The Purpose of the Flange Adapter in a Backflow Preventer
Backflow is harmful for many reasons, which is why specialized backflow preventers are used to prevent it from ever happening. But these assemblies sometimes require additional support to function properly. Learn about the purpose of the flange adapter in backflow prevention.
The Importance of Backflow Preventers
Before we dive into the importance of backflow preventers, let’s quickly cover the basics of backflow. Backflow occurs when clean water supplies are accidentally polluted with contaminated water (often containing fertilizers, waste, soaps, and chemicals). This happens when pressure is lost inside a pipe, allowing water to flow back into supply lines. Backflow is detrimental to public health, the environment, and even agricultural equipment. As such, it’s essential that water mains are adequately protected with functional, high-quality, and dependable backflow preventers.
The Role of Flange Adapters
In plumbing, adapters are used to connect different pipes. Solid connections are essential to ensure the reliability of an installed backflow preventer, and flange adapters are versatile in regard to providing connections. They can effectively convert groove-end connections to flanged-end connections. This is an invaluable feature, especially when the existing pipe connection is flanged. Ultimately, flange adapters are there to guarantee the best seal/connection and reduce the likelihood of backflow preventer issues.
Why Choose Adapters Over Couplers?
Flange adapters are similar to couplers, as they both connect two pipes or a device with a pipe. Adapters, however, are used to connect a grooved end to a flanged end. In some cases, you may need both. When retrofitting with a Deringer, for example, you usually need a flange adapter to connect to the water supply, and a coupler to connect to the spool piece.
The purpose of a flange adapter in backflow prevention is to ensure the best possible connection between existing pipes and various backflow prevention assemblies. If you’re in need of a quality flange adapters and couplers, consider the selection at Backflow Direct.