Backflow Testing
Annual certified testing of your backflow preventer, with the test report filed with your water utility so the notice stops coming.
Quick answer
A backflow test is a certified tester putting a calibrated gauge on your backflow preventer to confirm each check valve and relief valve holds. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes per device, your water is off for a few minutes of that, and the completed report goes to your utility. Most Central Florida utilities require it every year.
Credentials on every report
- Certified backflow tester#7337
- Drinking water operatorDW #A20193
- Wastewater operatorWW #A16614
What you get.
Every time.
The price is quoted before the visit. The person who quotes it is the person who shows up, and the certification number on the paperwork is his. If it is not the right service for you, you hear that on the phone.
- 1Certified test with a calibrated gauge kit
- 2Report filed with your water utility
- 3Failed device? Repair quoted on the spot
Your water utility sent you a letter because the backflow preventer on your meter, irrigation line, or fire line is due for its test. The device stops water from your property flowing back into the public main. Florida rule 62-555.360 requires every public water system to run a cross-connection control program, and the way those programs work is simple: a certified tester checks the device, records the readings, and files the report with the utility. No report on file, and the utility can shut the meter off.
The test itself is not complicated. Tavish isolates the device, connects a differential pressure gauge, and checks each component — the check valves on a double check assembly, the relief valve on a reduced pressure zone assembly, the air inlet and check on a pressure vacuum breaker. Each reading either meets the minimum or it does not. If it passes, the report gets filed. If it fails, you get told what failed and what fixing it costs before anything else happens.
Who this is not for: if your utility already tests residential irrigation devices itself — Casselberry and Longwood both do — you do not need to pay us to duplicate it. Call the number on your notice first. Where we earn our keep in those cities is the repair after a failed test, and commercial or multi-device properties the city program does not cover.
What you need to do: nothing beyond making sure the device is reachable. Clear the plants back if it is buried in landscaping, and if it is inside a locked enclosure, have the key ready. You do not need to be home for an exterior device.
Backflow Testing by city
Backflow Testing — FAQ
How often does a backflow preventer have to be tested in Florida?
Most Central Florida utilities require testing once a year, and every utility requires a test when the device is first installed. A few run their own residential programs on a different cycle — Casselberry tests irrigation devices every two years, for example. The due date on your utility's notice is the one that counts.
How long does a backflow test take?
About 20 to 30 minutes per device once the tester is on site. Your water is shut off for a few minutes of that. A property with several devices takes longer, but they are done in one visit.
Do you file the report with the city, or do I?
We file it. Each utility has its own form and its own way of receiving it — some want it emailed, some have a portal, some still want paper — and getting that wrong is how a passed test turns into a second notice. You get a copy for your records.
What happens if the device fails?
You get a plain explanation of what failed and a price to fix it before we touch anything. Most failures are a worn check disc, a fouled seat, or a relief valve that will not hold — parts-and-labor repairs, not replacements. If the device genuinely needs replacing, we say so, and that is a plumber's job in Florida.
When should I not hire you for a test?
When your utility tests the device for you. Longwood tests residential devices for a fee, Casselberry tests irrigation devices through its own contractor, and Altamonte Springs tests residential devices at no charge. Paying a private tester on top of that is wasted money. Check your notice — it says who is expected to do the test.
Holding a notice? Call the tester.
Read us the notice. We tell you who it says should do the test, what it costs if that is us, and — if your city already tests for you — that you do not need us at all.