Where the water comes from changes the diagnosis. The City of Fircrest runs its own water system from city wells, with an emergency intertie to Tacoma Water. It is one of the few small cities in the area with its own groundwater supply. Fircrest is about 35 minutes from Port Orchard, over the Narrows Bridge and a few minutes down Highway 16 to the Orchard Street exit, which puts it comfortably inside the territory we cover every week.
Why backflow preventer installation is a little different in Fircrest
Exposed backflow assemblies in Fircrest take a beating during Pierce County's periodic hard freezes. We install drains and insulated enclosures on new devices and add them to existing ones so a cold snap does not mean another replacement in spring.
Sewer versus septic is the next question. City sewer. Fircrest collects wastewater and pumps it to the City of Tacoma's system for treatment. There is no septic in Fircrest.
Local conditions that affect backflow preventer installation in Fircrest
Here is a Fircrest detail that changes how we approach the job: Cast iron drains in the brick ramblers channeling after sixty years
Commercial properties in Fircrest, from restaurants to car washes to medical offices, usually need an RPZ on the service and sometimes on individual equipment. We install them above grade with proper discharge so the relief port does not flood a floor.
The pattern we see most in Fircrest is this: Clay side sewers with roots from the big street trees on Regents and Alameda
Water purveyors serving Fircrest run annual backflow testing programs, and the notices they send often leave homeowners unsure what device they actually need. We call the district, confirm the hazard classification, and install exactly what they will accept.
Signs Fircrest homeowners call us for backflow preventer installation
Worth a call
- You are adding an irrigation system, fire sprinklers, a boiler or a pool auto-fill
- Your property has both a private well and a city water connection
- An old assembly is corroded, the shutoffs will not close, or the test cocks are seized
- A home inspector or county inspector flagged a cross-connection
- The brass body cracked in a winter freeze
How we handle backflow preventer installation in Fircrest
Expect a Fircrest backflow preventer installation call to go like this: figure out what the purveyor wants, site check and flat quote, install with testable access, initial certification, then record and remind. If the plan changes mid-job, we stop and re-quote rather than surprise you on the invoice.
Read the full step-by-step for backflow preventer installation →
Fircrest neighborhoods and areas we serve
Fircrest Golf Club area, Regents Boulevard and the original 1920s plat and the streets between them see us regularly, as do the properties near Thelma Gilmur Park and Fircrest Golf Club. If you are in Fircrest, you are covered.
Backflow Preventer Installation questions from Fircrest
Do you handle the paperwork for the Fircrest water district?
We coordinate the initial certification test and make sure the report reaches your purveyor. You get photos and device details for your own records.
Is a permit needed to install a backflow preventer in Fircrest?
Usually a plumbing permit is required, and the purveyor needs the installation and test report. We take care of both as part of the job.
Which water districts in Fircrest require backflow preventers?
Every public water purveyor serving Fircrest runs a cross-connection program under Washington's drinking water rules. If you have irrigation, fire sprinklers, a boiler or a well on the property, expect a requirement.
How quickly can you install a backflow device in Fircrest?
Most residential assemblies are installed within a few days of approving the quote, and we carry common PVB and double check sizes on the truck. RPZs for commercial services may need to be ordered.
Can a backflow preventer be installed underground?
A double check valve assembly can be, in a proper vault with drainage. Pressure vacuum breakers and RPZs cannot; they need to be above grade, and the PVB has to sit above the highest sprinkler head it serves.
We bring the same equipment to Fircrest that we use at home in Kitsap: sectional and drum machines, a push camera with a monitor, our own hydro jetting truck, and a van stocked for the common repairs.