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Langley Backflow Testing, Repairs & Installation

Certified backflow assembly testing for commercial properties, stratas, irrigation systems, and fire lines across Langley

Call: +1 (236) 233-9696

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24/7 emergency plumbing services. Give us a call anytime and we'll be there to help.

Your water is supposed to flow one direction: from the city main, into your building, out through your fixtures.

Backflow is when that reverses and non-potable water gets pushed or pulled back into the drinking water supply.

It happens two ways:

Backpressure. The pressure inside your system becomes greater than the pressure in the city main. Boilers, pumps, and tall buildings can all do this. The higher pressure pushes water backward into the main.

Backsiphonage. Pressure in the city main suddenly drops — a water main break, a fire hydrant opening — and the resulting vacuum siphons water backward out of your building.

Either way, whatever's in your irrigation lines, boiler loop, or process equipment can end up in the drinking water. That's the reason the testing requirement exists.

What backflow actually is

If your property has a testable backflow prevention assembly, your municipality requires it to be tested by a certified tester and a passing report filed, usually every year

Did you get a notice to test your backflow assembly?

It isn't optional, and it isn't something a general handyman can sign off on. The test has to be performed by a certified backflow assembly tester using calibrated equipment, and the report goes to the municipality.

We do the test, we do the repair if it fails, and we file the paperwork. Call (236) 233-9696.

Backflow preventer vs. backwater valve they're not the same thing

This trips people up constantly, and it's worth being clear about, because the two devices do opposite jobs.

A backflow preventer protects your drinking water. It's installed on the potable water supply, and it stops contaminated water from reversing back into the clean water system. These are testable assemblies — RP, DCVA, DCDA, PVB — and they're the devices your municipality requires you to test.

A backwater valve protects your basement. It's installed on the sewer or drainage line, and it stops sewage from backing up into the building when the municipal sewer surcharges. It's a flap valve. It has nothing to do with drinking water and it isn't part of cross-connection control.

If you got a letter from the Township about annual testing, they're talking about a backflow preventer. If your basement floods with sewage in a heavy rain, you're thinking about a backwater valve.

We install and service both. Just different problems.

Which Langley properties need backflow testing

Requirements vary by municipality and by hazard level, but testable assemblies are typically required on:

Commercial and industrial buildings — premise isolation at the service connection
Irrigation and lawn sprinkler systems — fertilizer and pesticide are the hazard
Fire sprinkler systems — usually a DCDA
Boilers and closed-loop mechanical systems — glycol and treatment chemicals
Stratas and multi-family buildings
Restaurants and food service
Medical and dental offices
Any property with an auxiliary water supply — a well, a cistern, a pond

What we do

Testing. We test your assembly with calibrated equipment and file the passing report.

Repair. Backflow assemblies are mechanical — springs, seats, and rubber wear out. A failed test usually means a rebuild, not a replacement. We'll tell you which it needs and why before we touch it, then retest and file.

Installation. New assembly, new construction, or replacing one that's past rebuilding.

Whatever it needs, no call-out fee. You pay for the work, not for us showing up.

Red Seal certified

Willem is a Red Seal certified plumber with over 30 years in the trade, licensed, insured, and WorkSafeBC covered. Backflow assembly testing is a certified specialty and we hold the certification to do it.

Backflow Reviews

Read our client experiences with our plumbing services and solutions.

Frequently asked questions

How often does my backflow assembly need testing?

Your municipality sets the schedule and will send you a notice with your deadline. If you've lost the notice or aren't sure, call us and we'll help you sort it out.

What if it fails the test?

Failures are common these are mechanical devices that wear. Most failures are a rebuild rather than a full replacement. We'll tell you which, do the repair, retest, and file the passing report.

Do I need this on my house?

Most single-family homes don't have a testable assembly. But if you have an irrigation system, a boiler, a well, or a pool auto-fill, you might. Call and we'll tell you.