazas, offices and industrial units
- Fire sprinkler connections
- Lawn irrigation systems
- Boiler make-up water and chemical feed lines
- Restaurant soda machines and dish chemical dispensers
What the test involves
- We note the device make, model, size and serial number.
- Water to the building is briefly shut down at the device.
- We hook a differential gauge onto the test cocks.
- Both checks and the relief valve are read against its required pressure differential.
- Results are recorded and the device is returned to service.
The water is usually off for less than half an hour per device, but we will tell you beforehand so staff are not caught mid-task.
When a device fails
Failures are usually a fouled check seat, a torn rubber disc or a relief valve that dumps constantly. Most can be rebuilt with a parts kit from the manufacturer. If the device is obsolete or damaged beyond repair, we replace it with an approved model and retest.
The Region and your paperwork
Halton Region has run a backflow prevention program that asks owners of certain properties to have devices tested by a qualified tester and to submit results. Which properties fall under it, how often a test is due and how results get filed are set by the Region and may be revised, so confirm the present rules with them. We give you the test details you need either way.
- Keep a copy of every test result
- Note the due date of the next test
- Call us before any renovation that changes the water service
Questions we get asked
Does a house need backflow testing?
Most single-family homes do not have a testable device unless there is an irrigation system or similar connection. It is mainly a commercial, institutional and multi-unit requirement.
Plumbing at home instead?
Houses, townhomes and rural properties are covered on our residential plumbing page.