Backflow testing is one of the few fire protection requirements that protects something other than the building: the public drinking water supply.
What backflow is
Water in a building's plumbing and fire sprinkler piping is meant to flow one direction — from the municipal supply into the property. A pressure drop in the main, a burst pipe, or heavy demand nearby can reverse that flow and pull water back out of the building and into the public system.
Water that has been sitting in fire sprinkler piping, irrigation lines, or process equipment is not drinking water. A backflow prevention assembly is the mechanical barrier that stops it from traveling backward.
Why annual testing is required
Backflow assemblies contain check valves, relief valves, and seals that wear, foul with debris, and fail without any outward sign. The device can look perfectly fine and no longer prevent backflow at all. That is why water purveyors across Arizona require annual testing by a certified tester, with results submitted directly to them.
Missing that test is one of the few fire protection lapses that can trigger a notice from the water provider rather than the fire department.
What happens during a test
A certified tester isolates the assembly, attaches a calibrated test kit to the test cocks, and measures whether each check valve holds and whether the relief valve opens at the correct differential pressure. The water is briefly shut off to the protected system, so tests are usually scheduled around business hours.
If the assembly fails, it is repaired or rebuilt — worn seals, fouled checks, and damaged relief valves are common — and then retested and certified.
Backflow testing in the Phoenix Metro area
AZ Fire Protection, LLC performs backflow testing, certification, repair, and installation for commercial and residential properties across Phoenix, Glendale, and the surrounding metro area, and handles the paperwork your water purveyor expects. Call (602) 908-8629 to schedule your annual test.
Need help with this in your building?
AZ Fire Protection, LLC serves Phoenix, Glendale, and the surrounding Arizona metro area, 24 hours a day. See our commercial fire protection services or service areas.