# Manage a failed test through to retesting Lesson 1 of [Manage backflow repairs and property records](https://backflowtesters.fyi/academy/manage-backflow-repairs-and-records.md), 12 minutes. ## Establish what failed Start by asking for the actual test report. Seattle's report separates initial results, repairs and final results and identifies the assembly by location, make, model and serial number. Confirm that the failed result belongs to the correct assembly. Ask the tester to explain the recorded result and any remarks in plain language. Do not diagnose an internal component from a brief message or an invoice description. A failed test is a reason to organise corrective action, not to assume that a repair has already happened. Equally, it is not enough information to invent a contamination incident. Ask the provider and water supplier what action the actual condition requires. If you have a separate drinking-water concern, describe it to the supplier rather than treating the assembly report as a complete water-quality investigation. ## Check the local instructions Loudoun Water's programme describes failed devices being repaired or replaced and then retested by a certified tester. Seattle requires testing after repair or replacement. These are useful examples of the full sequence. Your authority determines the applicable response and timing at your address, so contact it about the failed result and any notice you received. Ask who can perform the corrective work and whether permits, inspection or installation approval are needed for the proposed scope. Loudoun Water specifically requires a master plumber when a device is removed and replaced with a new one. That example shows why a tester's credential should not be treated as automatic permission for every type of work in every jurisdiction. ## Obtain a specific proposal Ask the provider to describe the proposed work, what remains uncertain and whether the recommendation is repair or replacement. Ask how any additional work will be authorised. These are recommended purchasing controls, not technical instructions. The provider should explain the work clearly enough for you to approve a defined scope without directing valve adjustment or selecting internal parts yourself. Keep initial testing, corrective work and retesting distinct in the paperwork. Seattle's form has places for all three. Ask whether the proposal includes a return visit and a final test report, and who arranges them if another contractor performs the repair. A statement that the assembly “has been fixed” does not itself document the required test after the work. ## Plan the visit with the responsible people Ask what access is needed, whether water service will be affected and who must be available to authorise work. If the assembly serves fire protection or a critical facility use, ask the parties responsible for that system what coordination they require. Do not independently operate the assembly or promise that all services can remain available. Seattle's report includes service-restoration status, which provides a useful handover question: what has been restored, and what remains to be done? Record the provider's explanation and refer unresolved service or protection issues to the appropriate responsible party. This is coordination, not a substitute for technical oversight. ## Close the whole sequence Collect the initial report, description of corrective work, final test result and submission evidence. Ask the authority about the status of any outstanding notice. Seattle asks owners to obtain confirmation that results were submitted; keep that evidence rather than relying only on the repair invoice. Update your inventory if an assembly was replaced and its serial number changed. Seattle's form includes a replacement indicator and an old serial-number field, which help connect the old and new records. Preserve that link so future testing is booked for the installed assembly, while the earlier failure and corrective work remain understandable. ## Sources - https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SPU/Services/Water/SPU_Backflow-Preventer-Inspection-Field-Test-Report_2023.pdf - https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/your-services/water/water-quality/backflow-prevention/requirements-and-devices - https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/your-services/water/water-quality/backflow-prevention/backflow-testing - https://www.loudounwater.org/residential-customers/cross-connection-backflow Also on the [web page](https://backflowtesters.fyi/academy/manage-backflow-repairs-and-records/manage-a-failed-test).