Sprinkler tech...reduced pressure backflow preventer...help

[Cody]

I came home a few weeks ago from a camping trip to find what I assume is my "reduced pressure backflow preventer" (identified identical object in box at home depot) shooting water out the bottom. It has done this a couple times, the first time I just turned the valve off then back on and it stopped, the second time I tried the first method to no avail, then tapped it with the ol' trusty hammer and it stopped.

This time none of the above works. I've had the inlet valve turned off for a few weeks and it hasn't been an issue because of the rain, but now I need to figure this out.

Is this thing necessary?

If so, can I take this apart and fix it if it's just a stuck ball valve?

If not, is there a cheaper alternative to the $175 replacement I found at Home Depot?


This is the offending gizmo

 

[Spork]

Are you on secondary water or culinary?

Secondary it is not required, culinary it is.

 

[Skylinerider]

yes it is necessary to prevent the sprinkler water from heading back into the culinary water system. I would definately try and fix it (turn off the sprinkler valve first ) the worst you can do is break it more.

 

[Cody]

I found a diagram that shows how to take it apart and service it. I'll give that a go I guess.

 

[Coreshot]

Pull it apart and you'll probably find a small pebble in one of the rubber seals. LMK if you need help

 

[MR.CJ-7]

I would say tear it apart, it sure isn't doing you any favors as is. If you find something foreign in it, you might want to think of putting a filter in upstream. I have a filter on my secondary water line (no backflow preventer as mentioned above) and you wouldn't believe all the sh!t in that filter. I usually clean it twice a year.

 

[Cody]

this is encouraging. I'm moving out of the house on Saturday to leave it vacant while it is on the market, so I don't want to spend an extra $200 to fix something.

 

[1\4elliptic toy]

Cody, I have fixed many of these over the years at little or no cost, It is probably like corey said...pebble or rust got washed into it from the culinary system.

 

[Cody]

So I grabbed my tools, setup a seat in front of the thing, and turned the valve a couple times...water spit out the bottom. Shut off, now water--but a shudder. Turn on, no water. Off, on, off, on...no more water.

So, it's working again. I'm still tempted to take it apart and clean it, but I decided to leave well enough alone. I would probably lose something important if I took it apart and I have reasonably good luck with letting things fix themselves

 

[bobmed]

Ive had a few stick, usually they just needed some hard water deposits cleaned off.
Limeaway or CLR works good.