Backflow Prevention & FDC Inspection
The two connections your system and the fire department count on.
Two unglamorous parts sit between your fire protection and the water it needs: the backflow preventer guarding the public supply, and the fire department connection crews hook into during a working fire. Both carry standing code requirements, and both are easy to forget until a water authority notice or a fire inspection forces the issue.
We test backflow assemblies with certified testers and file the results with your water purveyor, and we inspect FDCs quarterly per NFPA 25, catching the missing caps, packed debris, and damaged threads that would slow a fire crew down when minutes matter.
What we do
- Annual certified backflow assembly testing and water-authority filing
- Backflow repair and rebuild: checks, relief valves, seats, and springs
- Quarterly FDC inspection: caps, threads, clappers, signage, and access
- Hydrostatic verification of FDC piping where required
- Tracking your water purveyor’s compliance deadlines
The required cycle
| Interval | What happens |
|---|---|
| Annual | Certified backflow test filed with water authority (or as local authority requires) |
| Quarterly | FDC inspection per NFPA 25 — caps, threads, clappers, accessibility |
What inspections typically find
The most common backflow & FDC deficiencies in commercial buildings — each one gets a priority tier and a clear correction path on your report.
- Backflow test deadlines missed, triggering water-authority enforcement
- FDC caps missing with debris packed into the piping
- Damaged or non-standard FDC threads the fire department can’t connect to
- Relief valves discharging continuously from worn internals
- Assemblies installed without adequate clearance to test or repair
Why it matters
A blocked FDC has a direct cost in fire-ground minutes, and an out-of-compliance backflow can get your water service flagged. These are small line items with outsized consequences when skipped.
Backflow & FDC questions, answered
How often does a fire line backflow preventer need testing?
Once a year, by a certified backflow tester, with results filed to your local water purveyor, per California Title 17 and your water authority’s cross-connection control program. Fire-line assemblies are included; being “fire only” does not exempt them.
What is an FDC and why does it need inspection?
The fire department connection is the siamese fitting crews use to pump supplemental water into your sprinkler or standpipe system. NFPA 25 requires quarterly FDC inspections to confirm the caps are on, the threads are usable, the clappers work, and the piping is clear, because a fouled FDC gets discovered at the worst possible moment.
Put backflow & FDC on a schedule that defends itself.
One assessment, one calendar, documentation your insurer and fire inspector can actually read.
714-465-8801We respond within one business day — emergencies, immediately.