Burst Backflow Preventers | Falls at Green Meadows Community

In the hard freeze this weekend, I personally helped two homeowners with their burst BFPs and heard about a third. Here is a YouTube video from Houston of how to drain your own BFP to prevent freezing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFLlxoTnzFY

Here are the instructions in print, including to leave the valves at 45 degrees to prevent trapping water inside the valve body when fully open.
http://media.wattswater.com/fp765.pdf

My Lennar house has a Wilkins 720-A and a nearby Meritage uses a Febco 765-1. Here they are on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KI0WQTA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XRCGZ2

Here are the repair kits:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YK2CVI
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002NKURVM

If yours is completely broken and you need to replace it before irrigation season begins again, some companies make a freeze-prevention BFPs:

http://www.febcoonline.com/Featured/Deep_Freeze/Deep_South

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Watts-0388015-1-800M4FR-Freeze-Resistant-Anti...

http://backflowparts.com/

Comments

Leave the Valves Halfway

The builder for Gehan homes just came by my house. He said he drained all the Gehan spec homes' BFPs, but they all burst at the valve body. He had opened the valves completely, which traps a small amount of water inside the valve ball.

Burst Backflow Preventer

Thanks, Mitch. We'll be using this info, unfortunately!

Plumber to do the Work

I have been reminded that our own neighbors Michele and Toby McDaniel at 5934 Green Meadows Lane operate a plumbing business called TM Lonestar Plumbing. Their contact information is here:
http://www.tmlsplumbing.com/
832-437-9262