---
title: "Sell Backflow Parts by Make, Model and Size, and Test Kits to Certified Testers"
url: https://www.uncap.com/industry/backflow-testing
author: "Denis Dyli"
published: 2026-10-22
updated: 2026-10-22
summary: "Uncap builds backflow parts and testing equipment B2B ecommerce on Shopify for manufacturers and distributors selling backflow prevention assemblies, test kits, gauges and repair parts to certified backflow testers, plumbers, irrigation contractors and water utilities. The trade runs on the test report. A tester enters the make, model and size from the report and sees the kits, check modules, rubber kits and shutoff valves that fit that assembly. The make, model and size lookup, lead-free attributes, shutoff valve lists, kit approval notes and calibration records are built during implementation from your data."
---

# Sell Backflow Parts by Make, Model and Size, and Test Kits to Certified Testers

> Uncap builds backflow parts and testing equipment B2B ecommerce on Shopify for manufacturers and distributors selling backflow prevention assemblies, test kits, gauges and repair parts to certified backflow testers, plumbers, irrigation contractors and water utilities. The trade runs on the test report. A tester enters the make, model and size from the report and sees the kits, check modules, rubber kits and shutoff valves that fit that assembly. The make, model and size lookup, lead-free attributes, shutoff valve lists, kit approval notes and calibration records are built during implementation from your data.

## The challenge

**Where a generic storefront breaks for backflow parts and testing equipment**

The trade runs on the test report, so the order starts from the report and the gauge, not from your part number.

|  | Factor | Generic storefront setup | What backflow parts and test kit sellers need |

| --- | --- | --- | --- |

| Repair kits | When an assembly fails its test, the tester has the make, model and size on the form, and a catalog sorted by your part numbers makes them translate. | Repair kits, check modules and shutoff valves found from the test report, built during implementation from your repair kit tables. |
| Shutoff valves | A replacement shutoff valve is a compatibility question tied to one assembly, not a generic valve sale. | The valves you supply for each assembly listed on its parts page, built during implementation. |
| Lead-free parts | Local authorities' requirements of lead-free replacement/repair parts may vary, according to the USC Foundation. | Leaded and lead-free parts for the same assembly shown side by side, configured during implementation from manufacturer data. |
| Test kits | A replacement hose kit sold next to an approved test kit needs a warning on the page. | Valve count, assemblies tested and approval status per kit, with a note on replacement hoses and needle valves, configured during implementation. |
| Gauge calibration | A gauge's serial number and its last accuracy test belong on the account, not in a glovebox. | Calibration orders, results and due-date reminders stored against each gauge, built during implementation. |
| Testers and rules | Your buyers work under different rules, so the store cannot assume one. | Roles and permissions, assortment and pricing per buyer and per-user limits in Uncap Portal, with a tester's license number and state stored on the account, built during implementation. |

### The report and the approval list

**The test report already names the assembly.** The [EPA Cross-Connection Control Manual](https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/epa816r03002_0.pdf) includes a sample Backflow Prevention Device Test and Maintenance Report. It asks for the "Make of device," its "size," its "Model Number" and its "Serial Number." It then records an initial test, the "Repairs and Materials Used," and a "Test After Repair," signed by a certified tester with a "Cert. Tester No." When an assembly fails its test, the tester has the make, model and size on the form, and a catalog sorted by your part numbers makes them translate.

**Approval is listed by make, model and size.** The USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research says each assembly on its [List of Approved Backflow Prevention Assemblies](https://fccchr.usc.edu/list.html) "is listed by the type of assembly, manufacturer's name, model, size, edition of the manual under which the assembly was approved, approval date, and the latest renewal date." Approvals run "for a period of three years and this approval is subject to renewal." The list "also reflects assemblies no longer in production but for which spare parts are still available from the manufacturer."

**Shutoff valves are part of the approval.** The same page says all acceptable shutoff valves are listed with each approved assembly, and "The use of shutoff valves other than those listed invalidates the Foundation's approval." A replacement shutoff valve is a compatibility question tied to one assembly, not a generic valve sale.

**Lead-free repair part requirements vary by local authority.** The USC Foundation has published documents for Ames, Febco, Watts and Wilkins "detailing the lead-free repair/replacement parts available for commercially leaded assemblies which maintain the assemblies' Foundation Approval." Its advice: "In all instances, check with the local administrative authorities first before beginning a repair. Local authorities' requirements of lead-free replacement/repair parts may vary."

### The test kit, the gauge and the tester

**A test kit is an instrument, sold as a set.** USC describes the [field test kit](https://fccchr.usc.edu/fieldtestkitslist.html) as "a visual indicator, designed to measure the difference between two pressure points." The approval covers the kit with the parts its manufacturer included: "Using other connecting hoses or needle valves that were not included from the manufacturer with the USC Approved field test kit invalidates the USC Approval." A replacement hose kit sold next to an approved test kit needs that warning on the page.

**The gauge has a due date.** Texas rule [30 TAC 290.44(h)(4)(B)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/30-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-290-44) says gauges "shall be tested for accuracy annually in accordance with the University of Southern California's Manual of Cross-Connection Control or the AWWA's Recommended Practice for Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control (AWWA Manual M14)." Public water systems "shall require testers to include test gauge serial numbers" on the state's test and maintenance report. TCEQ's guidance on gauge accuracy adds that "Gauges can only be calibrated by a company listed as a service center by a backflow gauge manufacturer." A gauge's serial number and its last accuracy test belong on the account, not in a glovebox.

**Who may test, and how, varies by state and water purveyor.** Texas requires assemblies protecting against health hazards to be "tested and certified to be operating within specifications at least annually by a licensed backflow prevention assembly tester." The EPA manual cautions testers to "follow local municipal, county, and state testing requirements and guidelines as may be dictated by local authority." Your buyers work under different rules, so the store cannot assume one.

## The Uncap solution

### Parts, kits and gauges

**Repair kits found from the test report.** A tester enters the make, model and size from the report and sees the kits, check modules, rubber kits and shutoff valves that fit that assembly. Where you carry both leaded and lead-free parts for the same assembly, both show, with the lead-free attribute visible. Uncap's published products do not include a backflow make, model and size lookup. On Shopify it is built during implementation from your manufacturers' repair kit tables, and kept as product data rather than typed into product titles.

**Exploded assembly drawings that turn into orders.** [Uncap Diagrams](https://www.uncap.com/products/diagrams) brings interactive exploded diagrams to your storefront, and buyers click the part they need straight off the schematic. Clickable hotspots are mapped to live SKUs, and pins convert into a bill of materials (BOM), so a full diagram selection becomes one order. Existing exploded diagrams are imported with each callout mapped to a SKU, and diagram, search and part number all resolve to the same product.

**Shutoff valves tied to the assembly.** For each assembly you sell parts for, the list of shutoff valves you supply for it shows on the assembly's parts page, built during implementation from your manufacturers' data. The USC Foundation states that its List of Approved Backflow Prevention Assemblies "is copyrighted," and the store is built from your manufacturers' data, not from the List.

**Test kits with their configuration and approval status.** Each kit carries its valve count, the assemblies it is made to test, and its approval status as the manufacturer states it. Replacement hoses and needle valves carry a note that swapping them on a USC Approved kit "invalidates the USC Approval." These attributes and notes are configured during implementation from your manufacturers' data.

**Calibration as a service with a serial number.** A tester books an accuracy test or calibration for a gauge by its serial number, and the result is stored against that gauge on the tester's account. A reminder goes out before the next due date. All of this is built during implementation, including routing to a manufacturer-listed service center where your shop is not one.

### Accounts, quotes and the ERP

**Accounts for testers, contractors and utilities.** In [Uncap Portal](https://www.uncap.com/products/portal), each company gets real multi-user accounts with roles and permissions, and each buyer sees their assortment and pricing. Rubber kits and test cock fittings sit on reorder lists, with order history a click away. Budgets, approvals and limits per user let a utility or a contractor control what each tester can order, and NET terms, invoices and payments sit in the portal. Storing a tester's license number and state on the account is built during implementation.

**Large assemblies and utility programs on a quote.** [Uncap Quotes](https://www.uncap.com/products/quotes) runs configure, price, quote inside the Shopify admin, with negotiated prices, tiers and volume breaks applied automatically. Exceptions go to the right approver. Quotes carry validity windows and a full revision history, and approved quotes turn straight into Shopify orders.

**The ERP stays the system of record.** [Uncap Connect](https://www.uncap.com/products/connect) is the real-time data layer between Shopify and your ERP: inventory, orders, customers and pricing move the moment they change, not in an overnight batch. It has native support for Shopify B2B companies, locations, catalogs, price lists and payment terms, and starts at $8,000 for onboarding and then a flat $390 per month.

**Proof, labeled at its true distance.** Uncap has not published a backflow case study. The closest build shares the parts mechanic. At [Scooterworks](https://www.uncap.com/work/scooterworks), shoppable diagrams let buyers identify and purchase parts, an ERP integration keeps inventory, pricing and product information up to date, and Shopify's B2B features add catalogs and dealer resources for authorized sellers. Approval data and calibration records would be new work.

## Key features

**Make, model and size lookup.** Repair kits, check modules and shutoff valves found from the test report, built during implementation from your repair kit tables.

**Lead-free attributes.** Leaded and lead-free parts for the same assembly shown side by side, configured during implementation from manufacturer data.

**Shop-by-diagram repair parts.** Exploded assembly drawings with hotspots mapped to live SKUs and pins converted to one order through Uncap Diagrams.

**Shutoff valves per assembly.** The valves you supply for each assembly listed on its parts page, built during implementation.

**Test kit configuration and approval notes.** Valve count, assemblies tested and approval status per kit, with a note on replacement hoses and needle valves, configured during implementation.

**Gauge calibration by serial number.** Calibration orders, results and due-date reminders stored against each gauge, built during implementation.

**Tester, contractor and utility accounts.** Roles and permissions, assortment and pricing per buyer, reorder lists and per-user limits in Uncap Portal.

**ERP sync, Connect or managed iPaaS.** Inventory, orders, customers and pricing kept current between Shopify and the ERP.

## Why Uncap

**The line between product and build, in writing.** Diagram ordering ships in Uncap Diagrams, trade accounts and reorder lists in Uncap Portal, quoting and approvals in Uncap Quotes, and ERP sync in Uncap Connect. The make, model and size lookup, lead-free attributes, shutoff valve lists, kit approval notes and calibration records are built during implementation from your data. The scope says which is which.

**Credentials you can check.** Uncap is a Shopify Platinum Partner.

**Scoped before it is built.** The [Uncap Blueprint](https://www.uncap.com/blueprint) is a fixed-price, four-week Shopify migration plan, credited 1:1 toward implementation. It covers solution architecture, a data migration taxonomy, an ERP integration audit, UX and flow prototyping, total cost of ownership and a risk register, and ends with a fixed-cost implementation estimate. For a backflow manufacturer or distributor, that architecture work can cover repair kit tables, lead-free parts, gauge records and the ERP integration. You walk with everything you need to brief any agency or your in-house team.

## Related pages

This page sits under [plumbing, HVAC and mechanical supply ecommerce](https://www.uncap.com/industry/plumbing-hvac-mechanical), which covers model and serial lookup, supersession and fittings. This page goes one level down, into the test report, the repair kit and the gauge, where the assembly is identified by make, model and size rather than by a nameplate on a unit. [Irrigation and water systems](https://www.uncap.com/industry/irrigation-water-systems) covers backflow device classes and WaterSense labels as filters for landscape and farm buyers. Pumps sold with their controls have their own page on [pump and pump control ecommerce](https://www.uncap.com/industry/pumps-controls). For how exploded drawings become orders, see the field notes on [selling parts by diagram](https://www.uncap.com/post/selling-parts-by-diagram), and for why the ERP keeps the final say, the glossary entry on a [system of record](https://www.uncap.com/glossary/system-of-record). For the ERP side, see the [Epicor Eclipse integration](https://www.uncap.com/integration/epicor-eclipse), the [Infor SX.e integration](https://www.uncap.com/integration/infor-sx-e), or the full list of [ERP integrations](https://www.uncap.com/integrations).

## Ready to talk

Bring two documents. The first is a failed test report from last month, with the make, model and size of the assembly and the parts that went into the repair. The second is your list of test kits and gauges sold or serviced this year, with serial numbers. Together they show how much of the order still happens on the phone, and how much of it a tester could place from the truck. If you also service gauges, bring last year's calibration log. It shows how many reminders your team sends by hand today.

When you are ready, [Talk to Our Experts](https://www.uncap.com/quote), or start with a Blueprint if what you need first is the parts data, the gauge records and the ERP route written down and costed.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does a backflow test kit measure?

It measures the difference between two pressure points. The USC Foundation calls the field test kit "the gage equipment used to field test a backflow prevention assembly," and says a tester uses it "to measure the difference in pressure across the check valves inside an assembly." EPA's manual describes a differential pressure test gauge "having a 0 to 15 psi range" for field testing "reduced pressure principle backflow preventers and double check valve assemblies."

### What is backflow testing?

It is the field test that shows whether an installed assembly still works. For a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer, the test in EPA's manual checks that "the first check valve is tight and maintains a minimum of 5 psi differential pressure," that "the second check valve is tight against backpressure" and that "the relief valve opens at a minimum of 2 psi below inlet supply pressure." The results go on a test and maintenance report.

### How do you test a backflow preventer?

With a differential pressure gauge connected to the assembly's test cocks, following the procedure your local authority accepts. EPA's manual lists the steps before a test: get permission to shut down the water, determine the device type and flow direction, number and bleed the test cocks, and close the number 2 shutoff valve. It notes that its procedures "may be amended, superceded, or modified by local jurisdiction." Zurn Wilkins puts the same point on its TG-5 instructions: "It is the tester's responsibility to determine if this procedure is accepted by local authorities."

### Can you do a backflow test yourself?

Not where the rules require a licensed or certified tester, and those rules vary by state and water purveyor. In Texas, testers must complete an approved course, pass an exam and "hold a current license as a backflow prevention assembly tester." ASSE's 5110 Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester certification requires five years of documented experience, a 40-hour course, a 100-question exam and a practical exam on ASSE 1013, 1015, 1020 and 1056 assemblies, and lasts three years. Check with your water purveyor.

### How often does a backflow test kit need calibration?

At least once a year, where the rule or the manufacturer says so. Texas requires gauges to be "tested for accuracy annually." TCEQ's guidance quotes the USC Manual's tenth edition: "Field test kits should be checked for accuracy at least once a year, and re-calibrated when inaccuracy exceeds the current error tolerance, ± 0.2 pressure differential in pounds per square inch (psid)." Zurn Wilkins recommends that its TG-5 gauges "be rechecked for calibration annually." On the storefront, each gauge's serial number, last test and next due date are stored on the tester's account, built during implementation.

### Does a test kit have to be USC approved?

That depends on the local authority. USC says "it is the decision of the administrative authority whether or not a USC approved field test kit is required to be used when field testing a backflow prevention assembly in its jurisdiction." On the store, each kit's approval status is shown as the manufacturer states it, configured during implementation.

### Which ERPs does this connect to?

Uncap publishes thirteen ERP family integrations: Acumatica, Cin7, Epicor, Fishbowl, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Odoo, Oracle, QuickBooks, Sage, SAP and Syspro. The plumbing, HVAC and mechanical page names Epicor Eclipse, Infor SX.e and Epicor Prophet 21 as the ones that come up most. Integrations run through an owned Uncap Connect app embedded in Shopify, or a managed iPaaS integration. Whether your ERP holds repair kit tables and gauge serial numbers is confirmed during scoping.

### What is the difference between this page and the plumbing, HVAC and mechanical page?

The plumbing, HVAC and mechanical page covers finding the part from the unit a contractor is servicing: model and serial lookup, supersession and fittings. This page covers what backflow testing adds: repair kits found from the test report, lead-free parts that depend on the local authority, test kits sold as approved sets, and gauges with an annual accuracy test.