We talk with the customer to determine their specific testing needs. Occasionally we’ll need to contact the water district or get a copy of the reminder letter for additional information.
On test day, a backflow technician is dispatched to the job site. Once located, he removes any plugs or caps from the test cocks, flushes the ports, and attaches an adapter (if necessary). He will then use a differential pressure gauge in tandem with USC-developed test procedures to take readings that tell him if the assembly is working properly. He records these, along with make, model, serial number, size, and location of the assembly. Before leaving, he replaces any plugs or caps and checks to make sure the assembly handles are back in the original positions. Some work involves special access needs, fire alarms, or other factors that require extra time and care.
At the completion of the test, the technician is required to supply a copy of the test results to the water district or city. The test data results may need to be entered online, emailed in PDF form, or by sending the original form to their office. Each district or city has their own reporting requirements. Once back at our office, the job folder data is processed for billing. An invoice is created, payment is processed, and the customer receives an email with these documents including the test report copies as a PDF attachment to an email provided. If a valve fails, there may be additional steps, such as emailing a repair quote to the customer.