Field note
Relocating a meter bypass and re-piping a water service entry
A water service entry in a sprinkler room was re-piped in copper. The bypass around the meter was relocated, and the backflow preventer and strainer were reset on the new line. The run was insulated afterward. The photos were taken a month apart.
Before
In the old layout the meter, bypass and backflow preventer sat in insulated pipe, with the sprinkler riser beside them.
What changed
The new run is copper. The meter, strainer and backflow preventer sit at working height, with the bypass looping above them. Each leg has an isolation valve, so any one component can be isolated for service without draining the rest. The assembly's test cocks face out, where a tester can reach them with the test kit.
After insulation
Insulation goes back on once the joints have been pressure-tested and the assembly retested, because a tester needs the test cocks bare and the body visible.
Retest and report
Any work on an assembly is followed by a test. In Toronto the retest is due within 72 hours after the device is cleaned, repaired, replaced, serviced or overhauled. Peel, Hamilton, Aurora, Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan also require a test after a repair or relocation. Halton's and Durham's by-laws name no retest after a repair. Both regions can require a test, and a Durham notice to repair requires the device to be repaired and tested. The program guides cover each one. The test report is filed with the municipality and a copy goes to the owner.
Questions
Does a backflow assembly have to be retested after piping work?
Yes. In the City of Toronto a device must be tested within 72 hours after it is cleaned, repaired, replaced, serviced or overhauled. Peel, Hamilton, Aurora, Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan also require a test after a repair or relocation. Halton's and Durham's by-laws name no retest after a repair. Both regions can require a test, and a Durham notice to repair requires the device to be repaired and tested. We book the test as part of the job.
What is a meter bypass for?
It lets the water meter be isolated and serviced without shutting off the building. How the bypass is valved and sealed is set by the municipality, which owns the meter.