ASSE 6010 study guide
ASSE 6010 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ASSE 6010 - the Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester credential in the ASSE Series 6000 - is a professional certification for people who test, maintain, and troubleshoot cross-connection control assemblies protecting potable water systems. Candidates typically come from plumbing, water utility, fire protection, irrigation, and facilities maintenance backgrounds, and many need the credential to satisfy state or local cross-connection control requirements for field testing. The ASSE 6010 study guide has 5 sections and about 1,832 words.
01Cross-Connection Control Principles and Backflow Theory
Backflow is flow opposite to the intended direction. Every backflow event requires both a cross-connection (any actual or potential link between potable water and a nonpotable source) and a pressure reversal .
375 words, about 2 min02Regulations, Codes, and Program Administration
Federal law (Safe Drinking Water Act) sets the frame; the state primacy agency adopts rules; the local water purveyor and building official (AHJ) enforce them through ordinance and plumbing code. A certified tester's authority comes entirely from the AHJ - you test what you are authorized to test, and you report to whom you are told to report.
379 words, about 2 min03Backflow Prevention Assembly Types, Design, and Operation
Air gap: physical separation, at least twice the effective pipe diameter and never less than 1 in. Absolute protection; the reference standard for health hazards.
339 words, about 2 min04Field Test Procedures and Equipment Use
A field test kit centers on a differential pressure gauge readable to 0.1 psi, with hoses, tees, adapters, needle valves, and a sight tube for relief discharge. Gauges must be calibrated - commonly annually - against a reference and must be in good condition; a damaged lens or bent needle is grounds to reject the kit.
362 words, about 2 min05Troubleshooting, Repair, and Maintenance
On an RPZ, the relief valve is the messenger, not the culprit. Continuous discharge at no flow usually means check valve #1 is not seating (debris, worn disc, damaged seat, weak spring) or the relief seat itself is fouled.
377 words, about 2 min