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Artisan Water Group
Backflow Prevention & Testing in Lake in the Hills, IL
Backflow is what happens when water in your plumbing reverses direction and goes back into the public supply. It sounds theoretical until you consider what is connected to a typical home: an irrigation system sitting in soil and fertiliser, a boiler loop full of treated water, a pond auto-fill.
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A pressure drop on the municipal main — a hydrant opened for a fire, a water main break, heavy demand on a hot afternoon — can create enough suction to pull water backward through any of those connections. A backflow prevention device is the one thing standing between that and the drinking water.
Which is why they are required by code on those connections, and why they have to be tested annually by a certified tester. Not because anyone enjoys the paperwork, but because a device that has silently failed provides exactly no protection at all.
When you need backflow work
Most of this is scheduled compliance. Some of it is a device telling you it has failed.
You received a notice from the Village
Annual test notices go out for registered devices. Missing the deadline can mean fines or, in some jurisdictions, service interruption.
You have a lawn irrigation system
Irrigation is the most common residential cross-connection, and it is the one that almost always requires a tested device.
The device is discharging water
An RPZ dumping water from its relief port is doing its job — telling you an internal check has failed. It needs repair, not a plug in the drain line.
You are adding a boiler, pond fill or fire line
Any new connection where non-potable water could reverse into the supply needs a device sized and installed to code.
You run a commercial property
Restaurants, salons, medical and industrial connections all carry cross-connection requirements, usually with more devices and stricter records.
The device is more than a decade old
Internal checks, springs and seats wear. A device that fails its test can often be rebuilt rather than replaced, and that is worth checking first.
How testing and installation work
Testing takes well under an hour. Installation depends on where the device has to go.
1. Identify the device and its registration
Type, size, make, serial number and location. That record is what the Village matches your test report against.
2. Test with calibrated equipment
Differential gauge on a calibrated kit, checking each internal check valve and the relief valve against required pressure differentials. Pass or fail is a measurement, not an opinion.
3. Repair on the spot where possible
Most failures are worn rubber — check discs, seats, springs. We carry common repair kits so a failed test can frequently become a passed one the same visit.
4. Re-test after any repair
A repaired device is retested and the result recorded. There is no such thing as a partially passed device.
5. File the report
We submit the test report to the Village on your behalf and give you a copy for your records. That is the part that closes the notice out.
6. Set the next reminder
Annual is annual. We flag it so the next notice is not the first you hear about it.
What actually gets protected
The device exists to protect the public drinking water supply — everyone on your street, not just your household. That is why it is a code requirement rather than an option.
The most common residential cross-connection is lawn irrigation. Sprinkler heads sit at ground level in soil that may have fertiliser, pesticide or animal waste on it. If the municipal main loses pressure, the suction can pull that water backward through the irrigation line and into the supply.
Others worth knowing about: boiler and hydronic heating loops containing treated water, fire suppression lines, pond and water feature auto-fills, and any hose left submerged in something. That last one is why frost-free hose bibs have integral vacuum breakers — and if you have a pond or water feature with an automatic fill, that connection needs a proper backflow preventer rather than a convenient tee.
Freeze protection matters here
An RPZ device is full of water and its relief port is open to atmosphere. Left outdoors and unprotected through a McHenry County winter, it will freeze and crack — and you will discover it in April when you turn the irrigation on and the device dumps water across the side yard.
The correct approach depends on the installation. Irrigation devices are typically drained and winterised in the fall along with the sprinkler system. Devices in enclosures need genuine freeze protection rather than a foam cover. Indoor installations avoid the problem entirely and are worth considering when the layout allows.
We handle the winterisation as part of fall service, and we would much rather do that than replace a cracked assembly in spring. It is the same principle as hose bibs and outdoor spigots — five minutes in October saves a real bill in April.
What backflow work costs depend on
Testing is a small, predictable job. Installation varies with the device and the location.
- Number of devices
- Testing three devices in one visit costs much less per device than three separate trips. Commercial properties often have several.
- Device size and type
- A residential irrigation RPZ is straightforward. Larger commercial assemblies take longer and need more equipment.
- Test only, or test and repair
- A pass is a pass. A failure adds a rebuild kit and a retest, which we would rather do on the same visit than book twice.
- Accessibility
- A device in an accessible utility room or an irrigation enclosure is quick. One buried in a pit or boxed into finished space is not.
- New installation requirements
- New devices need correct height above grade, freeze protection, a drain path for the relief port, and clearance for future testing. Getting those wrong means doing it twice.
- Permit and filing
- New installations are permitted. Test report filing is included in what we do — we are not going to hand you paperwork and wish you luck.
If your device fails, we tell you whether a rebuild kit will fix it before recommending replacement. Most failures are worn rubber, not a dead assembly.
Backflow Prevention & Testing FAQs
How often does a backflow device need testing?
Annually in most Illinois jurisdictions, including for residential irrigation systems. The Village tracks registered devices and sends notices, and the test report has to be filed to close the notice out.
Why is my RPZ device dumping water?
Because it is doing its job. A discharge from the relief port means an internal check valve has failed and the device is protecting the supply. It needs a rebuild or replacement — never a plug in the relief line.
Do I need a backflow preventer for lawn irrigation?
Yes. Irrigation is the most common residential cross-connection and virtually always requires a tested device. If your system was installed without one, that is worth correcting before anyone comes looking.
Can a failed device be repaired?
Usually. Most failures are worn rubber components — check discs, seats and springs — and a rebuild kit restores the device. We carry common kits so a failed test frequently becomes a passed one on the same visit.
Do you file the test report with the Village?
Yes. We submit it on your behalf and give you a copy. Handing you a form and leaving you to figure out the filing is not much of a service.
Often needed together
Related plumbing services
These come up on the same houses more often than not.
Commercial Plumbing Services
Small commercial and light industrial work — repairs, fixtures, grease lines and backflow compliance, scheduled around your hours.
Learn moreOutdoor Hose Bib & Spigot Repair
Frost-free replacements, split-bib repairs and fall winterisation — the small job that prevents a spring wall leak.
Learn more
Worth reading first
More on this from our blog
Homeowner Guides5 min readDo I Need a Permit for Plumbing Work in McHenry County?
Permits feel like paperwork until you file an insurance claim or sell the house. Here is what actually requires one and why it protects you.
Seasonal5 min readWinterizing Outdoor Faucets & Hose Bibs Before the First Freeze
Disconnecting the garden hose is the highest-return five minutes in home maintenance. Here is the rest of the fall routine.
Backflow Prevention & Testing
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Call and talk to the person who will do the work. Free written estimates on non-emergency backflow prevention & testing, and a price before we start on anything urgent.
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Please call (207) 419-2600 instead — a real person answers, nights and weekends included, and we can usually sort it faster on the phone anyway.
Why homeowners choose us for this
We are a licensed, insured, owner-operated shop based on Pine Street in Lake in the Hills. That means the person quoting the job is the person doing it, and nobody here is measured on how much they sold you.
Every recommendation starts with the water. At 26–28 grains per gallon, our supply is roughly six times harder than the national average, and it is the single biggest factor in how long anything in your plumbing lasts. Fixing the symptom without addressing that is how you end up calling someone again in two years.
And when a permit is required — water heaters, sewer work, gas piping — we pull it and show the fee on its own line. Ask every plumber you talk to for the same. Read more in our guide to plumbing permits in McHenry County.