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Sunday, November 11th 2012, 6:19pm
1" Watts 800M4FR
My mother had a sprinkler system installed about 5 years ago and always had it blown out by the company that installed it. This year she asked if I could do it for her instead of paying the $65 they charge. I won't even get into the buried in dirt zone valves and non-sealed wire nuts... 
I hooked my compressor up to the test port on the outlet side of the backflow preventer and as soon as I turned on the air it began leaking out of the top of the Watts 800M4FR. My 2 year old Wilkins doesn't do this.
Am I looking at a defective backflow preventer here? Water doesn't leak while under pressure from the water supply but I suspect the backflow prevention is non-existent now. I'm also not sure which repair kit to buy on the website for this model if someone could point me in that direction.
Thanks
I hooked my compressor up to the test port on the outlet side of the backflow preventer and as soon as I turned on the air it began leaking out of the top of the Watts 800M4FR. My 2 year old Wilkins doesn't do this.
Am I looking at a defective backflow preventer here? Water doesn't leak while under pressure from the water supply but I suspect the backflow prevention is non-existent now. I'm also not sure which repair kit to buy on the website for this model if someone could point me in that direction.
Thanks
Sunday, November 11th 2012, 7:05pm
Now you know why the pro gets the big money. 
Connect on the upstream side. The Wilkins is a special animal, and not typical.
By the way, you are letting yourself in for doing all maintenance on the system, as people who do their own winterizing are a bottom priority to the pros when it comes to in-season repairs.
Connect on the upstream side. The Wilkins is a special animal, and not typical.
By the way, you are letting yourself in for doing all maintenance on the system, as people who do their own winterizing are a bottom priority to the pros when it comes to in-season repairs.
Tuesday, November 13th 2012, 9:05am
Now you know why the pro gets the big money.
Connect on the upstream side. The Wilkins is a special animal, and not typical.
By the way, you are letting yourself in for doing all maintenance on the system, as people who do their own winterizing are a bottom priority to the pros when it comes to in-season repairs.
I won't let them go near it again. This being a "Pro" install I now have to dig out the valve box and seal the wires next spring.