A Plumbing Cross Connections Inspection is designed to ensure the potable water supply is not connected to another source of water which may not be potable, thus risking to become contaminated. Basically, plumbing cross connections inspection involves looking for any situations that could result in a cross-connection.
For instance, in older homes the faucet spout on the laundry sink sometimes extends below the sink’s flood rim. If the sink is filled with waste water from a washing machine discharge or some other source, and a partial vacuum is created at the same time in the municipal water supply, the waste water will be drawn back into the potable water, contaminating it. If you find this condition, the faucet should be replaced with one where the spout is above the flood rim in order to create an air gap between the spout and any water in the sink, thus preventing a plumbing cross connection.
Plumbing Cross Connections Inspection – Risks Involved
As explained above, a plumbing cross connection occurs when a direct link between drinking water and sewage water exists in the home’s plumbing lines. Unfortunately, the situation is all too common, especially when a house has a water softener. Water softeners have a discharge tube to extract water when the system cycles itself. That hose should run into a sink or sump-pump crack, however in many cases the discharge tube is attached directly to a sewer drain line, thus creating a cross-connection.
A plumbing cross connection can actually be quite dangerous. If water pressure to the house drops suddenly, a siphoning issue would occur and actually pull sewage from the drain lines into the water supply lines, contaminating the drinking water. This can happen whether the home uses a private well or municipal water on a septic system or town sewers.
There are a number of reasons which may cause water pressure to drop. For instance, from time to time, municipal water authorities flush the water lines on streets and fire departments may use the lines nearby. This would cause a dramatic loss in water pressure, causing dangerous conditions if there is a cross connection. A malfunctioning well pump may also cause siphoning of the lines. To avoid risks of contamination, have a professional conduct a plumbing cross connection inspection.