Backflow preventer product attributes

Backflow prevention assemblies are bought against a requirement set by the water purveyor or plumbing code, so a vague record is worse than useless. Assembly type (RP, double check, pressure vacuum breaker) determines which hazard it can protect, and the same device appears under a half-dozen abbreviations. The standard listing, such as ASSE 1013 for reduced pressure assemblies, has to be tied to the exact model and size.

Replacement jobs add a physical constraint. A contractor swapping an existing assembly needs the overall lay length with shutoff valves fitted, the end connections and the approved installation orientation. Suppliers often publish lay length without the shutoffs, or give one dimension for a whole series. Orientation approvals are frequently limited to horizontal installs for certain sizes, and that restriction tends to live in a footnote.

Lead-free and standard-material versions, fire-service variants and option suffixes for shutoff type or strainer all multiply the SKU count under one series name. Each variant carries its own part number, weight and approvals. Modeling those options as fields rather than decoding them from the suffix keeps the right approval attached to the right SKU.

The backflow preventers attribute template

18 candidate fields in 5 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 7 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Manufacturer Part Number manufacturer_part_number	Identifier	Core	BFP-RP-075-LF
Series & Option Code series_option_code	Identifier	Buyer decision	RP-500 / LF-QT

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Nominal Size nominal_size	Controlled list · in	Core	3/4 in (DN 20)
Maximum Working Pressure maximum_working_pressure	Number · psi	Core	175
Working Temperature Range working_temperature_range	Text · °F	Core	33 to 140 °F
Overall Lay Length overall_lay_length	Number · in	Buyer decision	10.25
Test Cocks (Qty x Size) test_cocks_qty_x_size	Text	Buyer decision	4 x 1/4 in

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Assembly Type assembly_type	Controlled list	Core	Reduced Pressure Principle Assembly (RP)
Body Material body_material	Controlled list	Core	Lead-free cast bronze
Hazard Level hazard_level	Controlled list	Buyer decision	High hazard (health hazard)
Shutoff Valve Type shutoff_valve_type	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Quarter-turn ball valves
Service service	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Potable water

Fit & compatibility

What the item mounts to, mates with, replaces or works alongside.

Check before use: Keep model and series qualifiers. A similar-looking part is not a verified fit until a source says so.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
End Connection end_connection	Controlled list	Core	FNPT (ASME B1.20.1)
Approved Installation Orientation approved_installation_orientation	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Horizontal only

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
ASSE Standard Listing asse_standard_listing	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	ASSE 1013
Third-Party Approvals third_party_approvals	Text	Channel / evidence	NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and 372; IAPMO; CSA B64.4
UL/FM Fire Service Approval ul_fm_fire_service_approval	Text	Channel / evidence	Not listed (potable service model)
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	United States

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• Purveyor / USC Approval Status and Date Checked
• Overall Lay Length Including Shutoff Valves
• Approved Installation Orientation
• Lead-Free Certification Basis (NSF/ANSI/CAN 372)
• Relief Valve Discharge Rate / Air Gap Fitting

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing backflow preventers ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Is this assembly approved for a high-hazard connection like a boiler feed or chemical line?
• Is this model and size on our water purveyor's approved list right now?
• Will it fit the gap left by the old assembly, including the shutoff valves?
• Can it be installed vertically, or only horizontally?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

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