Backflow Testing In Hawke's Bay
Annual backflow testing for Hawke's Bay businesses, done by a registered Independently Qualified Person (IQP) who is also a certified plumber. If your device fails, we can fix it on the same visit.
Book your annual backflow test — call APlus Plumbing & Gas on 06 870 6000.
Backflow testing is due every twelve months
Backflow testing is due every twelve months
If your building has a testable backflow preventer, it has to be tested every twelve months. Most business owners we deal with don't know that until something goes wrong.
People ring us when the device is spilling water across a car park, not when the test falls due. By then it usually needs parts, not a tidy-up.
After the Havelock North water contamination in 2016, nobody around here needs reminding why the rules on drinking water matter. Backflow prevention is a small part of that, and the annual test is what keeps it working.
Testing and fixing are two different qualifications
Anyone can sit the backflow course and test a device. You don't have to be a plumber to do that. But to repair, maintain or modify one, you have to be a certified plumber and hold that qualification. Two different tickets.
So here's what happens. Someone tests your RPZ, the reduced pressure zone valve used where the risk is highest. It fails, they hand you a piece of paper saying so, and if they're not a certified plumber that's where they stop. Now you're finding a second contractor and paying for two visits.
A failed device usually isn't a quick reseal. Nine times out of ten the check valve, the double check or the RPZ itself needs replacing.
Beano holds both tickets. He's on the IQP register for backflow prevention and he's a certified plumber, so we test it, and if it's failed we fix it while we're there. We install and maintain them too.
Does your building need a backflow device?
If your business uses chemicals or handles food, there's a good chance it does. The common ones around Hawke's Bay are hair salons, commercial kitchens, daycare centres and kindies, dental and vet clinics, and anywhere with irrigation.
Hair salons are a good example. The basins where hair gets washed usually need a vacuum breaker fitted at the chair, because of the products going down the drain.
If you're not sure where you stand, we'll come and look at the job and tell you.
What happens when we test
We come to site, find your devices, and test each one to confirm it still shuts under reverse pressure. Testing means isolating the device, so water to that line is off while we work. If one fails, we tell you on the spot what it needs.
When it passes you get the certificate for your records, which is what your building manager or council asks for at Building Warrant of Fitness time.
Are you a plumber who's hit a device you can't work on?
If you're a Hawke's Bay plumber who's turned up to a job and found a backflow device you're not certified to touch, give us a ring. It happens on commercial dishwasher installs, pool fill lines and irrigation work.
We do backflow testing across Hawke's Bay for other trades on exactly that basis. We're happy to take just that part of the job and leave the rest with you.
About APlus Plumbing & Gas
Beano is the senior plumber on our crew and the one who holds the backflow qualification. He came out from the UK with a background in commercial work, and he plans a job out properly before he starts it. He's who I put on the bigger, more involved ones.
I'm Jacob. I own APlus Plumbing & Gas and I'm still on the tools, so if someone's coming to look at your job, it's me. We've been going since 2020, based in Hastings, and we work right across Hawke's Bay. You can read more about our team if you want to know who's turning up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does a backflow preventer need to be tested in New Zealand?
Every twelve months. That's the maximum interval for testable devices, and it applies to RPZ and testable double check valves. Non-testable dual checks aren't tested; they get replaced on a cycle instead.
Who is allowed to test a backflow device?
A registered IQP, which stands for Independently Qualified Person. That's the qualification that allows someone to inspect and certify the device.
Can my regular plumber do it?
Only if they hold the backflow qualification as well, and plenty of good plumbers don't. Someone can also be qualified to test a device without being a certified plumber, which means they can't repair it if it fails.
What happens if my device fails the test?
It needs repairing or replacing before it can be certified. That means replacing the check valve, the double check or the RPZ rather than just resealing it. Because Beano is a certified plumber as well as an IQP, we can do that work ourselves.
Do I definitely need a backflow preventer?
If your business uses chemicals or handles food, most likely yes. Hair salons, commercial kitchens, daycare centres, dental and vet clinics are the ones that come up most often. It depends on where the device is fitted. Sometimes it's a council requirement on your water connection, sometimes it sits on your building's compliance schedule.
What is an RPZ?
A reduced pressure zone device, the type used where the risk is highest. It's tested every year.
How does this affect my Building Warrant of Fitness?
If your backflow preventer's on the building's compliance schedule, the annual test feeds into your Building Warrant of Fitness. Let it lapse and it's a problem at renewal.
Do you cover Napier and Central Hawke's Bay?
Yes. We're based in Hastings and we work across Hawke's Bay, including Napier, Havelock North and Central Hawke's Bay.
Need your annual backflow test booked, or got a device that's started leaking?
Call APlus Plumbing & Gas on 06 870 6000 and we'll get it sorted. If it's already spilling water, our emergency plumber service can get to you sooner. You can also see our full range of plumbing services.
Written by Jacob, director and certified plumber and gasfitter, APlus Plumbing & Gas. Backflow testing carried out by Beano, certified plumber, certified drain layer, and registered IQP for backflow prevention.
