First a bit of background… a backflow prevention device is designed to provide an extra level of protection to potable water. The devices are submitted to CSA (Canadian Standards Association) and and undergo rigorous testing. These devices have many moving parts and with today's "no lead" regulations, more and more of these devices use plastic and rubber parts. These parts open and close and enormous number of times with regular use and are subject to wear and tear.

If your device fails every year:

Likely one of two things are happening: 1) Your tester does not charge enough to test and has to increase the invoice with repairs, or 2) Your device has been installed without investigating weather there are other issues causing severe usage, such as i) severe pressure (>100 psi), ii) low pressure (<25 psi), iii) water hammer, or iv) lack of strainer upstream.

If your device passes every year:

Just like a car which is currently running well, you can expect parts to fail from time to time and require replacement. In order to keep the device running optimally for as long as possible, it should be cleaned and lubricated as per the manufacturer's maintenance recommendations.

If your device needs replacing every year:

Device parts are designed to be serviced inline. Replacement of the entire valve should only be required under the following circumstances

• Parts are no longer available for the model.
• The valve has been frozen and parts will no longer seat properly.
• The valve has been in a fire and the parts will no longer seat properly.
• A tow motor or some other piece of heavy equipment has damaged the device beyond repair.