CF ChatterFix
Preventive Maintenance

Backflow Preventer Annual Test

A backflow preventer keeps building water — irrigation, boiler treatment, fire system — out of the public supply. It is one of the few facilities tasks where failure is a public health event rather than a building problem, which is why testing is legally mandated almost everywhere.

Interval Annual
Est. Duration 1.0 hr
Steps 4
Applies To Facilities & Property Management

The Procedure

The steps ChatterFix schedules for this PM. Every step is a checkable item on the work order — a technician can speak their way through it without touching a keyboard.

  1. Isolate and test each assembly with a calibrated gauge
  2. Record differential pressure readings against limits
  3. Repair or replace failed check valves and relief vents
  4. File the certified test report with the water authority

Why This PM Exists

A backflow preventer keeps building water — irrigation, boiler treatment, fire system — out of the public supply. It is one of the few facilities tasks where failure is a public health event rather than a building problem, which is why testing is legally mandated almost everywhere.

What Skipping It Looks Like

A failed assembly nobody knows about, plus a compliance violation and potential shutoff notice from the water authority. The certified test report is the deliverable — an untested working valve is still a finding.

Setting the interval

Annually as a minimum, and after any repair or replacement. Local authorities frequently require more, and always require a certified tester.

Equipment This Covers

Common Questions

How often should this PM run?
Annual. Annually as a minimum, and after any repair or replacement. Local authorities frequently require more, and always require a certified tester.
How long does it take?
Budget about 1.0 hour for a technician working to the standard procedure. ChatterFix uses that estimate for capacity planning, then learns your plant's actual time from completed work orders.
What happens if we skip it?
A failed assembly nobody knows about, plus a compliance violation and potential shutoff notice from the water authority. The certified test report is the deliverable — an untested working valve is still a finding.
Can I use this checklist in ChatterFix?
Yes — this exact procedure ships in the Facilities & Property Management industry pack. Pick your industry at signup and it is scheduled on the right assets automatically, with no configuration.

Related Procedures

Stop Retyping Your PM Library

This procedure — and every other PM for your industry — is already built into ChatterFix. Pick your industry and it lands on the right equipment, on the right interval, in about three minutes.