Gas, Water Quality & Specialty Plumbing
Backflow testing in Oklahoma City keeps water inside your property from flowing backward into the public drinking water supply. Lawn sprinklers, fire lines, boilers, restaurant equipment and commercial buildings rely on backflow assemblies, and testable assemblies must be checked every year under the plumbing code. We test them, complete the report, rebuild or replace failed units and repair irrigation backflow preventers after a freeze.
Talk to a plumber now
(405) 309-1873A backflow preventer is a set of check valves, and sometimes a relief valve, that stops water from reversing direction when pressure in the public main drops. Testing proves those parts still work. Our backflow service covers:
Pressure problems are not always the backflow preventer's fault. If the whole building runs low or high, water pressure repair may be the real fix.
Oklahoma uses the International Plumbing Code as its statewide minimum (the state moved to the 2024 edition effective September 14, 2026), and Oklahoma City adopts the code with its own local amendments. Section 312.10 of that code says reduced pressure principle, double check, pressure vacuum breaker, fire protection detector and spill-resistant vacuum breaker assemblies must be tested at the time of installation, immediately after repairs or relocation, and at least annually. Testing must follow one of the listed ASSE or CSA procedures, and annual inspections of backflow assemblies and air gaps are required as well.
That test result, in passing condition and on the report, is what owners usually mean by backflow certification.
Choosing the right assembly starts with the hazard. A lawn sprinkler, a fire sprinkler line, a commercial dishwasher and a medical office each need a different level of protection. We match the assembly type to the connection, size it for the flow, and place it where it can be tested and serviced.
Placement rules are strict in Oklahoma City. The City's amendment to the plumbing code requires at least 12 inches of access in five directions around every backflow preventer, and an adequate service platform for any installed more than five feet above the floor or grade. Splash pads and spray parks must be protected by a reduced pressure principle assembly. For fire lines, the City's design manual says the double check valve must follow the plumbing code as amended by Oklahoma City.
Replacement makes sense when the body is cracked, parts are no longer available, or the assembly no longer matches the hazard it serves.
Backflow test notice in the mail?
Call to schedule testing. If the assembly fails, we can repair it and retest it.
Sprinkler backflow preventers take the most abuse. They sit outside, often fully exposed, and they hold water all winter unless someone drains them. IBHS, citing University of Illinois research, treats 20°F as the temperature alert threshold for pipe freezing in southern homes, and an exposed assembly has far less protection than a pipe inside a wall.
Common irrigation repairs include cracked bodies and bonnets, blown test cocks, worn check valves, leaking shutoff valves and broken unions. After a repair, the assembly is retested before the system goes back in service. To keep it from happening again, our sprinkler system winterization service drains the assembly and lines before the first hard freeze.
| Assembly | Common use | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced pressure principle (RP) | High-hazard connections, commercial buildings, splash pads | Relief valve can discharge water, so it needs drainage and open space around it |
| Double check valve assembly | Fire sprinkler lines and lower-hazard connections | Two independent check valves, testable through test cocks |
| Pressure vacuum breaker (PVB) | Lawn irrigation systems | Code sets it at least 12 inches above the highest downstream piping, so it sits exposed to freezing |
| Spill-resistant vacuum breaker | Indoor or protected irrigation and equipment connections | Designed to limit spitting when it opens |
We price testing and repairs after we know what is installed. The main factors:
Oklahoma City weather is hard on outdoor assemblies. On February 16, 2021, the city dropped to minus 14°F, its second-lowest temperature on record according to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, and arctic outbreaks can follow mild weeks with little warning. An assembly left full of water through that kind of cold can crack before anyone notices. Commercial owners should also keep fire line and domestic assemblies on a calendar, and a commercial plumbing maintenance plan can track every test date for you. To learn who will be testing your assembly, meet our team.
Local, licensed and insured
Licensed
If an assembly fails, you need a repair and a retest, not a referral. Our licensed team can rebuild check valves, replace a relief valve or swap the whole assembly in the same visit when it is beyond repair, and we pull the permit and schedule the inspection when one is needed. That keeps a compliance deadline from slipping while you wait on a second company to come out and finish the job.
24/7
Backflow preventers on sprinkler systems usually sit above ground, and a hard freeze can split the body or blow out a test cock overnight. When that happens, water sprays until someone shuts it off. We answer 24/7, nights and weekends included, and we can walk you to the irrigation shutoff over the phone before we arrive to repair or replace the unit.
4.9★
Backflow rules confuse a lot of owners, especially when a notice arrives from the water utility. We explain what kind of assembly you have, what the test showed and what the report means, in plain language. That approach is a big part of our 4.9-star rating across 88 Google reviews. If a repair is needed, you see the failed part before we start.
Google reviews
These guys were great! A breath of fresh air from the usual contractor/service. They cared about fixing the problem not how much they can charge. I had a same day service need, leak in between floors, the day before a trip. They came out same day and presented multiple solutions as well as keen explanations.
Mr. Robert has amazing customer service and work ethic. He fixed our toilet very quickly and explained everything that he was doing, and even showed us the finished product. Awesome work!
After having issues with my bathroom and kitchen plumbing for a few days, I contacted Plumber Oklahoma City, OK Plumbing & Repair this morning. He told me he was very busy, but would work to schedule our repair in with his team.
Service area
We serve every part of Oklahoma City plus these surrounding towns.
Straight answers
The International Plumbing Code as adopted in Oklahoma requires reduced pressure, double check, pressure vacuum breaker and similar testable assemblies to be tested at installation, right after any repair or relocation, and at least once a year. It also calls for annual inspections of backflow assemblies and air gaps. Your water utility may set its own reporting deadline, so read any notice carefully.
A failed test usually means a check valve is not sealing, a relief valve is leaking, or a part is worn or fouled with debris. We can often rebuild the assembly with a repair kit on the spot. If the body is cracked or parts are no longer made, replacement is the better choice. Either way, the code requires a retest right after the repair.
Lawn irrigation is a classic cross-connection, because sprinkler heads sit in soil that can hold fertilizer, weed killer and animal waste. Plumbing codes and water utilities generally require a backflow preventer on irrigation connections to keep that water from being pulled back into the drinking supply. The right type depends on how your system is piped and where it connects.
Most irrigation backflow assemblies sit above ground, exposed to wind, and they stay full of water. When that water freezes, it expands and can crack the brass body, split a bonnet or push out a test cock. Oklahoma City hit minus 14°F in February 2021, a reminder that exposed assemblies need draining or insulation before hard freezes arrive.
Water utilities generally accept test reports only from a tester whose credentials they recognize, and most report forms ask for the tester's certification details and the test gauge used. Ask to see that information on any report you receive. The test itself follows a published procedure for each assembly type, such as the ASSE standards the plumbing code references.
Talk to a real plumber, any hour
Day, night or weekend, call and talk to a licensed Master Plumber about what is going on.
Call (405) 309-1873