Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing - Advice, Discussion and Tips from ARS®/Rescue Rooter®. Welcome to the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect, your online resource center for information, answers and interactive advice about air conditioning, heating, plumbing and drain maintenance. As part of our commitment to providing exceptional service, we created the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect to be a useful tool with many helpful ways to find what you need.
During the hard freeze, the top cover on my backflow preventer for the sprinkler system popped and some of the plastic contents inside were broken. Is this something that I can purchase and replace myself, or do I need a professional?
There are two types of sprinkler backflow valves that are commonly called by the same name. One is a backflow prevention device that is built into the valve. It is designed to keep the water from backing up from the landscaped areas into the domestic water system. Replacing this valve is a relatively simple job that can be completed by most homeowners. However, you will need to keep in mind several things about the process. Buy the correct replacement parts, turn off the water before starting the work, let the glue dry completely if you are using PVC, use Teflon tape with all your threaded pipe fittings, and check all fixtures in the house when the water is turned back on. (Sometimes the fixtures can get blocked with debris when you turn off and on the main water supply.) These are all simple things to keep in mind when you are a plumber, but some homeowners may overlook one or more and this can cause problems. The other type of sprinkler valve is a backflow valve that is dedicated strictly for a domestic water system (mainly for commercial buildings but also sometimes in residential applications). This second type of backflow valve for the domestic water supply is strictly regulated by each city and, unlike the first valve, it has to be checked and certified once a year. A professional plumbing contractor, such as ARS/Rescue Rooter of Houston, TX at (281/713) 777-7777, will be happy to assist you with this repair.
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Bob Soappman I started heating and air conditioning in the U.S. Army doing field repairs on refrigeration systems
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