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Shore House PipesSouth Jersey shore, season by season
Procedures
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Hoses, sprinklers and backflow

Backflow devices stop dirty water from being pulled back into drinking water; in New Jersey a testable device such as an irrigation backflow preventer gets a performance test signed by a certified tester, so ask your water utility or the local construction office what schedule applies to your house.

Time: 10 minutes to check, test by a certified testerWho: You + a licensed plumberWhen: Summer, and each spring before irrigation starts

By the Shore House Pipes editors · sources checked October 31, 2026 · how this manual is written

Brass hose faucet with a vacuum breaker on cedar shingles, a hose coiled below
Brass hose faucet with a vacuum breaker on cedar shingles, a hose coiled below. AI-generated picture.

Bring

  • A look at each hose faucet
  • The irrigation system's paperwork, if there is one

The procedure

  1. Check each hose faucet. A small screw-on hose-bibb vacuum breaker should be on every outside faucet where a hose is used.
  2. Don't leave hoses in buckets or pools. A hose lying in dirty water is the classic backflow path.
  3. Find the irrigation backflow device. It is usually a brass assembly with two test cocks where the irrigation line leaves the house supply.
  4. Ask who tests it. Your water utility or the local construction office can say whether it needs a yearly test.
  5. Keep the report. NJ DCA's backflow test form is signed by a certified tester with their certification number.
  6. Tester's step: only a certified backflow tester tests or repairs a testable device.

What is backflow?

It is water running the wrong way. A pressure drop in the street main, from a fire hydrant or a main break, can siphon water from a hose, a sprinkler line or a pool back into the house pipes.

Why do shore houses have more backflow points?

Outdoor showers, hose faucets used to rinse boards and gear, irrigation for summer lawns and, at some houses, pool fill lines. Each is a cross-connection.

The numbers behind it

FigureWhat it meansSource
Signed test formtestable backflow devices get a performance test certified by a testerNJ DCA Bulletin 99-2

Watch: What is Backflow and Why Should I Care?

From the Watts Water YouTube channel. The still picture is stored on this site; nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. The video's advice is the channel's own; where it differs, this page's safety steps come first.

Questions owners ask

Does a hose faucet need a vacuum breaker?
Yes. Many newer hose faucets have one built in; older ones need the screw-on type.
Who can test an irrigation backflow device in NJ?
A certified backflow tester. Your water utility can point you to its rules.
What happens if a device fails its test?
It gets repaired or replaced and retested by the tester or a licensed plumber.

Sources for this procedure

Each source was opened and the cited figure or sentence checked on October 31, 2026. Steps marked PRO are described, not taught: they belong to a licensed plumber or the utility.