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PVB Services
The Hardest-Working Piece of Brass in Your Yard
A pressure vacuum breaker is the simplest backflow assembly that utilities accept on a sprinkler system, and it is the one most Central Texas homes have. Inside are two parts: a spring-loaded check valve that only lets water flow toward the sprinklers, and an air inlet on top that snaps open the moment pressure in the line drops, breaking the siphon so nothing can be pulled backward. To work, it has to stand higher than the highest sprinkler head it protects, which is why it sits on a pair of risers a foot or more above the ground near the meter. That location is also its weakness. It is full of water, out in the open, and the first thing in the yard to freeze.
Radiant handles everything a PVB needs. We install them on new irrigation systems at the correct height with proper shutoffs and test cocks, test them with a gauge to the standard your utility uses, rebuild the check and air inlet when they start spitting or fail a test, and replace the ones that a freeze like February 2021 cracked open. If your assembly is a different type, or you are not sure what protects your system, our backflow prevention page covers the whole family of devices. Freeze protection for the PVB is part of our frozen pipe work, and if the sprinklers are weak, the PVB is one of several things we check on a water pressure call. Small parts, small repair, real consequences if it is ignored.
- Installed at the right height Above the highest head it protects, with unions and shutoffs so the next test or repair is quick.
- Gauge-tested The check valve and the air inlet each measured against the required value and documented for the utility.
- Rebuilt when the body is sound A manufacturer kit in a sound body fixes most spitting, dripping PVBs. Replacement only when it is cracked or obsolete.
What to Watch For
Signs Your PVB Is Failing
Walk out to the meter and look at it while the sprinklers run and again after they shut off.
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Water spraying or dripping from the top
A brief spit when the system shuts off is normal. Continuous discharge from the air inlet while running means the poppet or check is fouled.
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A crack in the body or bonnet after winter
The most common PVB failure here. Trapped water freezes, the brass splits, and the leak appears when the irrigation runs in spring.
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Sprinkler zones lost pressure
A check valve stuck partly shut or debris in the seat. The system was fine last year; now the far zones barely reach.
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A failed test or a notice from the utility
A PVB that will not hold the required check pressure or whose air inlet opens late needs a rebuild before it can pass.
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Shutoff handles that will not turn
The ball valves on each side seize with age. Without them, the assembly cannot be isolated to test, rebuild or protect from a freeze.
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The PVB sits lower than a sprinkler head
On a sloped lot, heads uphill of the assembly defeat it. The fix is raising the PVB or changing the assembly type.
What We Do
PVB Install, Test, Rebuild and Replace
The whole lifecycle of the device, from a new sprinkler system to the spring after a hard freeze.
- New PVB installation Sized to the irrigation line, set above the highest head, with unions, isolation valves and test cocks that make it serviceable.
- Testing and certification paperwork Check valve and air inlet tested with a calibrated gauge, and the results recorded the way your utility wants them.
- Rebuild kits New poppet, check assembly, springs and seals installed in a sound body, which is the fix for most spitting and failed tests.
- Freeze-damage replacement Split bodies and bonnets replaced with a new assembly, and the risers and shutoffs checked for the same damage.
- Winterizing Isolating and draining the PVB before a freeze, insulated covers, and showing you the two valves to close when a front is coming.
- Upgrading the assembly type Swapping a PVB for a double check or reduced pressure assembly where the lot, the hazard or the utility calls for it.
How It Works
A PVB Service Visit
Test first, then fix only what failed. A test and a rebuild can often be done in one visit.
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Inspect the assembly
Height relative to the heads, condition of the body and shutoffs, evidence of freeze damage, and whether the test cocks are usable.
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Test the check and air inlet
With the downstream valve closed, a gauge on the test cocks measures whether the check holds and the air inlet opens where it should.
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Rebuild or replace, priced first
If it fails, you get a written price for a rebuild kit or a new assembly, with our honest recommendation on which.
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Retest and document
The repaired assembly retested to confirm a pass, results recorded, and the irrigation system put back in service.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
PVB Spitting, Cracked or Due for a Test?
One visit to test, fix and document it. Priced before we touch it.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
I had Radiant Plumbing replace my tankless water heater, damaged in the Feb. 2021 snowmageddon storm with a new unit. The process was smooth and professional from start to finish. The plumber, James, was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly explained my options to me. The cost and time to perform the installation were just as estimated. When he was done, James explained how to maintain the system, what service would be needed and how to perform it, and answered all of my engineering geek questions. It was a thoroughly positive experience. I have used several different plumbers in Austin over the past 15 yrs, but my search is over - I will not hesitate to call Radiant next time and would recommend them unreservedly.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
★★★★★
We called Radiant Plumbing after we noticed a water leak in our kitchen. We were in a time crunch and they were able to schedule us quickly, before we left for vacation. They sent their representative, Preston Nichols, and he was excellent to deal with! He was on time, skillful, friendly, and very professional. It turned out to be a problem with our dishwasher but Preston was quick to diagnose it and set our minds at ease. While he was here, we mentioned that our one year-old water heater needed to be flushed. Preston was quick to take care of that, as well, saving us time and money in the process. Radiant charged us almost half the price another plumber quoted us for that service! While Radiant Plumbing isn’t our usual plumber, they gained a new customer. We won’t hesitate to call Radiant again in the future based on our VERY positive experience with them.
★★★★★
Had 3 different systems installed by them approx. 3 years ago for a total of approx $20k. I was quite happy with the install until the year later when they came for a maintenance call and started finding deficiencies in their own install. they wanted extra money to address those deficiencies. Now I am in the process of selling my home and an inspector has found a few items that need to be addressed and they will not even look at the report unless I schedule a $139.00 service call. Very poor customer service.. This company does not stand by their work and would not recommend.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Pressure Vacuum Breaker Questions
Where does a pressure vacuum breaker have to be installed?
Higher than everything it protects. A PVB works by letting air into the line when pressure drops, and that only breaks a siphon if the device is above the highest outlet downstream, meaning the highest sprinkler head or drip emitter on the system. Installers typically set it a foot or more above the highest head, on risers, close to where the irrigation line tees off the water service so it protects the whole system. It also needs to stay accessible for testing, and it must not be installed where backpressure is possible, such as downstream of a pump. On a sloped lot where heads run uphill from the meter, a PVB may not be the right device at all, and we will tell you if a different assembly is needed.
Why is my PVB spraying water out of the top?
A quick spurt from the bonnet when the sprinklers shut off is normal; that is the air inlet opening as pressure drops, which is exactly what it is for. Water coming out while the system is running, or a steady drip long after it stops, is not normal. The usual causes are debris caught under the check valve or the air inlet poppet, a worn seal, or a spring that has weakened, all of which are fixed with a rebuild kit in a sound body. If the water is coming from a hairline crack in the brass rather than the vent, especially the first time the system runs after a freeze, the body has split and the assembly needs replacing. Either way, it will not pass a test in that condition.
How do I keep my PVB from freezing?
Get the water out of it before the cold arrives. Close the shutoff valve upstream of the PVB, then open the test cocks and the downstream valve to drain the assembly; leaving the test cocks partly open lets any remaining water expand without splitting the brass. An insulated backflow cover or a wrap of pipe insulation and a plastic bag helps for a light freeze but is not enough on its own for a multi-day hard freeze. If the irrigation system will not be needed until spring, shut the supply and drain it in late fall and be done with it. We can show you the valves on a service visit, and we replace a lot of PVBs each spring that this five-minute routine would have saved.
Can a PVB be repaired, or does it have to be replaced?
Most of the time it can be rebuilt. Manufacturers sell repair kits with a new check assembly, air inlet poppet, springs and seals, and installing one in a sound body restores the device to like-new performance for a fraction of the cost of a new assembly. Rebuilding is the right call when the failure is a fouled check, a sticking poppet, a worn seal or a failed test. Replacement is the right call when the body or bonnet is cracked, usually from a freeze, when the shutoff valves and test cocks are so corroded they cannot be used, or when the assembly is an old model with no parts available. We look at it, test it and tell you which yours is, with a price for each.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
