Commercial Plumbing in Burke, VA

How often does a commercial backflow assembly need testing in Burke?

At least once a year. Fairfax County's Cross Connections Group, working with Fairfax Water, requires testable assemblies to be tested at installation, after a repair or relocation, and annually after that. The tester must be a DPOR-certified Backflow Prevention Device Worker on the County's Authorized Vendor List. Fire sprinkler systems, irrigation, in-ground pools and directly connected hot tubs all fall under the program, which means community pools and clubhouses in Burke Centre and around Lake Braddock have devices to keep on schedule.

What should we do if sewage backs up?

Stop using fixtures and call Fairfax County's 24-hour line, 703-323-1211. The County checks whether its main is blocked. If the main is clear, the private lateral from the building to the County sewer is the owner's responsibility, and the County won't locate or mark it, so a plumber with a camera usually finds the problem. Burke grew from rural land into dense suburbs in the second half of the 1900s, and the median home dates from 1979, so many laterals and building drains are decades old.

Does a water heater replacement need a permit?

Yes. Fairfax County requires a permit to replace a water heater, and new, repaired or relocated plumbing and gas fixtures need one too; swapping a fixture in the same location is exempt. Permits are filed in PLUS. Fairfax Water's finished water is moderately hard to hard, averaging around 7.5 grains per gallon from its Potomac plant, so commercial heaters collect scale and may wear out sooner without flushing. Fairfax Water owns and maintains the meter, while the underground line from the meter or street valve to the building's main shutoff is the owner's plumbing, so a leak in that stretch of lawn or parking lot is a job for your plumber, not the utility.

Local note

Washington Gas serves most of Fairfax County, though some areas are on Columbia Gas, so the bill tells you which applies. If anyone smells gas, leave the building, then call 911 and the gas company from outside; for Washington Gas that's 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.