Winter is Coming

… never mind, it’s here!

As the temperatures drop to record lows across many parts of the US it’s important to remember that your Back Flow Test Kit is a sensitive piece of equipment, and can easily be damaged by the cold temperatures, especially if allowed to freeze!

Each year we see a large number of kits that appear to have been damaged during this time, and the most expensive areas of the test gauge to repair are the ones that are most likely to be damaged by the drop in temperatures.

Here are a couple of rules for winter care and maintenance.

1.  Drain your test kit after each and EVERY test. Open all the valves on the kit and let as much water drain out as possible. Tilt your kit, and gently shake it. Dance with it if you have to. Keep doing it until you are sure you have drained all the water possible out of the unit.
2. Leave the valves open. Once you have drained your kit, DON’T close the valves. In fact, leave them open all the way. This ensures that what water is left inside, if it happens to freeze, has some room to expand, hopefully without any damage to the unit.
3. Keep your kit where it won’t freeze. This is a no-brainer but we have to say it. If you use a pickup for your testing work, make sure that you keep your testing kit inside the vehicle with you. Driving between jobs is often enough time for the water inside the kit to freeze and potentially cause costly damage. Also, bring your kit indoors overnight. We generally tell people, if you wouldn’t leave a 3-year-old child somewhere, don’t leave your kit there.