Changed my whole approach to backflow preventer testing after a city inspector called me out

I've been testing commercial backflow devices for 8 years and always just used the standard city test form. Last month in Tempe, an inspector watched me for a minute and asked why I wasn't logging the exact pressure differentials during the static pressure hold test. I told him the form just asks for pass/fail. He showed me his own log where he writes the starting and ending PSI, and pointed out a slow 2 PSI drop over 5 minutes that my method missed. Now I record every number, not just the final result. Has anyone else had an inspector change their routine like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey_barnes2mo ago

Data logging reveals slow failures before they become emergencies.

simonmoore2mo ago

But what's the real cost of storing all that data?

alice_harris352mo ago

Absolutely. It's like watching a car tire lose air over weeks instead of just having a blowout. You see the small dips in pressure, the tiny temp changes. That's how you catch a server fan dying or a battery going bad before the whole system crashes at 3 AM. Total game changer for keeping things running smooth.