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SynC · Editorial revision

Backflow Prevention

Revision7
EditedOct 12, 2026
StatusCurrent
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Current revision. This is editorial revision 7, the current text of this standard. Read it on the standard's page.

SynC Standards Team — Specifier (Platform Standards) ✓ OfficialDiscloses employment SynC (SynC Platform Team)
Datasheet constraints: every range, checkbox and listbox field now states its direction

1 Scope

NOTE This standard governs the assemblies and devices that protect a potable water supply from backflow: how each cross-connection is classified, which assembly that classification admits, how the assembly is built, listed, and certified, where and how it is installed, how its relief discharge is carried away, how it is protected from freezing outdoors, and how it is field tested and certified before water passes through it. (1.1)
NOTE The scope begins where the water service pipe enters the building, or where a branch leaves the potable piping to serve a connection that can backflow, and ends at the discharge of the assembly; it includes the main shutoff, the strainer, the meter setting where the Contractor furnishes it, the test cocks, the relief discharge air gap fitting, the outdoor enclosure or vault, and the supports that belong to the assembly. (1.2)
NOTE The following are governed elsewhere and are outside this standard: (1.3)
  • vacuum breakers integral to a listed fixture, flushometer, or faucet
  • hose connection vacuum breakers and hose connection backflow preventers on hose bibbs and wall hydrants
  • the distribution piping beyond the premises isolation point, including its materials, sizing, pressure test, and disinfection procedure
  • the site water main up to the building and the purveyor's own equipment on the public side of the point of service
  • the sprinkler riser, the sprinkler piping, and the arrangement for the forward-flow test downstream of the detector check
  • the buried private fire main upstream of the point of entry
  • thermal expansion control at the water heater that a closed system makes necessary
  • the pressure reducing fill valve and glycol feed package of a hydronic system
  • the receptor that takes the relief discharge and the drainage piping downstream of it
  • reclaimed, rainwater, and graywater systems, and medical gas and vacuum systems
NOTE The irrigation point of connection is one location this standard shares with another. The assembly there, its selection by hazard, its enclosure, and its testing are governed by this standard; the point of connection, and the piping, zone valves, heads, and controller downstream of the assembly, are governed by Landscape IrrigationLandscape IrrigationResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/landscape-irrigation. (1.4)
NOTE The fire service is another shared location. The detector or non-detector assembly on the fire service, its selection by hazard, its listing, and its testing are governed by this standard; the buried main that feeds it is governed by Underground Fire Service MainsUnderground Fire Service MainsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/underground-fire-service-mains, and the riser and sprinkler piping it supplies are governed by Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems. (1.5)
NOTE Backflow reaches a potable supply by two routes: back-siphonage, in which a drop in supply pressure draws liquid from a downstream source into the supply, and back-pressure, in which a downstream system operating above supply pressure pushes its contents into the supply. An assembly is rated for one route or for both, and that rating is as much a part of its selection as the degree of hazard. (1.6)
1.7 The locations of the assemblies, the size of the piping at each, and the assembly type at each location shall be as indicated on the backflow prevention assembly schedule.
1.8 Every assembly and device furnished under this standard shall be of a type that Adopted Plumbing CodeAdopted Plumbing CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-plumbing-code permits for the degree of hazard and the backflow route at its connection.

2 Referenced Standards

2.1 Assemblies, devices, enclosures, and installation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.
2.2 Where the contract documents, the Authority Having Jurisdiction, the water purveyor's cross-connection control program, or two referenced standards impose conflicting requirements, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.
2.3 The adopted plumbing code and the published requirements of the water purveyor's cross-connection control program shall take precedence over every other reference on any matter either addresses directly.
Standard Title
IPC International Plumbing Code
UPC Uniform Plumbing Code
NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
NFPA 24 Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances
NFPA 70 National Electrical Code
ASSE 1001 Performance Requirements for Atmospheric Type Vacuum Breakers
ASSE 1012 Performance Requirements for Backflow Preventers with Intermediate Atmospheric Vent
ASSE 1013 Performance Requirements for Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention Assemblies and Reduced Pressure Principle Fire Protection Backflow Prevention Assemblies
ASSE 1015 Performance Requirements for Double Check Backflow Prevention Assemblies and Double Check Fire Protection Backflow Prevention Assemblies
ASSE 1020 Performance Requirements for Pressure Vacuum Breaker Assembly
ASSE 1024 Performance Requirements for Dual Check Backflow Preventers
ASSE 1047 Performance Requirements for Reduced Pressure Detector Fire Protection Backflow Prevention Assemblies
ASSE 1048 Performance Requirements for Double Check Detector Fire Protection Backflow Prevention Assemblies
ASSE 1056 Performance Requirements for Spill Resistant Vacuum Breakers
ASSE 1060 Performance Requirements for Outdoor Enclosures for Fluid Conveying Components
ASSE 5110 Professional Qualifications Standard for Backflow Prevention Assembly Testers
ASME A112.1.2 Air Gaps in Plumbing Systems
AWWA C510 Double Check Valve Backflow Prevention Assembly
AWWA C511 Reduced-Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention Assembly
AWWA M14 Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control: Recommended Practices
USC FCCCHR Manual Manual of Cross-Connection Control, Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research, University of Southern California
NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 Drinking Water System Components — Health Effects
NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 Drinking Water System Components — Lead Content
UL 1469 Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Preventers
UL 312 Check Valves for Fire-Protection Service
FM 1210 Approval Standard for Backflow Preventers
ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures
NOTE The ASSE performance standards define each assembly type and the test it must pass to be listed; the USC Foundation list and the state program lists record which listed models a purveyor accepts; the AWWA standards cover the large waterworks-grade assemblies a purveyor may require at a service connection; and the UL and FM standards cover the same assemblies when they serve a fire protection system. One assembly commonly carries several of these marks. (2.4)

3 Submittals

3.1 Action Submittals

3.1.1 The Contractor shall submit the following for review before any assembly, device, or enclosure is procured:
  • product data for each assembly and device, giving the ASSE standard it is listed to, the assembly type, the size, the body and trim materials, the end connections, the shutoff valve type, the rated working pressure and temperature, the orientations for which it is approved, and its published pressure loss curve
  • the entry for each assembly on the approved assemblies list this standard requires, at the size and in the orientation proposed
  • the NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 certification of each assembly and device installed on potable water
  • for each fire service assembly, its UL listing or FM approval for fire protection service and its detector meter data
  • the published maximum relief valve discharge rate of each reduced pressure principle assembly, with the receptor or enclosure drain that will receive it identified
  • product data for each outdoor enclosure, giving its ASSE 1060 class, material, dimensions, heater rating and electrical characteristics, thermostat, drain capacity, and lock
  • an installation drawing of each assembly showing the shutoff valves, test cocks, strainer, relief discharge air gap fitting, receptor, supports, clearances, and the height above the floor or grade
Action Submittal Packagecheckbox
☐ Assembly and device product data
☐ Approved assemblies list entries
☐ NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and 372 certifications
☐ Fire service assembly listing and detector meter data
☐ Relief valve discharge rate and receiving drain
☐ Outdoor enclosure product data
☐ Assembly installation drawings
3.1.2 No assembly, device, or enclosure shall be ordered until the corresponding action submittals have been reviewed and returned.

3.2 Informational Submittals

3.2.1 The Contractor shall submit the following supporting records before the initial certification test of any assembly:
  • the current certification of each tester who will perform the initial certification test, under the program this standard requires
  • the calibration certificate of each differential pressure test kit that will be used, dated within the interval this standard sets
  • the water purveyor's written confirmation of the assembly type it accepts at the service connection and at each fire service, where the purveyor's program requires that confirmation
  • the test report form the purveyor or the Authority Having Jurisdiction requires
  • seismic restraint calculations or the pre-approved restraint detail for each assembly this standard requires to be restrained
Informational Submittal Packagecheckbox
☐ Tester certifications
☐ Test kit calibration certificates
☐ Purveyor confirmation of assembly type
☐ Required test report form
☐ Seismic restraint calculations or detail

3.3 Closeout Submittals

3.3.1 The Contractor shall submit the following before the assemblies are accepted:
  • the initial certification test report of every assembly, signed by the tester, on the required form
  • evidence that each test report was filed with the water purveyor and the Authority Having Jurisdiction within the time their programs allow
  • a schedule of the installed assemblies giving, for each, its tag identifier, type, manufacturer, model, size, serial number, location, installation date, test date, and next test date
  • an as-built drawing of each assembly installation recording its final location, orientation, height, and the receptor or drain that takes its relief discharge
  • operation and maintenance data for each assembly model, including the exploded parts diagram with part numbers and the field test procedure
  • warranty documentation for each assembly and enclosure, identifying the coverage period and the date coverage begins
  • a signed receipt from the Owner for the spare parts delivered
Closeout Submittal Packagecheckbox
☐ Initial certification test reports
☐ Evidence of filing with purveyor and Authority Having Jurisdiction
☐ Installed assembly schedule
☐ As-built installation drawings
☐ Operation and maintenance data
☐ Warranty documentation
☐ Spare parts receipt

4 Quality Assurance

4.1 Installer and Tester Qualifications

4.1.1 Each assembly shall be installed by personnel holding the plumbing license the Authority Having Jurisdiction requires, and by personnel registered with the water purveyor's cross-connection control program where that program registers installers.
4.1.2 Each field test of an assembly shall be performed by a tester holding a current certification that the water purveyor's cross-connection control program accepts.
4.1.3 Where the purveyor's program names no certification, the tester shall hold a current certification to ASSE 5110 or a current certification issued by the state cross-connection control program having jurisdiction.
4.1.4 A test performed by a tester whose certification has lapsed at the time of the test is not a certification test under this standard, and shall be repeated by a certified tester at the Contractor's cost.
4.1.5 Where Site Water Supply SourceSite Water Supply SourceParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-water-supply-source is a private well or another supply not furnished by a water purveyor, the cross-connection requirements of the Authority Having Jurisdiction apply wherever this standard names the purveyor's program.

4.2 Approved Assemblies

4.2.1 Each assembly shall appear, at its size and for the orientation in which it is installed, on the approved assemblies list indicated in the datasheet.
Approved Assemblies List Requiredselect
USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research list
State cross-connection control program list
Water purveyor's own approved list
ASSE listing with no separate approved list
NOTE An ASSE listing records that a model passed the laboratory test its performance standard sets. The USC Foundation list records that a model also completed a year of field evaluation in a specific size and orientation, and many purveyors and several states accept only models on that list or on a state list built from it; where a purveyor keeps its own list, that list governs the purveyor's service connection whatever else the model carries. A jurisdiction that accepts the ASSE listing alone admits the widest range of models and the smallest range of orientations proven by field evaluation. (4.2.2)
4.2.3 The Contractor shall confirm the approval status of each proposed model with the purveyor's program before it is ordered, and shall not install a model that the program has removed from its list after the submittal was reviewed.
NOTE An approval that covers an assembly in one orientation does not cover it in another, and the same model is often approved horizontally at every size and vertically at only some. (4.2.4)

4.3 Lead-Free and Health Effects Certification

4.3.1 Every assembly and device that conveys potable water shall be certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 for health effects and to NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 for lead content.
4.3.2 The lead-free limit that NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 verifies is set by Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act and shall not be waived at the project level.
NOTE A fire service assembly on a service that supplies no potable water, and that is not interconnected with the potable piping downstream of its own assembly, is exempt from the lead content limit by the terms of the Act; the exemption is lost the moment a potable branch is taken from the fire service. (4.3.3)
4.3.4 Where a fire service shares its piping with any potable use, the fire service assembly shall be certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 372.

5 Hazard Classification and Assembly Selection

5.1 Degree of Hazard and Backflow Route

5.1.1 The degree of hazard at each cross-connection shall be classified as a health hazard or a non-health hazard under Adopted Plumbing CodeAdopted Plumbing CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-plumbing-code and the water purveyor's cross-connection control program, and the classification shall be recorded on the backflow prevention assembly schedule.
NOTE A health hazard is a connection to any substance that could cause illness or death if it entered the supply: treated boiler and hydronic water, cooling tower water, chemical feed, laboratory and medical equipment, irrigation, sewage and process water, and any supply of unknown quality. A non-health hazard is a connection to a substance that would degrade the taste, color, odor, or temperature of the supply without endangering health. The classification is the purveyor's to make under its program, and a purveyor may classify a whole premises by its occupancy regardless of what is inside. (5.1.2)
5.1.3 The backflow route at each cross-connection shall be identified as back-siphonage only or as back-pressure, and a connection downstream of any pump, boiler, elevated tank, pressurized vessel, or chemical injector shall be identified as back-pressure.
NOTE An assembly rated for both routes is acceptable at a connection subject to either; an assembly rated for back-siphonage only is acceptable only where no back-pressure can occur. (5.1.4)
5.1.5 The Engineer of Record shall survey every connection between the potable piping and any other system, vessel, or equipment on the project and shall record each one, with its classification and its protection, on the assembly schedule.
NOTE A cross-connection that is not on the schedule is one that nobody protected, and the purveyor's inspector finds it at the premises survey after occupancy, when the fix is a change order rather than a line on a drawing. (5.1.6)

5.2 Assembly Type by Hazard and Route

5.2.1 A health hazard connection shall be protected by an air gap or by a reduced pressure principle assembly, and a health hazard fire service shall be protected by a reduced pressure detector assembly or a reduced pressure principle assembly as the fire service article of this standard directs.
5.2.2 A non-health hazard connection subject to back-pressure shall be protected by a double check valve assembly or by an assembly acceptable for a health hazard.
5.2.3 A non-health hazard connection subject to back-siphonage only shall be protected by a pressure vacuum breaker assembly, a spill resistant vacuum breaker assembly, an atmospheric vacuum breaker, or an assembly acceptable for back-pressure.
5.2.4 A health hazard connection subject to back-siphonage only may be protected by a pressure vacuum breaker assembly or a spill resistant vacuum breaker assembly where Adopted Plumbing CodeAdopted Plumbing CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-plumbing-code and the purveyor's program permit a vacuum breaker for that application.
NOTE A reduced pressure principle assembly protects against both routes and both hazards and is the one assembly that also protects when both its checks have fouled, because its relief valve opens the zone to atmosphere; it costs the most, loses the most pressure, and discharges water on every relief event, so it needs a drain. A double check valve assembly protects against both routes at lower cost and lower pressure loss but gives no warning when a check fails. A pressure vacuum breaker and a spill resistant vacuum breaker cost the least but protect against back-siphonage only, and the pressure vacuum breaker spills from its air inlet each time it is pressurized, which the spill resistant type does not. (5.2.5)
5.2.6 A dual check backflow preventer listed to ASSE 1024, or a backflow preventer with intermediate atmospheric vent listed to ASSE 1012, shall be used only at a connection where Adopted Plumbing CodeAdopted Plumbing CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-plumbing-code permits a device without test cocks for that application and the purveyor's program accepts it.
NOTE A dual check and an intermediate vent device have no shutoff valves and no test cocks, so they cannot be field tested; the codes admit them at small residential and appliance connections where the hazard is low and a testable assembly is out of proportion to the connection, and a purveyor's program may refuse them at any connection it classifies. (5.2.7)
5.2.8 Where an air gap is selected, the vertical distance from the outlet to the flood level rim of the receiving vessel shall be not less than twice the effective opening of the outlet and not less than 1 in., in accordance with ASME A112.1.2, and the air gap shall not be reduced by any fitting, hose, or extension.
NOTE An air gap is the only protection that has no moving parts and nothing to test; it also breaks the pressure, so whatever is downstream of it must be refilled by gravity or repumped, which is why it serves tanks and receptors rather than pressurized piping. (5.2.9)
5.2.10 A check valve, a pressure reducing valve, or a water meter shall not be substituted for an assembly required by this standard.

6 Building Water Service Assembly

NOTE The building water service assembly is the equipment on the service pipe between its entry into the building and the start of the distribution piping: the main shutoff, the meter setting where the purveyor has the Contractor furnish it, the strainer where one is selected, the premises isolation assembly, and the relief discharge of that assembly. (6.1)
6.2 A premises isolation assembly shall be installed on the building water service wherever Adopted Plumbing CodeAdopted Plumbing CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-plumbing-code or the water purveyor's program requires containment of the premises, and its type shall be as the purveyor's program requires for the occupancy.
NOTE A purveyor requires premises isolation to protect the public main from whatever may happen inside a building it cannot inspect, and it requires isolation at individual connections to protect the building's own occupants; the two are not alternatives, and a premises assembly does not relieve any internal connection of its own protection. (6.3)
6.4 The premises isolation assembly shall be installed downstream of the meter and the main shutoff, and upstream of every branch, treatment unit, pressure reducing valve, booster pump, and water heater, so that no outlet of the building is on the supply side of it.
6.5 A pressure booster package (Domestic Water Booster PumpsDomestic Water Booster Pump SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/domestic-water-booster-pumps), treatment equipment, and a pressure reducing valve shall each be located on the premises side of the isolation assembly.
NOTE A pressure reducing valve downstream of a reduced pressure principle assembly also leaves the assembly's relief valve referenced to full supply pressure, which is the condition in which the assembly was listed; a reducing valve upstream of the assembly lowers that reference and lets the relief valve open on ordinary pressure swings. (6.6)
NOTE The pressure reducing arrangement itself, where the supply pressure requires one, is furnished under Domestic Water PipingDomestic Water PipingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/domestic-water-piping. (6.7)
6.8 Where the meter is furnished by the purveyor, the Contractor shall provide the meter setting, the shutoff on each side of it, and the spool or setter the purveyor's standard requires, and shall coordinate the meter installation date with the purveyor.
NOTE A premises isolation assembly, or a check valve in a meter, makes the building a closed system in which heated water has no path back to the main; the thermal expansion control that follows is selected under Water HeatersCommercial Water HeatersResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/water-heaters from that fact, and the determination recorded here is what that selection reads. (6.9)

7 Equipment and Process Connections

7.1 Each connection from the potable piping to a boiler, hydronic loop, cooling tower, humidifier, chemical feed, laboratory, medical, foodservice, process, or irrigation system shall be protected by its own assembly, of the type the hazard classification article admits for that connection, at the location indicated on the backflow prevention assembly schedule.
7.2 The makeup water connection to a boiler, a hydronic loop, or a cooling tower shall be protected by a reduced pressure principle assembly or an air gap, unless the water purveyor's program classifies the system as a non-health hazard in writing.
NOTE A hydronic loop that is dosed with corrosion inhibitor, biocide, or glycol is a health hazard by every model code and every purveyor program; an undosed loop filled only with potable water is the case on which jurisdictions differ, and the purveyor's written classification, not the designer's expectation, decides whether a double check may serve it. (7.3)
NOTE The pressure reducing fill valve and glycol feed package downstream of the hydronic assembly are furnished under Hydronic SpecialtiesHydronic SpecialtiesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/hydronic-specialties, and the basin level control and fill valve at the tower are furnished under Cooling TowersCooling TowersResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/cooling-towers. (7.4)
NOTE The chemistry and dosing program for a treated system is the subject of HVAC Water TreatmentHVAC Water TreatmentResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/hvac-water-treatment; this standard furnishes the assembly on the water that feeds it. (7.5)
7.6 A connection through which a chemical is injected into the potable supply shall be protected by a reduced pressure principle assembly on the supply to the injection point or by an air gap at the injection point, and the injection point shall be on the premises side of the isolation assembly.
NOTE The treatment equipment itself, its metering pumps, and its interlocks are furnished under Domestic Water Softeners And FiltrationDomestic Water Softeners and FiltrationResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/domestic-water-softeners-and-filtration. (7.7)
7.8 The assembly at the irrigation point of connection shall be a reduced pressure principle assembly unless Adopted Plumbing CodeAdopted Plumbing CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-plumbing-code and the purveyor's program permit a double check valve assembly or a pressure vacuum breaker assembly for an irrigation system with no chemical injection and no elevation or pump that can produce back-pressure.
NOTE Irrigation is classified as a health hazard wherever fertilizer or pesticide can be drawn into the piping, which is nearly everywhere a lawn is fed; a pressure vacuum breaker survives in the codes for the simple sprinkler system with no injection, no booster, and no zone above the assembly, and the purveyor's program is where that permission is confirmed or withdrawn. (7.9)
7.10 The potable supply to a steam or evaporative humidifier shall be protected by a reduced pressure principle assembly or an air gap, at the humidifier or at the branch serving a group of humidifiers.
7.11 A connection to laboratory, medical, dialysis, dental, mortuary, or photographic equipment shall be protected by a reduced pressure principle assembly or an air gap, at the equipment or at the branch serving a group of such equipment as indicated on the backflow prevention assembly schedule.
7.12 A connection to a carbonated beverage dispenser or to another item of foodservice equipment shall be protected by the device listed with that equipment, and where none is, by a reduced pressure principle assembly on the branch serving it.
NOTE Backflow preventers integral to listed foodservice equipment are furnished with that equipment under Foodservice EquipmentFoodservice EquipmentResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/foodservice-equipment. (7.13)

8 Fire Service Assemblies

8.1 Requirements in this section apply to each assembly on a fire service supplied from a potable main, as indicated on the backflow prevention assembly schedule.
8.2 The fire service assembly type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Fire Service Assembly Typeselect
Double check detector assembly
Reduced pressure detector assembly
Double check valve assembly without detector
Reduced pressure principle assembly without detector
Derived — the degree of hazard Adopted Plumbing CodeAdopted Plumbing CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-plumbing-code and the water purveyor assign to the fire protection system, and whether the purveyor requires detection of unmetered flow on the fire service (by default)
NOTE A detector assembly adds a metered bypass around the main checks so that the purveyor can see the small flows a leak, a theft, or an unauthorized connection would otherwise pass unseen through a fire service that has no meter of its own; where the fire service is metered by the purveyor, or where the purveyor does not require detection, the assembly without the bypass is the same protection at lower cost. A double check is the usual choice for a wet sprinkler system filled only with potable water; a reduced pressure type is required where the system contains antifreeze, foam concentrate, or a chemical additive, where it is fed from an auxiliary tank, pond, or well, or wherever the purveyor classifies the system as a health hazard. (8.3)
8.4 Each fire service assembly shall be listed to ASSE 1047 or ASSE 1048, as its type requires, and shall carry the fire protection listing indicated in the datasheet.
Fire Service Assembly Approvalradio
● UL listed for fire protection service
○ UL listed and FM approved for fire protection service
NOTE NFPA 13 requires every component in the water supply to a sprinkler system to be listed for fire protection service, and the UL listing satisfies that; FM approval is the additional mark an insurer may require of a property it covers, and it changes the assembly's documentation and sometimes its shutoff valves without changing the protection it gives. (8.5)
8.6 The shutoff valves of each fire service assembly shall be of an indicating type that NFPA 13 accepts for a control valve in the water supply, and shall be arranged for electrical supervision as Fire Protection PipingFire Protection Piping and SpecialtiesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-protection-piping requires.
8.7 The detector meter of each detector assembly shall register in the unit the water purveyor requires and shall be installed so that it can be read without removing any part of the assembly or enclosure.
8.8 The Contractor shall record the detector meter reading at the initial certification test and shall report it to the purveyor with the test report, so that any flow registered afterward is known to have occurred in service.
8.9 The Contractor shall report the pressure loss of the fire service assembly at the sprinkler system demand, taken from the published curve of the model furnished, to the Engineer of Record and to the fire protection designer before the assembly is ordered.
NOTE A fire service assembly consumes pressure the sprinkler system needs, and a reduced pressure type consumes two to three times what a double check does; the hydraulic calculation under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems carries that loss, and an assembly changed after the calculation was run is the usual reason a system fails its acceptance flow test. (8.10)
8.11 Each fire service assembly shall be installed so that it can be flowed at the sprinkler system demand for the forward-flow test NFPA 13 requires, through the arrangement furnished under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.
8.12 A strainer shall not be installed in a fire service upstream of the assembly unless the fire protection Authority Having Jurisdiction accepts it in writing.
NOTE Fire codes resist strainers in a fire service because a strainer screen that clogs during a fire closes the supply to the sprinklers; the assembly's own checks tolerate the debris a strainer would catch. (8.13)

9 Assembly Construction

9.1 Sizing and Pressure Loss

9.1.1 Each assembly shall be the same nominal size as the piping in which it is installed unless the assembly schedule indicates a different size for it.
NOTE An assembly larger than its design flow needs runs with its checks barely open, and the checks chatter and wear at low flow; an assembly smaller than the line loses more pressure than the hydraulic calculation allowed. The size on the schedule is the Engineer's balance of the two against the published loss curve of the assembly type. (9.1.2)
9.1.3 The pressure loss of each premises isolation assembly and each fire service assembly at its design flow, taken from the published curve of the model furnished, shall not exceed the loss indicated in the datasheet.
Pressure Loss at Design Flowrange
Not more than
psi
220
9.1.4 Where the datasheet indicates no maximum loss, the Contractor shall report the published loss of each premises isolation assembly at its design flow to the Engineer of Record before the assembly is ordered.
NOTE A double check loses a few psi at its design flow and a reduced pressure principle assembly loses roughly ten, and the loss is in series with every fixture and sprinkler the assembly supplies; where the supply pressure is marginal the assembly type and the booster pump are one decision. (9.1.5)

9.2 Pressure and Temperature Rating

9.2.1 Each assembly and device shall be rated for a working pressure of not less than 175 psi and not less than Site Water Supply Pressure MaximumSite Water Supply Pressure MaximumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-water-supply-pressure-maximum at its inlet.
9.2.2 Each assembly installed on water above 110°F shall be a model listed for the water temperature it will see, and shall carry that temperature on its product data.
NOTE The standard assembly is listed for cold water at 110°F or less, and its elastomer checks and relief diaphragm harden and leak in hot water; a makeup connection taken from the hot water piping, a hot water chemical feed, or a tempered irrigation line needs a hot water model listed to the same ASSE standard. (9.2.3)

9.3 Body Material and End Connections

9.3.1 The body material of each assembly 2 in. and smaller shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Body Material, Assemblies 2 in. and Smallerradio
● Lead-free copper alloy
○ Stainless steel
NOTE A lead-free copper alloy body is the norm at small sizes and is what every listed small assembly is cast in; a stainless steel body is chosen where the water is aggressive to copper alloy, where the assembly is in a corrosive atmosphere, or where the Owner standardizes on it, at a higher cost and a longer lead time. (9.3.2)
9.3.3 The body material of each assembly 2-1/2 in. and larger shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Body Material, Assemblies 2-1/2 in. and Largerselect
Epoxy-coated ductile iron
Stainless steel
Lead-free copper alloy
NOTE Epoxy-coated ductile iron is the norm at large sizes and is the lightest and least costly body; stainless steel is chosen for aggressive water, a corrosive location, or a vault that floods, and lead-free copper alloy is available at the smaller end of the large range where the Owner wants a non-ferrous body without the cost of stainless. (9.3.4)
9.3.5 A ductile iron body shall be coated inside and out with a fusion-bonded epoxy that is part of the assembly's NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 certification.
9.3.6 Assemblies 2 in. and smaller shall have threaded end connections to ASME B1.20.1, or union ends where the model furnishes them.
9.3.7 The end connections of each assembly 2-1/2 in. and larger shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
End Connections, Assemblies 2-1/2 in. and Largerradio
○ Flanged
○ Grooved
NOTE Flanged ends match the flanged shutoff valves that most purveyors and fire codes expect, and they hold the assembly rigid between two anchored valves; grooved ends make a large assembly faster to install and to lift out for repair, at the price of the couplings' own listing and a rigid-coupling requirement where the assembly must not deflect. (9.3.8)
9.3.9 The end connections of each assembly shall match the piping material and joining method on each side of it, and a transition fitting listed for both materials shall be provided where they differ.

9.4 Shutoff Valves and Test Cocks

9.4.1 Each assembly shall be furnished with the two shutoff valves and the test cocks of the model as listed, and no shutoff valve or test cock shall be substituted, removed, plugged, or added.
NOTE An assembly is listed as a whole, from the inlet shutoff to the outlet shutoff, and a shutoff valve replaced with a different type is not the listed assembly; the test cocks are the only means a tester has of reading the checks. (9.4.2)
9.4.3 The shutoff valves of each assembly 2 in. and smaller shall be full-port ball valves.
9.4.4 The shutoff valves of each assembly 2-1/2 in. and larger shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Shutoff Valves, Assemblies 2-1/2 in. and Largerselect
Resilient-seated outside screw and yoke gate valves
Non-rising stem resilient-seated gate valves
Gear-operated butterfly valves with position indicator
NOTE An outside screw and yoke gate shows its position from across the room and is what a fire code requires on a fire service; a non-rising stem gate fits where there is no headroom for a rising stem, at the cost of showing nothing about its position; a gear-operated butterfly is shorter and lighter than either gate and is accepted by many purveyors and, with a listed indicator, by the fire codes, while adding its own pressure loss and its own disc in the flow path during a test. (9.4.5)
9.4.6 Each test cock shall be a resilient-seated ball type with a threaded outlet matching the tester's hose fittings, and shall be certified lead-free as part of the assembly.
9.4.7 Test cocks shall be plugged or capped when not in use, and the plugs or caps shall be delivered with the assembly.

9.5 Relief Valve and Air Gap Fitting

9.5.1 The relief valve of each reduced pressure principle assembly and reduced pressure detector assembly shall discharge downward through an air gap drain fitting furnished by the assembly manufacturer for the model and size.
9.5.2 The air gap drain fitting shall maintain an air gap of not less than twice the diameter of the relief port and not less than 1 in. between the relief port and the drain line, and the drain line from the fitting shall be not smaller than the fitting's outlet.
NOTE The air gap fitting is what keeps the relief valve from ever being submerged, backed up, or pressurized by the drain; a relief valve hard-piped to a drain can neither be seen discharging nor vent the zone, and the assembly stops protecting while looking intact. (9.5.3)
9.5.4 Each reduced pressure principle assembly shall be installed so that its relief valve discharge can be seen from the floor or grade without removing any cover.

9.6 Vacuum Breaker Assemblies

9.6.1 Each pressure vacuum breaker assembly and spill resistant vacuum breaker assembly shall be installed with its air inlet upward, not less than 12 in. above the highest downstream outlet, piping, or sprinkler head, and in a location where its air inlet can discharge to atmosphere without obstruction.
9.6.2 Each atmospheric vacuum breaker installed in a line shall be installed not less than 6 in. above the highest downstream outlet, and shall have no shutoff valve, solenoid, or other means of holding pressure downstream of it.
NOTE An atmospheric vacuum breaker vents only when its disc drops under no pressure, and a disc held up by continuous pressure for more than the few hours the code allows takes a set and stops dropping; the downstream shutoff rule is what keeps the device able to work, and it is also why the device cannot be tested. (9.6.3)
9.6.4 No vacuum breaker assembly shall be installed in a pit, vault, or enclosure in which water can rise to its air inlet.

9.7 Strainer

9.7.1 An inlet strainer shall be provided ahead of each assembly on a domestic water service or branch as indicated in the datasheet.
Inlet Strainer on Domestic Service Assembliesradio
○ Strainer provided ahead of each assembly
○ No strainer
NOTE A strainer keeps the construction debris and main-break grit of a new service off the check seats, which is what fouls a new assembly on its first test; it also adds pressure loss, a blowdown that must be piped and opened, and a screen that nobody cleans, and several purveyors prohibit it ahead of a premises assembly on the ground that it hides a fouled main. (9.7.2)
9.7.3 Where a strainer is provided, it shall be a Y-pattern or basket strainer with a stainless steel screen, a blowdown valve piped to the relief discharge receptor, and a body certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and 372, installed between the main shutoff and the assembly inlet shutoff.

10 Continuity of Service

10.1 The arrangement of the premises isolation assembly for continuity of service shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Premises Isolation Arrangementradio
● Single assembly
○ Parallel assemblies each sized for the full demand
○ Parallel assemblies each sized for a share of the demand
NOTE A single assembly is the norm and is out of service for the hour its annual test and any repair take. Two parallel assemblies each sized for the full demand keep the building at full supply through the test of either, at twice the first cost and the floor space. Two assemblies each sized for a share of the demand cost little more than one large assembly, keep a reduced supply through a test, and let the building run on one assembly at low flow where a single large assembly would chatter. (10.2)
10.3 Where parallel assemblies are selected, each shall be a complete listed assembly with its own shutoff valves and test cocks, and each shall be tested and tagged separately.
10.4 Where parallel assemblies are selected, a pipe connecting the two assemblies shall be made only on the supply side of both inlet shutoffs and on the premises side of both outlet shutoffs.

11 Installation

11.1 Location and Orientation

11.1.1 Each assembly shall be installed in the location indicated on the plumbing plans, in a space where it is accessible for testing and repair without entering a confined space, removing a ceiling, or moving equipment.
11.1.2 Each assembly shall be installed horizontally, with its test cocks upward and its relief valve downward, unless another orientation is indicated on the plumbing details.
11.1.3 Where an orientation other than horizontal is indicated, the model furnished shall be approved in that orientation on the approved assemblies list this standard requires, and the Contractor shall confirm that approval before the assembly is ordered.
NOTE Most assemblies are approved horizontally in every size; vertical approval, flow up or flow down, is model-specific and size-specific, and an assembly installed in an orientation its approval does not cover is an unapproved assembly however it tests. (11.1.4)
11.1.5 No assembly shall be installed where its relief discharge, test cock discharge, or air inlet can be submerged, or where it is exposed to a corrosive atmosphere, to steam, or to a temperature below freezing without the enclosure this standard requires.
11.1.6 No assembly shall be installed in a location where a pump, elevated tank, or other source of back-pressure is on its supply side.

11.2 Height and Clearances

11.2.1 Each assembly shall be installed with the bottom of its body not less than 12 in. above the floor, housekeeping pad, or finished grade beneath it.
11.2.2 The centerline of each assembly shall be not more than the height indicated in the datasheet above the floor, housekeeping pad, or finished grade from which it is tested.
Centerline Height Above Floor or Graderange
Not more than
in
303642486072
NOTE Twelve inches below the body is what lets a tester open a test cock without flooding the floor and lets the relief valve be seen discharging; a centerline above about five feet puts the test cocks over the tester's head and the gauge out of eye level, and a purveyor's program may set a lower maximum for assemblies its own inspectors reach from a ladder. (11.2.3)
11.2.4 Where the water purveyor's program sets a maximum height lower than the datasheet value, the program's value shall govern.
11.2.5 Each assembly 2 in. and smaller shall be installed with not less than 12 in. clear on each side and above it and not less than 24 in. clear in front of it.
11.2.6 Each assembly 2-1/2 in. and larger shall be installed with not less than 24 in. clear on each side and above it and not less than 36 in. clear in front of it.
11.2.7 Where the manufacturer's published clearance for removing the relief valve or a check module exceeds the clearance above, the published clearance shall govern.
11.2.8 Where a purveyor's program specifies clearances greater than those above, the program's clearances shall govern.

11.3 Support and Seismic Restraint

11.3.1 Each assembly 2-1/2 in. and larger shall be supported independently of the connected piping by a floor stand, a wall bracket, or a hanger from structure, sized for the weight of the assembly full of water.
11.3.2 Each assembly 2 in. and smaller may be carried by the connected piping where that piping is supported within 12 in. of each end of the assembly.
NOTE A large assembly weighs more than the pipe it sits in can carry, and an assembly supported only by its connections works its joints every time a check slams; the supports also hold the assembly square while a check module is pulled. (11.3.3)
11.3.4 Seismic restraint of each assembly 2-1/2 in. and larger, and of each outdoor enclosure and vault lid, shall be provided as Vibration Isolation And Seismic RestraintVibration Isolation and Seismic RestraintResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/vibration-isolation-and-seismic-restraint requires for Seismic Design CategorySeismic Design CategoryParameterEach project supplies its own value.seismic-design-category.
11.3.5 No support shall be attached to a shutoff valve body, a test cock, or the relief valve.

11.4 Relief Discharge Disposal

11.4.1 The relief discharge of each reduced pressure principle assembly and reduced pressure detector assembly installed indoors shall be carried by a drain line from the air gap fitting to a floor drain, floor sink, or hub drain able to receive the published maximum relief valve discharge rate of the assembly at the supply pressure.
11.4.2 The Contractor shall provide the published maximum relief valve discharge rate of each such assembly to the Engineer of Record before the assembly is ordered, and shall confirm that the receptor and the drainage piping furnished under Sanitary Waste And Vent PipingSanitary Waste and Vent PipingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/sanitary-waste-and-vent-piping accept it.
NOTE A relief valve on a small assembly passes a few gallons a minute when a check fails, a 2 in. assembly passes tens, and a large fire service assembly passes hundreds; a receptor sized for the drip the assembly makes in normal service floods the room on the day the assembly does its job. (11.4.3)
11.4.4 The relief discharge shall not be piped into a sump, a trap, or a drain line that can back up to the air gap fitting, and shall not be piped to a point above the fitting.
11.4.5 The relief discharge of an assembly installed outdoors shall be carried through the enclosure drain to grade, as the outdoor enclosures section of this standard requires.
11.4.6 Monitoring of the relief discharge shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Relief Discharge Monitoringselect
None
Flow switch on the relief drain line alarming to the building automation system
Water sensor at the receptor alarming to the building automation system
NOTE No monitoring is the norm and is sufficient where the assembly is seen daily and its receptor can take the full discharge. A flow switch on the drain line reports the relief valve opening, which is both a failed check and a flood in progress, and suits an assembly in an unattended room above finished space. A water sensor at the receptor reports only that the receptor has overflowed, which is later and cheaper. (11.4.7)
11.4.8 Where monitoring is selected, the alarm contact shall be a dry contact rated for the control circuit the building automation system provides, and the switch or sensor shall be installed so that it does not restrict the drain line.

11.5 Identification

11.5.1 Each assembly shall carry a permanent tag giving the identifier from the installed assembly schedule, the assembly type, the size, the serial number, the installation date, and the date of its initial certification test.
11.5.2 The tag shall be of a weather-resistant material, attached to the assembly body or its inlet shutoff with a non-corroding fastener, and shall remain legible from the floor or grade.
11.5.3 Pipe identification at each assembly shall comply with Plumbing Piping IdentificationPlumbing Piping IdentificationResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/plumbing-piping-identification.
11.5.4 Where parallel assemblies are installed, a permanent placard at the assemblies shall state the valve positions for normal service and for the isolation of either assembly.

12 Outdoor Enclosures and Vaults

12.1 Enclosure Class

12.1.1 Requirements in this section apply to each assembly installed outdoors or in an unheated space, as indicated on the plumbing plans.
12.1.2 Each such assembly shall be housed in an enclosure listed to ASSE 1060 of the class indicated in the datasheet.
Outdoor Enclosure Classselect
Class I, freeze protected, heated and insulated
Class I-V, freeze protected, for a vertical assembly
Class II, freeze retardant, insulated without heat
Class II-V, freeze retardant, for a vertical assembly
Class III, weather and vandal protection without freeze protection
Derived — Site Ambient Temperature MinimumSite Ambient Temperature MinimumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-ambient-temperature-minimum and whether the assembly remains in service through the freezing season (by default)
NOTE A Class I enclosure holds the assembly above freezing with a thermostatically controlled heater and insulation and is what a year-round service in a freezing climate needs; a Class II enclosure has the insulation without the heater and holds a flowing assembly through a short freeze or a drained assembly through the winter; a Class III enclosure keeps off weather and vandals and nothing else, and serves where Site Ambient Temperature MinimumSite Ambient Temperature MinimumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-ambient-temperature-minimum stays above freezing or where the assembly is drained and the supply shut for the season. The vertical classes house an assembly approved for vertical installation, such as a pressure vacuum breaker, in a taller footprint. (12.1.3)
NOTE A frozen check or relief valve cracks its body or splits its diaphragm, and the assembly is replaced rather than repaired; the enclosure is cheaper than the assembly it protects. (12.1.4)
12.1.5 Where the assembly is a reduced pressure type, the enclosure drain shall pass the published maximum relief valve discharge rate of the assembly without water rising to the relief valve, and the enclosure shall carry that drain rating on its listing.

12.2 Enclosure Construction

12.2.1 The enclosure material shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Outdoor Enclosure Materialselect
Marine-grade aluminum
Fiberglass-reinforced polymer
Stainless steel
NOTE Aluminum is the norm, light enough to lift off for a test and resistant to weather without a coating; fiberglass is lighter still and does not dent or conduct heat, but chalks in sunlight and breaks rather than bends; stainless steel resists a corrosive or coastal atmosphere and vandalism, at the highest cost and weight. (12.2.2)
12.2.3 Each enclosure shall be hinged or removable so that the whole assembly, including its shutoff valves and test cocks, is accessible for testing and repair, and shall be lockable with a padlock the Owner furnishes.
12.2.4 Each Class I or Class I-V enclosure shall be furnished with a thermostatically controlled electric heater sized for Site Ambient Temperature MinimumSite Ambient Temperature MinimumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-ambient-temperature-minimum, a thermostat set to hold the interior not lower than 40°F, and a heater circuit terminated in a junction box on the enclosure.
12.2.5 The branch circuit to each heater shall be a dedicated circuit with ground-fault protection and a disconnecting means within sight of the enclosure, meeting NFPA 70 for a wet location.
12.2.6 The low temperature alarm at each heated enclosure shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Heated Enclosure Low Temperature Alarmselect
None
Local indicator light on the enclosure
Dry contact to the building automation system
NOTE No alarm is the norm and leaves the heater unsupervised, so a tripped breaker is found by the frozen assembly in spring. A local light tells a passer-by the heater has power, which is as far as it goes. A dry contact to the building automation system tells someone indoors the enclosure has gone cold while there is still time to drain or heat it, and suits a service the building cannot lose. (12.2.7)
12.2.8 Each enclosure shall be set on a concrete pad furnished under Concrete PadsConcrete Equipment PadsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/concrete-pads, extending not less than 4 in. beyond the enclosure on each side, with the enclosure anchored to the pad as its listing requires and the gap between enclosure and pad sealed against the entry of water and rodents.
12.2.9 Each enclosure shall be sized so that the assembly can be installed at the height and with the clearances this standard requires, and so that a tester can reach every test cock with the enclosure open.
12.2.10 Piping entering and leaving an enclosure shall be insulated and heat traced from the frost line to the enclosure wall where Site Ambient Temperature MinimumSite Ambient Temperature MinimumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-ambient-temperature-minimum is below freezing, with the heat tracing furnished under Electric Heat TracingElectric Heat TracingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/electric-heat-tracing.

12.3 Below-Grade Vaults

12.3.1 A vault shall be used to house an assembly only where the plumbing plans indicate one and where the water purveyor's program permits the assembly type in a vault.
12.3.2 A reduced pressure principle assembly, a reduced pressure detector assembly, a pressure vacuum breaker assembly, and a spill resistant vacuum breaker assembly shall not be installed in a vault or pit.
NOTE A vault floods, and an assembly whose relief valve or air inlet sits in standing water has lost its protection; the codes and every purveyor program confine vaults to double check types, whose checks keep working submerged, and most programs discourage even those. (12.3.3)
12.3.4 Each vault shall be drained by gravity to daylight or, where no gravity drain is possible, by a sump pump with a high-level alarm to the building automation system, and shall be kept free of standing water at the elevation of the assembly.
12.3.5 Each vault shall have a lid that can be opened by one person, a ladder or steps, and the clearances this standard requires around the assembly, and shall be sized so that the assembly can be tested and have its check modules removed from inside the vault.
12.3.6 Where a vault is installed in a freezing climate, the assembly shall be below Frost DepthFrost DepthParameterEach project supplies its own value.frost-depth or the vault shall be insulated and heated as a Class I enclosure.

13 Field Testing and Certification

13.1 Tester Engagement and Test Equipment

13.1.1 The initial certification test of each assembly shall be performed by the tester indicated in the datasheet.
Initial Certification Test Performed Byradio
● Certified tester engaged by the Contractor
○ Certified tester engaged by the Owner
○ Water purveyor's tester
NOTE A tester engaged by the Contractor is the norm and puts the test inside the construction schedule and the Contractor's responsibility for a failed result. An Owner-engaged tester is the Owner's own cross-connection contractor, who will test the assembly every year after and knows the purveyor's forms; the Owner's schedule then governs when the water is turned on. A purveyor's tester is used where the purveyor tests its service connections itself and accepts no other report. (13.1.2)
13.1.3 Where the tester is engaged by the Owner or the purveyor, the Contractor shall give not less than five working days' notice that an assembly is ready for test, and the cost of the first test of each assembly shall be borne by the party engaging the tester.
13.1.4 Each test shall be performed with a differential pressure test kit calibrated within the interval indicated in the datasheet, and the calibration certificate number shall appear on the test report.
Test Kit Calibration Intervalrange
Not more than
months
3612
NOTE Annual calibration is what the USC Foundation and most purveyor programs require of a test kit; a program may require a shorter interval, and a kit that has been dropped is out of calibration whatever its certificate says. (13.1.5)
13.1.6 Where the purveyor's program requires a calibration interval shorter than the datasheet value, the program's interval shall govern.

13.2 Initial Certification Test

13.2.1 Each assembly shall pass an initial certification test after it is installed and before water is supplied through it to any outlet, equipment, or system.
13.2.2 The test shall follow the field test procedure the purveyor's program requires, and where the program names none, the procedure published in the USC FCCCHR Manual for the assembly type.
13.2.3 The test shall verify, as the procedure for the assembly type requires, that each check valve holds tight in the direction of flow, that the relief valve of a reduced pressure type opens at not less than the differential its listing requires, that the air inlet of a vacuum breaker type opens at not less than the pressure its listing requires, that the shutoff valves hold, and that the detector bypass of a detector type registers flow.
NOTE A new assembly fails its first test more often than any later one, because the debris of a new service lodges in a check, a shutoff valve seat was damaged in handling, or the assembly was installed in an orientation it was not approved in; the test is what finds those before the water is on. (13.2.4)
13.2.5 The initial certification test of an assembly on domestic water shall be performed after the piping it serves has been flushed and disinfected under Disinfection Of Water SystemsDisinfection of Domestic Water SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/disinfection-of-water-systems and before the piping is returned to service.
13.2.6 No assembly shall be removed, bypassed, or left open during flushing or disinfection, and the assembly serving a disinfected segment shall be confirmed in place and operable before that segment is returned to service.
13.2.7 The initial certification test of a fire service assembly shall be performed in coordination with the forward-flow test and the acceptance test of the sprinkler system, so that the assembly is tested at the sprinkler system demand.
13.2.8 Where an assembly fails its initial test, the Contractor shall repair or replace it with listed parts for the model, retest it, and bear the cost of the repair and the retest.
13.2.9 Where the parties disagree whether a test result constitutes a failure, the Engineer of Record shall make the initial determination, and the purveyor's program shall make the final one for any assembly it regulates.
13.2.10 Where the design flow can be produced during the initial test, the Contractor shall measure the pressure loss across each premises isolation assembly and each fire service assembly at the test cocks and shall report any value above the maximum loss this standard sets to the Engineer of Record.

13.3 Repairs and Replacement Parts

13.3.1 Each repair to an assembly, during construction or under warranty, shall be made only with the assembly manufacturer's parts for the model and size, by a repairer the purveyor's program accepts.
NOTE An assembly is listed and approved as the sum of its parts, and a check module, spring, or relief diaphragm from another model, or a generic elastomer, makes it an unlisted assembly whatever its test result; the purveyor's program can require such an assembly to be replaced. (13.3.2)
13.3.3 Each repaired assembly shall be retested by a certified tester before it is returned to service, and the repair and retest shall be recorded on the test report.
13.3.4 Where a check module or relief valve is replaced, the removed part shall be delivered to the Owner or disposed of as the Owner directs, and shall not be reinstalled in any assembly on the project.

13.4 Owner Instruction

13.4.1 Before the assemblies are accepted, the Contractor shall demonstrate to the Owner's operating staff the location of each assembly, the operation of its shutoff valves and any bypass or parallel arrangement, the location and purpose of its test cocks and relief discharge, the operation of each enclosure heater and alarm, and the annual test date recorded on each tag.
13.4.2 The demonstration shall be scheduled with not less than five working days' notice and shall be recorded in the closeout submittals with the names of those attending.

13.5 Test Report and Filing

13.5.1 Each test shall be recorded on the form the water purveyor or the Authority Having Jurisdiction requires, and where neither requires a form, on a form giving every item below.
13.5.2 Each test report shall identify the property and the assembly location, the assembly type, manufacturer, model, size, and serial number, the installation date, the test date, the tester's name, certification number, and certification expiration, the test kit model, serial number, and calibration date, the recorded values of each test step, the pass or fail result, any repair made and the retest result, and the tester's signature.
13.5.3 The Contractor shall file each test report with the water purveyor and the Authority Having Jurisdiction within the time their programs allow, and within 10 days of the test where neither program sets a time.
NOTE A purveyor's program is enforced through its records, and an assembly that was tested but never reported is an untested assembly in the program's eyes, which can cost the Owner a notice or a shutoff a year later. (13.5.4)
13.5.5 A copy of each test report shall be left in the Owner's operation and maintenance data and a copy shall be attached to or kept at the assembly where the purveyor's program requires it.

13.6 Tagging and Annual Testing

13.6.1 After its initial certification test, each assembly shall carry the tester's tag or sticker that the purveyor's program requires, giving the test date, the result, and the tester's certification number.
NOTE Each testable assembly is required by the plumbing codes and by the purveyor's program to be tested again at least annually, and after any repair or relocation, for as long as it is in service; that testing is the Owner's obligation once the assembly is accepted, and the program may discontinue service to a premises whose assembly is overdue. (13.6.2)
13.6.3 The Contractor shall state, in the installed assembly schedule and on each assembly tag, the date by which the next test is due, which shall be twelve months from the initial certification test unless the purveyor's program sets a shorter interval.
13.6.4 Where the Contractor repairs or replaces an assembly under warranty, the Contractor shall have it retested by a certified tester and shall file the retest report as this standard requires for an initial test.

14 Delivery, Storage, and Handling

14.1 Each assembly shall be delivered in the manufacturer's packaging with its end caps, test cock plugs, and listing marks in place, and the Contractor shall inspect each assembly for shipping damage on arrival.
14.2 Assemblies shall be stored indoors, above freezing, out of direct sunlight, and off the floor, with their end caps in place until the connections are made.
NOTE An assembly stored with water in it and allowed to freeze is damaged before it is installed, and an assembly stored open collects the debris that fails its first test. (14.3)
14.4 An assembly that has been stored for more than 12 months before installation shall be inspected by the Contractor, and its elastomer checks and relief diaphragm shall be exercised or replaced as the manufacturer's storage instructions require.
14.5 Enclosures shall be stored on their pallets, protected from impact, with their hardware and heater components kept with them.
14.6 Assemblies shall be lifted by their bodies or by lifting lugs where furnished, and never by their shutoff valve handles, test cocks, or relief valve.

15 Warranty

15.1 The Contractor shall procure assemblies and enclosures carrying at least the warranty coverage indicated in the datasheet, and shall furnish evidence of that coverage in the closeout submittals.
Warranty Periodrange
Not less than
yr
123510
15.2 Where the datasheet indicates no warranty period, each assembly and enclosure shall carry the standard published warranty for its class, and the Contractor shall state that period in the closeout submittals.
15.3 The warranty period shall begin at substantial completion or at the date of beneficial use by the Owner, whichever is earlier.
15.4 The Contractor shall warrant the installation of each assembly and enclosure against defects in workmanship for one year from the start of the warranty period.
15.5 Where an assembly fails a certification test within the warranty period and the failure is attributable to a defect in the assembly or in its installation, the Contractor shall repair or replace the assembly, retest it, and file the retest report at no cost to the Owner.
15.6 The warranty shall not cover damage from freezing where the enclosure or heat was installed and operating as specified and the Owner interrupted its power, damage from debris admitted by the Owner's operation of a bypass, or wear of elastomer parts beyond the first year.
15.7 Where a warranted component is repaired or replaced, the repaired or replaced component shall carry a fresh full warranty term running from the date of the repair, or the remainder of the original term, whichever ends later.
15.8 The Contractor shall bear the cost of removing and reinstalling adjacent work required to reach an assembly being repaired under warranty, and shall restore that work to its recorded condition.

16 Spare Parts

16.1 The Contractor shall deliver the spare parts indicated in the datasheet to the Owner at substantial completion, each marked with the identifier of the assembly it serves and stored together in a labeled container in the location the Owner designates.
  • one complete rebuild kit for the first check and one for the second check of each reduced pressure principle and double check model and size installed
  • one relief valve rebuild kit for each reduced pressure principle model and size installed
  • one air inlet and check rebuild kit for each vacuum breaker assembly model and size installed
  • one set of test cocks for each assembly size installed
  • one heater element and one thermostat for each heated enclosure model installed
  • the special tools the manufacturer requires for removing the check modules of each assembly 2-1/2 in. and larger
Spare Parts Deliverycheckbox
☑ Check valve rebuild kits
☑ Relief valve rebuild kits
☐ Vacuum breaker air inlet and check rebuild kits
☐ Test cock sets
☐ Enclosure heater elements and thermostats
☐ Check module removal tools
16.2 Spare parts shall be delivered in the manufacturer's sealed packaging marked with the part number, the models they fit, and the date of manufacture, and no elastomer kit older than two years at delivery shall be accepted.
16.3 The Contractor shall obtain the Owner's signed receipt for the spare parts delivered.

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