Sprinkler Backflow Testing and Repair

The backflow device is the brass fitting near your house or water meter that keeps sprinkler water from flowing back into your drinking water. When it leaks, cracks in a freeze, or you get a test notice, we can help.

Call 469-902-9800

A brass backflow assembly with blue-handled valves on copper pipes, rising from the mulch beside a red brick wall and boxwood

What the backflow device does

Sprinkler water sits in pipes in the yard, along with whatever is in the soil: fertilizer, weed killer, animal waste. If the water pressure in the city line drops, that water could be pulled back into the house pipes. A backflow prevention device stops that. Texas rules require one on lawn irrigation systems connected to a public water supply.

Testing

Backflow devices have to be tested by a licensed backflow tester when they are installed, and whenever your water provider requires it, which often includes after a repair. If you received a notice from your city, keep it handy when you call so we can see what they need and the deadline. The test checks that the internal valves are holding and that the device is doing its job.

A bronze backflow assembly with test cocks on copper risers in a bed of liriope in front of a limestone wall

Repair and replacement

Dripping or spraying from the device: worn seals or a stuck check valve. Many can be rebuilt.
Cracked body or bonnet after a freeze: usually needs replacement.
Leak at the shut-off valves on either side: the shut-offs can be replaced.
Device that fails its test: we repair it and re-test it.

Freeze damage

The backflow device sits above ground, so it is the first part of the system to freeze. The February 2021 winter storm cracked thousands of them across North Texas. A simple insulated cover and knowing how to shut off and drain the device before a hard freeze prevents most of this. See our freeze protection page.

An ice-covered brass valve assembly with icicles hanging from it and a split crack in the body, in frosty grass

Questions people ask us

Where is my backflow device?

Usually next to the house where the irrigation line comes off the main water line, often near the front hose bib. Some are in a box near the water meter.

How often does backflow need testing?

It depends on your water provider. Testing is required at installation and when the provider asks for it. Follow the schedule on any notice you receive from your city.

Can I fix a leaking backflow device myself?

We do not recommend it. Repairs often require a licensed tester to re-test the device afterward, and the parts are under pressure.

Worth reading before you call

Getting Your Sprinkler System Ready for a Hard Freeze in DallasThe parts of a Park Cities sprinkler system that crack in a hard freeze, the four steps to take before one, and what to…
Spring Sprinkler Start-Up Checklist for Park Cities HomesA zone-by-zone spring check for your sprinkler system in University Park, Highland Park and Dallas, from opening the shut-off to resetting the controller.
Backflow Preventers and Testing: What Texas Rules RequireWhat a sprinkler backflow preventer does, which types Texas allows, when state rules and University Park require a test, and how freezes damage them.

Sprinkler problem? Call and talk to a person.

Tell us what you are seeing: a wet spot, a dead zone, a geyser, a controller that will not turn on. We will tell you what it likely is and set a visit.