Hose Bibb Vacuum Breakers in San Gregorio, CA
A garden hose dropped into a bucket of weed killer is a cross-connection. If pressure on the street drops, that bucket can siphon back into your pipes.
A hose bibb vacuum breaker, built to ASSE 1011, threads onto the outdoor faucet and lets air in when pressure drops, breaking the siphon. Most plumbing codes require one on every hose connection.
The better ones have a breakaway set screw so they cannot be removed once installed. Frost-free sillcocks often come with a vacuum breaker built in, but the cheap plastic caps on some models crack after a few seasons. A faucet that sprays water from the top of the vacuum breaker when you shut the hose nozzle has a failed one.
These are not testable devices, so they are not on your utility's annual list. They still matter for backflow prevention at home.
Grizzly Backflow & Plumbing connects San Gregorio, CA homeowners with plumbers who fit hose bibb vacuum breakers and check other small cross-connections during a backflow testing visit. Call (833) 990-5874.