Freeze Coming? Backflow Testing, Repair, and Installation in Fort Worth, TX Starts With a Winterized Valve
Our backflow testing, repair, and installation in Fort Worth, TX helps protect your sprinkler backflow from freeze damage. That brass valve near your sprinklers keeps lawn water from flowing back into your drinking water. We’re bringing 50 years of Berkeys expertise to Fort Worth.
One hard freeze can crack a backflow preventer that’s still full of water. The water inside expands as it freezes and splits the brass body or the valve parts. Come spring, you may find a leak, low sprinkler pressure, or water spraying across the yard.
You get a drained, insulated assembly before the cold arrives. If a freeze has already done damage, we repair or replace the assembly, then test it and report the results to the City. See how our backflow testing, repair, and installation in Fort Worth, TX keeps your system ready. Call Berkeys Today to get your backflow ready for winter.
How Do I Winterize My Backflow Preventer Before Needing Backflow Repair in Fort Worth?
Drain the water out and cover the assembly before the first hard freeze. Follow these steps:
Close the irrigation shut-off valve between the meter and the backflow.
Open the test cocks with a flathead screwdriver to release pressure.
Turn both ball valve handles to a 45-degree angle so water drains out.
Drain or blow out the sprinkler lines.
Cover the assembly with an insulated cover that doesn’t block the relief port.
Set your sprinkler controller to off or rain mode.
Find Your Backflow Assembly and Know Which Type You Have
You may never have taken a close look at the brass valve near the sprinklers at your Fort Worth home. Before you winterize it, find out which type you have.
Pressure vacuum breaker: Sits above ground on a short pipe riser.
Reduced pressure zone (RPZ) assembly: Has a relief port on the bottom that can release water.
Double check assembly: Sits in a box below ground.
Fort Worth requires an approved backflow assembly on any irrigation system connected to drinking water. Each type drains a little differently, so knowing yours helps you protect it.
Shut Off and Drain the Assembly Before the First Hard Freeze
Your Fort Worth family may have just seen the first freeze in the forecast. That’s your signal to drain the backflow.
Water left inside the assembly expands as it freezes. That pressure can crack the brass body and the valve parts. Draining the water out removes the risk.
Do it before the first hard freeze, which often arrives in late fall. North Texas can swing from a mild afternoon to a hard freeze overnight, so don’t wait for the cold to settle in.
Insulate the Assembly Without Blocking the Relief Port in Mira Vista
Your Mira Vista home may have an above-ground backflow on a large, irrigated lot. Once you’ve drained the backflow, a good cover gives it one more layer of protection.
Use a fitted insulated cover or bag. It holds heat in around the brass.
Keep the RPZ relief port clear. Water needs a way to drain out.
Skip wet towels. They soak up water and freeze solid.
Fort Worth requires backflow assemblies to be protected from freezing. If your RPZ sits inside an insulated enclosure, the enclosure needs a drain to daylight.
A Cracked Body, Split Bonnet, or Steady Drip Means Repair Before Spring
You may find water spraying from your backflow after a freeze at your Fort Worth home. That’s a sure sign the cold got inside. Watch for these signs too:
Cracked brass on the valve body
A split or lifted bonnet on top of the assembly
A steady drip from the relief port
Low pressure at your sprinkler heads
Depending on the damage, we repair the parts or replace the whole assembly. The February 2021 winter storm cracked backflows all across Fort Worth, so freeze damage here is common.
Fort Worth Requires a Test After Every Repair or Replacement
Your backflow may have just been repaired or replaced at your Fort Worth home. The job isn’t finished until the assembly passes a test.
A licensed tester checks each valve with a calibrated gauge.
The results go into the City’s online reporting system.
You keep a copy for your records.
Fort Worth requires a test after any installation, repair, or relocation. Commercial assemblies and those protecting against health hazards also need yearly tests. See the City of Fort Worth Backflow and Cross Connection Control page for the full rules.
Restart Slowly in Spring to Protect Presidio Sprinkler Systems
Your Presidio family may be ready to water the lawn again once spring arrives. A slow, careful restart keeps a sudden rush of water from damaging the backflow.
Close the test cocks.
Open the ball valves slowly.
Open the shut-off valve a little at a time.
Check the backflow for drips, then run each sprinkler zone.
New Fort Worth irrigation systems must have a rain/freeze sensor. If you have an older system, the City encourages you to add one so your sprinklers don’t run in freezing weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Often, yes. Call us 24/7, and we’ll schedule your visit based on technician availability.
Yes, if it sits above ground. A hard freeze here can crack a full assembly overnight.
It’s better not to. Wet towels freeze, so use a fitted insulated cover that leaves the relief port clear.
It depends on your assembly. Every assembly needs a test after installation, repair, or relocation, so check any notice you get from the City.
It depends on the damage. Either way, Fort Worth requires a test once the work is done.
We're There When You Need Us!
877-746-6855 
Freeze-Ready Backflows, Tested and Reported, From Local Fort Worth Plumbers
We’ve served North Texas for 50 years, since 1975. Our licensed, background-checked plumbers get your backflow ready for winter, repair freeze damage, and test the assembly so it meets City rules. Homeowners give us a 4.8-star Google rating.
Call (817) 799-6090 for Backflow Testing, Repair, and Installation in Fort Worth.
Berkeys Plumbing, A/C & Electrical in Fort Worth • 3001 W 5th St Suite 700, Fort Worth, TX 76107 • 817-799-6090