Yes. Our plumbers are licensed in New Mexico and certified to install, test, and repair backflow prevention assemblies — and backflow testing specifically requires certification, since results are reported to the water authority as a compliance record.

Why Certification Is Required for This Work

Backflow testing is not a general plumbing task. It requires a certified tester using a calibrated differential pressure gauge, following a defined procedure, and submitting documented results to the water authority. An uncertified test is not a test as far as the jurisdiction is concerned — the paperwork will not be accepted, and the property remains out of compliance.

What We Handle

  • Installation of RPZ assemblies, double check valve assemblies, and pressure vacuum breakers — with type selected by hazard level and local requirement rather than preference
  • Annual certified testing with documented results
  • Repair and rebuild of failed assemblies — worn check valve seats, springs, seals, and relief valves
  • Replacement when an assembly is beyond rebuilding
  • Winterization of outdoor assemblies before freeze season
  • Compliance tracking so testing happens on schedule rather than after a notice arrives

Residential and Commercial

Residential applications are usually irrigation systems, boilers, and pools. Commercial properties face broader requirements and more active enforcement — restaurants, medical and dental facilities, and buildings with fire suppression systems all carry obligations, and a missed test is a compliance problem rather than an inconvenience.

What Causes Failures Locally

Debris fouling check valve seats, worn springs and seals, mineral scale from Albuquerque’s hard water building on internal sealing surfaces, and freeze damage to outdoor irrigation assemblies that were not winterized.

The Related Item We Check

A backflow preventer creates a closed system, so thermal expansion from your water heater has nowhere to go. Without an expansion tank, that shows up as a weeping T&P valve — commonly misdiagnosed as a bad valve.

Licensed and insured in New Mexico since 1971. Contact B. Carlson about backflow prevention.