Backflow Test LogBackflow Test Log
DCVA annual inspection log
Backflow Assembly Inventory, Fire-Line Alert & Annual Test Log Builder
Enter your assembly count, water supplier, fire-line status, and annual notice due date to generate a multi-valve test log and 30/7/1-day reminder schedule.
Fire line
Questions before you hire
Worksheet preview
Verified: 0 / 5 · Open items / red flags: 5
Ask the water supplier whether this assembly is on a fire line. Do not assume a plumber can test it.
Enter the date from the notice to see the countdown.
The email contains this worksheet. This plan also sends reminder emails 30, 7, and 1 day before the date you entered.
Block 1. Property and water supplier Label: DCVA Assembly Water supplier: Count of assemblies: 1 Next date you entered: Fire-line status: unknown Do not assume a plumber can test it. Ask the water supplier whether this assembly is on a fire line. Block 2. Questions before you hire a tester Ask: is filing the report included, which agency receives it, what happens if the assembly fails. [ ] Confirmed whether tester submits the official pass report directly to the water supplier [ ] Verified which municipal portal or agency address receives the completed test form [ ] Asked in writing what happens (repair vs. re-test fee) if an assembly fails [ ] Checked with the water supplier whether any valve is on a fire-protection line [ ] Recorded serial number and physical meter/vault/riser location for each assembly Block 3. Per-assembly test log Valve # | Serial / Size | Line type | Test date | Tester cert # | Submitted to utility (Y/N) 1 | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ Block 4. What this file is not We do not test and we do not file the report. Prepared by Backflow Test Log (backflowtestlog.com). Source notes read 2026-11-13. We are not a certified backflow tester; a water utility; a fire-line contractor.
A Double Check Valve Assembly (DCVA, DC, or ASSE 1015 preventer) uses two independently acting spring-loaded check valves, two tightly closing resilient-seated shutoff valves, and four test cocks to protect public water mains against low-hazard (non-health) backpressure and backsiphonage. Under ANSI/AWWA C510 and USC FCCC&HR field evaluation standards, both Check Valve #1 and Check Valve #2 must independently hold at least >= 1.0 psid in the direction of flow and remain drip-tight against reverse pressure. US EPA cross-connection engineering notes were read 2026-11-14: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/epa816r03002_0.pdf
Unlike an RPZ backflow assembly, a DCVA has no atmospheric relief port. When sand, pipe scale, or a cracked elastomer disc prevents one of its internal checks from seating, zero water drips onto the floor—meaning an annual differential gauge test is the only way a property owner or water purveyor can tell whether the valve still works.
Backflow Test Log does not perform gauge inspections or file municipal reports. Use the interactive log builder above or DCVA checklist pricing to record your assembly count, water purveyor name, fire-riser status, and annual notice deadline into a clean PDF worksheet with optional 30, 7, and 1 day email reminders.
How the >= 1.0 psid Check #1 and Check #2 rule is verified on site
During an annual DCVA inspection, the certified tester flushes all four test cocks (TC #1 through TC #4) to clear rust particles, closes the downstream #2 shutoff valve to isolate building demand, and measures the static spring closing force across Check Valve #1 and Check Valve #2 one at a time. Under AWWA C510 and USC field test protocols, Check #1 passes only if its static differential reading is >= 1.0 psid and steady; Check #2 is then tested separately and must also hold >= 1.0 psid without dropping.
Because the two check modules operate in series with no intermediate relief vent, a technician cannot treat a strong 2.4 psid reading on Check #1 as a substitute for a 0.6 psid reading on Check #2. Both checks must independently meet or exceed the 1.0 psid threshold. If either module falls below 1.0 psid, the assembly fails until the worn seat ring, poppet, or spring module is cleaned or replaced and retested.
Where utilities allow a DCVA—and when an upgrade to RPZ is triggered
Water purveyors permit DCVA installations strictly on non-health (pollutive or aesthetic) cross-connections, such as domestic containment meters for standard apartment buildings, dry retail storefronts without commercial chemical dispensers, and unmetered wet-pipe fire sprinkler systems containing potable water only with zero antifreeze or corrosion inhibitors.
If a tenant improvement turns a retail bay into a veterinary clinic, dry cleaner, brewery, specialty coffee bar with reverse-osmosis chemical backwash, or commercial kitchen with high-hazard equipment, municipal cross-connection inspectors commonly reclassify the service from low hazard to health hazard. That tenant change can trigger a mandatory swap from a DCVA to an above-grade RPZ assembly, so review lease build-out clauses before assuming last year’s DCVA approval still applies.
Double Check Detector Assemblies (DCDA) on commercial fire risers
Many commercial warehouses, hotels, and office buildings protect their dedicated fire sprinkler service with a Double Check Detector Assembly (DCDA). A DCDA consists of a large mainline DCVA (commonly 4-inch, 6-inch, or 8-inch) straddled by a smaller metered bypass loop—usually a 3/4-inch bronze DCVA paired with a tally meter that alerts the water utility if unauthorized water is drawn from the fire line.
On an annual inspection log, a single DCDA riser actually requires four passing >= 1.0 psid check readings: Mainline Check #1, Mainline Check #2, Bypass Check #1, and Bypass Check #2, plus serial numbers for both the mainline body and the bypass valve. Always verify with your water supplier and fire-alarm monitoring company who is licensed to test a DCDA; read fire line backflow test before hiring a residential plumber who cannot place a fire panel on test.
Underground meter vaults, plugged test cocks, and access preparation
Where local plumbing codes allow low-hazard DCVAs inside curbside concrete vaults or utility boxes, moisture and silt are the leading causes of failed test cocks. Standard utility specifications require brass or plastic pipe plugs in TC #1 through TC #4 between annual inspections so mud wasps, road grit, and standing rainwater do not corrode the internal ball valves.
Before your scheduled test window, confirm whether the vault lid is clear of parked delivery trucks, landscaping mulch, or padlocks, and ask the tester whether flooded-vault pump-out or OSHA confined-space two-person entry fees apply to deep pits. Catching a blocked vault lid 7 days before the utility due date avoids a billed trip charge with zero report filed.
Municipal water purveyor portal filing and 3-year compliance archives
Most mid-size and large water utilities no longer accept faxed paper DCVA sheets from property owners; instead, registered testers upload gauge readings directly into utility-contracted compliance portals (such as BSI Online, SwiftComply, VEPO, or Tokay web portals) and pay a per-assembly portal filing fee ranging from roughly $10 to $35 depending on the municipality.
Ask on the booking call whether that portal upload fee is bundled into the tester’s flat rate or itemized separately, and request the portal confirmation number alongside your PDF copy of the passed DCVA sheet. Maintain a 3-year digital and paper log matching each valve serial number to its annual Check #1 and Check #2 psid results, tester certification number, and utility submission date.
Diagnosing leaking #2 shutoff valves and modular check cartridge wear
During field testing on aging commercial buildings, an internal leak across downstream shutoff valve SOV #2 is one of the most frequent complications on a DCVA inspection sheet. When building fixtures or mechanical equipment downstream create backpressure or draw water through a worn SOV #2 ball or gate seat, the differential gauge reading across Check #1 or Check #2 drifts downward and mimics a bad check spring. Experienced testers isolate whether SOV #2 is tight before condemning the check cartridges, and note shutoff valve condition directly on the utility form.
Most modern 3/4-inch through 2-inch bronze DCVAs and 2-1/2-inch through 10-inch ductile-iron epoxy-coated DCVAs use replaceable cam-check or poppet elastomer discs that harden after 3 to 7 years of chloraminated municipal water exposure. Keeping past repair invoices attached to your annual log lets you see whether a failing Check #1 was already rebuilt last year or still carries original factory rubber.
Using the checklist and 30/7/1-day reminders across multiple meters
Commercial strip centers often have separate domestic DCVAs for Suite A through Suite E that were installed in different months, creating staggered annual notice dates. Missing one notice can trigger utility late administrative fees or water shutoff warnings even when the rest of the center passed months earlier.
Our DCVA checklist plans let single-location owners lock in 30, 7, and 1 day email reminders for $39/year, while portfolio managers handling up to five locations can use the $149/year multi-property plan and email support@backflowtestlog.com to attach additional notice dates.
What differential pressure must a DCVA hold to pass its annual test?
Under AWWA C510 and USC FCCC&HR test procedures, both Check Valve #1 and Check Valve #2 must independently maintain at least >= 1.0 psid in the direction of flow and hold tight against reverse flow.
How is a DCVA different from an RPZ valve?
A DCVA has two check modules and zero atmospheric relief valve, making it suitable only for low-hazard (non-health) connections. An RPZ adds a reduced-pressure intermediate zone with a >= 2.0 psid relief port and >= 5.0 psid Check #1 for high-hazard protection.
Why does a DCDA fire riser have two serial numbers on the test report?
A Double Check Detector Assembly pairs a large mainline DCVA with a 3/4-inch metered bypass DCVA. Testers must test all four check valves (>= 1.0 psid each) and log both serial numbers.
Can Backflow Test Log submit my DCVA inspection form to my city water portal?
No. Only an approved certified backflow tester with portal credentials can upload gauge results to your water purveyor. We email your pre-booking checklist PDF and optional 30/7/1-day deadline reminders.
Are DCVA assemblies allowed inside underground vaults?
Many water purveyors allow low-hazard DCVAs in drained vaults with plugged test cocks and adequate clearance, whereas high-hazard RPZ assemblies must sit above grade. Always verify your local water district’s installation standard.
How long should I retain annual DCVA test confirmations?
Retain signed DCVA test sheets, repair receipts, and utility portal confirmation numbers for at least 3 years so tenant turnovers or utility database migrations never leave a compliance gap.