What is a Backflow Preventer?
A backflow preventer is a necessary part of an irrigation system that helps make sure that the water in the pipes only flows in one direction, rather than backing up and going in the reverse direction.
What does a backflow preventer do?
Think of the backflow preventer like a gate or a turnstile at the subway station or amusement park. You can walk through, but if you try to turn around and go back you will find that you are out of luck. There is a barrier that prevents you from reversing course and returning the way that you came.
The same rules apply with backflow prevention. If a back siphon forms and the water in your pipes starts to reverse course, a backflow valve helps to keep the water from reversing course and going in the opposite direction back into your home’s drinking water pipes through a back siphon.