Water Main Advice W/Pics

I need to replace the leaky red valve pictured below. There are so many joints and parts that I am not sure of the design or reasons for all of the parts and joints and wanted to make sure of the right way to replace the valve. Is there a reason for two valves? What are all of the 1/4" fittings for? Also, I am thinking that the pressure reducer looks old and I think I should replace it at the same time. Thanks a lot,

The Genius

this is a backflow preventer for probably an irrigation system.the quarter ports are for when the check valve is tested.Has this ever been tested?If not you need to contact a backflow tester and have this tested before any more work is done to it.It may need to be replaced entirely or rebuilt.

This is a back flow preventer and it should be tested by a certified inspector every year. If you would rather skip that, then just don't worry about cross contamination of your water supply. I amazes me that some areas of the country have no inspection of these devices whatsoever. In my city, annual inspection is required and failure to comply results in the water being shut off. You obviously are uninformed about these things, so I would strongly urge you to hire a plumber to inspect and repair your system. Then have that device re-certified annually for your health as well as the health of everyone on you water supply. What's really frightening is that there are likely other homes with un-certified BF devices that are contaminating the supply. A call to the local health department would certainly be in order.

Tear it all out, replace it with a Watts dual check /BFP

valve

That is a check valve and it is not an approved backflow device and there is no way to test it properly, nor would most companies waste time trying to test it. The assumption would be that after even a couple of years it would be defective.

Replace it...

Plumbers in Ohio

Thank you

Ok. Thanks for the friendly advice. I happened to look up backflow preventers and why they are needed. I am appalled that none are required in my water district. Needless to say, I will be installing a high quality built-in filtration system before I die from drinking contaminated water. I will be drinking bottled water in the interim. There exists in this water district a greatly elevated incidence of cancer related deaths and I always joked that it must be something in the water. I guess the joke may be on me as we sit on acres of old lumber mills that used mercury by the drum for all kinds of things.

Cheers