Buy The Best Insulated Backflow Covers And Enclosures

With cold weather and fall right around the corner, many home owners are looking for the best insulated backflow covers and enclosures to provide freeze and frost protection. As more and more building codes are changed to require water backflow prevention valves be installed in residential neighborhoods, the need for dependable, low cost options has risen significantly over the past few years.

How To Choose The Best Insulated Backflow Covers And Enclosures

The first step is to verify how much insulation protection, or R-value, will be necessary to provide frost and freeze protection. At the minimum, most use at least R4 r-value, with 10 and 13 more popular. When it comes to choosing insulated backflow covers and enclosures it's best to go with more R-value vs less. Simply because it's more or less impossible to have too much insulation when it comes to insulating a backflow prevention valve.

In situations where a water well pump is exposed above ground and is being covered and insulated, then one must be wary of using too much insulation which could limit ventilation and cause the well pump motor to overheat and fail.

However, in the case of backflow valve freeze protection, one need not worry about over insulating because there is no electric pump within these types of valve installations.

One of the most important steps in choosing the right insulated backflow covers and enclosures is to carefully measure the height, width and length of the actual backflow preventer installation. Include the piping as part of the measurement. Everything that is going to be covered needs to be included.

It's  important to consider how much space the insulation is going to take up inside of the hard backflow cover. The last thing you want is too much insulation preventing the cover from closing and latching.

The DekoRRa brand insulated backflow covers and enclosures we sell are nice because the R-13 insulation included with the cover is appropriately sized to fit within the actual backflow enclosure. This type of package deal is easy to install and fool-proof as it takes a lot of the sizing guesswork right out of the equation.

Avoid Fiberglass Backflow Covers And Enclosures

Insulated backflow covers and enclosures made of fiberglass should be avoided if at all possible. Fiberglass is heavy, prone to U.V. damage and doesn't have any give to prevent cracking from impact damage. Units made from polymer resin are usually stronger and can withstand more damage.

It's also a good idea to focus on models with a means of locking the cover down. While practically any type can be broken into given the right tools and enough time, having a locking system is a great way to deter thieves and vandals who will hopefully see the lock and wander off to find an easier target instead.

Just remember that the cover is going to need to be removed on occasion if the backflow valve should require testing, inspecting or maintenance of any kind. So a locking system that is manageable and easy to unlock is key.

Fake rock covers are also becoming popular as insulated backflow covers and enclosures. What's nice about going the fake rock route is how well they can blend into the surrounding landscaping. Being able to totally disguise that ugly metal backflow valve under a realistic fake rock is a real bonus to many home owners looking for the best insulated backflow covers and enclosures.

Buy The Best Insulated Backflow Covers And Enclosures was originally published on: http://Rocksfast.com/

Heated Backflow Covers And Enclosures

Heated backflow covers and enclosures are often necessary in cases where an irrigation backflow valve or drinking water rpz is going to be left outdoors during cold winters in areas of the united states experiencing below freezing weather for extended periods of time.

While most areas require only backflow insulation for freeze protection, certain installations require an additional heat source to keep water from freezing within the valve gate, expanding as it freezes and causing serious damage to the sensitive o-rings, gaskets and valve parts within. Once a backflow valve has been damaged it will require testing, repair or replacement, all of which is expensive and best if avoided.

Many municipalities in cold areas require heated backflow covers and enclosures to be installed to protect city water systems. If a backflow is damaged by freezing water the damage may cause obvious leaking, or most of the damage can be internal. Even if the unit appears to be functioning properly, it may allow water to flow backwards through it in a low pressure scenario, and this can cause contamination.

Types Of Heated Backflow Covers And Enclosures

Depending on how cold it gets, wind velocity and valve type there are different ways to use a heated backflow cover or enclosure. In some instances a light bulb placed under the backflow enclosure can radiate enough heat to help prevent freeze or frost damage. This technique is a bit of a shot in the dark, however, since one really doesn't know how many watts the bulb needs to be and how well insulated the enclosure needs to be in order to retain the limited amount of heat radiating from the bulb.

And there's always the chance that light bulbs will burn out and cease to produce heat which could result in pipes freezing or valve gate damage. Too much wattage may pose a problem if the bulb comes in contact with any insulation material or plastic inside heated backflow enclosures & covers, causing the material to melt or possibly even burn and creating a fire.

A much more dependable and easy to use method for creating heated backflow covers and enclosures for freeze protection is to use electric heat tape. Wrapping the heat tape around the backflow piping and the valve body itself will help protect the entire unit from the ground up. This process heats the actual metal to prevent water inside from freezing, expanding and causing damage to the pipes or valve gate. Heat tape works well on backlow devices manufactured by Febco, Watts, Wilkins, Zurn, Conbraco and other popular brands of residential and commercial backflow prevention valves.

The DekoRRa Model 301 and 302 boxes are both available as ASSE Class 1 heated backflow covers and enclosures which include easy to use heating tape, an r-13 insulation pouch, and the hard resin enclosure. DekoRRa designed this system to work efficiently in order to retain the most heat. The heat tape is wrapped around the valve and piping then plugged in to any 110v outlet. The backflow insulation bag is placed over the entire unit, followed by the locking resin enclosure.

This backflow freeze protection system is ideal because the insulation is right up against the heat source to help retain maximum R-value. And the tightly sealed backflo insulation bag and hard resin enclosure provides excellent protection from the wind, which can be a major culprit for robbing heat from backflow valves and causing them to freeze.

Heated Backflow Covers And Enclosures is republished from: DekoRRa

Large Outdoor Well Pressure Tank Insulation

Large outdoor well pressure tank insulation can be important for home owners with large outdoor well pumps on their property. Whether or not well tank insulation is necessary depends primarily on the region of the U.S. you reside in and how cold it gets during winter months.

Pressure vessel insulation usually appears in the form of an insulated bag, pouch, blanket, or parka which is slid over or wrapped around the tank to provide R-value and prevent frost and or freeze damage.

It's important to choose a means of insulation that is highly weatherproof and U.V. resistant. When insulation material becomes damp or wet, it can degrade and lose its ability to retain warmth. If the outer shell of the pressure tank insulation blanket is damaged by U.V. rays it can become weak and brittle, allowing moisture inside where the insulation material is. Because of this, it is a good idea to choose a brand of polar parka that is highly U.V. resistant.

Large Outdoor Well Pressure Tank Insulation By DekoRRa

The DekoRRa brand we sell provides an R-value of 13 which is highly suitable for most large outdoor water well applications. The outer shell material is highly U.V. resistant and will not become brittle and crack when exposed to the sun. The exterior insulation is heat sealed into the waterproof bag material to encapsulate it and ensure it remains dry regardless of the exterior weather conditions.

Unlike sewn or stitched well pressure tank insulation bags which can become weak at the seams and rely on the thread to hold the edges together, the heat sealed design offered with the DekoRRa brand is much more efficient and can withstand U.V. rays and weather much more effectively.

It's important to carefully measure both the height and the diameter of the well pressure tank. Many large outdoor well tanks are mounted along side an electric well pump on a concrete slab to provide a solid and even foundation. When measuring the height of the tank, consider the metal or plastic stand that the tank is sitting on.

In most applications it is not necessary to insulate all the way down to the ground because the stand is not usually considered part of the tank. Although insulating all the way to the ground including the tank stand isn't going to lead to any problems as long as the insulation bag, parka, or blanket is not covering the electric pump itself.

It's important to remember the electric pump motor requires air flow and ventilation in order to prevent it from overheating and becoming damaged. While these well pumps can be enclosed in a vented hard cover to provide protection, one does not want to cover them with part of the large outdoor well pressure tank insulation because damage to the well pump motor can result.

Large Outdoor Well Pressure Tank Insulation was originally published to: http://Rocksfast.com/