Originally Published Apr 3, 2023
If your outdoor faucet looks bulkier than expected, there’s a good reason — that extra piece is a vacuum breaker. So, what is a vacuum breaker? It’s a small but critical device designed to protect your home’s water supply from contamination. While often overlooked, vacuum breakers are essential components of modern plumbing systems. Let’s take a closer look at what vacuum breakers are, how they work, and why they’re vital for protecting your home’s drinking water.
Vacuum Breakers Basics
A vacuum breaker is a type of backflow prevention device. Its primary purpose is to stop non-potable water (unsafe water to drink) from being siphoned back into your clean water supply. It’s essentially a one-way valve that allows water to flow out through your faucet or hose but blocks it from returning when the pressure drops.
These devices are commonly installed on outdoor hose bibs, irrigation systems, and commercial plumbing systems. There are several types, including:
- Atmospheric vacuum breakers (AVBs): Ideal for outdoor use and low-hazard applications.
- Pressure vacuum breakers (PVBs): Used in irrigation systems that may be under constant pressure.
- Hose bibb vacuum breakers (HBVBs): Screwed directly onto outdoor faucets for residential use.
Vacuum breakers are small, affordable, and incredibly effective at protecting public and private water systems from cross-contamination.
Importance of Vacuum Breakers on Outdoor Faucets
Outdoor faucets are particularly vulnerable to contamination risks due to their frequent interaction with hoses and various substances. A hose left in a puddle, a fertilizer container attached to a spigot, or a pesticide sprayer — all of these situations present an opportunity for harmful chemicals, dirt, and bacteria to enter the water system if backflow occurs.
If backflow prevention isn’t in place, these contaminants could flow backward into your home’s potable water supply or even the municipal system, affecting your neighbors and community. That’s why many local plumbing codes now require outdoor faucet vacuum breakers on all external spigots and hose bibs.
Beyond legal requirements, using a vacuum breaker is just smart plumbing. This simple device protects your family, garden, and entire plumbing system.
How Vacuum Breakers Work
To understand how vacuum breakers work, you first need to understand how water pressure affects flow. In a normal situation, water flows out of your faucet thanks to pressure from the municipal or private water system. When you turn the faucet off, the flow stops.
However, if there’s a sudden drop in pressure — perhaps due to a water main break, a large volume of water being drawn by firefighters, or a leak — the flow of water can be reversed. This creates a vacuum effect, potentially drawing contaminated water back into the plumbing system. This process is called back-siphonage.
A vacuum breaker “breaks” that vacuum by allowing air into the system when a reverse pressure is detected. This disrupts the siphon effect and prevents any contaminated water from entering your clean supply. It’s a passive, mechanical solution to a potentially dangerous problem.
Why Water Pressure Matters
When you use your garden hose, the direction of water flow is pretty obvious. You open the valve, and water flows out of the hose. When you turn off the valve, the water stops. It might be hard to imagine water flowing in the opposite direction.
Backflow can happen when there’s a change in water pressure. One scenario is if there’s a break in the line somewhere. A leak would disrupt the system and create a drop in pressure further up the line.
If all the water entering the system were completely clean, then there shouldn’t be a problem. However, we can’t guarantee this. Especially with outdoor faucets and anything attached to them, harmful contaminants could get into the water supply.
Potential Hazards
Garden hoses can come into contact with many kinds of substances. Some people buy fertilizer containers that can be connected to their hoses. When you turn on the water, it mixes with the fertilizer and gets sprayed out in an optimal concentration. This method can be really convenient since it allows you to skip the step of mixing up the solution yourself.
Weed killers also come in these same kinds of containers. In addition, manufacturers make cleaning solutions for roofs, siding, decks, and vehicles using containers that are compatible with hoses.
As you might imagine, these substances contain a lot of ingredients. Some of these are quite toxic, so you don’t want to have them come into contact with your skin. You definitely don’t want to be drinking them, either. Even in tiny amounts, these materials could be very harmful to your health.
Even if you don’t use these kinds of products, your garden hose could still come in contact with things that you don’t want to get into your water supply. For instance, if you use a hose to water your plants, you probably leave that hose outdoors when you’re not using it. Animals could come by and leave waste on or near it, and dirt and debris could find their way inside the hose. After a rainy day, a puddle could form near the hose’s end, bringing certain particulates in contact with the hose, too.
We put a lot of effort into keeping our water clean and protecting it from contamination. It would be unfortunate if anything from your yard got into the water supply.
Addressing the Issue
Luckily, preventing backflow is easy. A vacuum breaker can be installed in minutes — either as a built-in feature on a new faucet or as an attachment that screws directly onto your existing hose bibb. These devices are low-cost, effective, and durable.
However, not all vacuum breakers are created equal. They’re labeled with codes that indicate their level of protection, whether they can withstand continuous pressure, and what kind of environments they’re best suited for. For homeowners, it may be difficult to choose the correct type without some professional guidance.
That’s where High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can help. Our team is trained in plumbing code compliance and can ensure your outdoor faucets are equipped with the right vacuum breaker for your needs, whether you live in a single-family home or manage a commercial property.
The Team of Plumbers at High 5 is Ready to Help You
At High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we’ve been serving Denver-area residents since 2012 with friendly service and top-notch expertise. Whether you’re concerned about a potential contamination risk or simply want to ensure your outdoor faucets are up to code, our licensed professionals can help.
We install, inspect, and replace all types of backflow prevention devices, including vacuum breakers. We also handle plumbing services for bathrooms, kitchens, water heaters, sewer lines, sump pumps, and even high-tech hydro-jetting and video inspections.
Join our High 5 Club for exclusive perks like discounts, priority service, and free annual inspections — all designed to keep your home running smoothly year-round. Contact us today for any of your plumbing needs.
