Taking note of sewer backup prevention tips may save you an unpleasant, costly, and smelly experience. Statistics state that water damage claims, including sewer backup incidents, for Canadian homes makes up 40 percent of all home insurance claims. Gutters, Downspouts, and Sump…
No matter the time of the year, dealing with a flooded basement can be a costly event. Not only will it cost you for plumbing repairs, but it could also cost you a day's work, losses in home repair, and…
Sewage backups are not only gross and inconvenient, they can cause thousands of dollars in damage in addition to creating health hazards for occupants in your home. All of this can easily be avoided, however, with the addition of a mainline sewer backflow valve to your plumbing system.
What causes sewage backup?
There are a variety of reasons for sewage backup. The main line that runs from your home to the sewer may become clogged due to grease, tree roots, and other blockages. In addition, water used in area homes as well as excess rain water can overwhelm the sewer system, causing water to back up in the lines and into your home.
Being the lowest part of your house, your basement bears the brunt damage when a flood or sewer backup occurs. A flooded basement does not only damage your home’s structure and your possessions, it also has the potential to encourage mold growth. After the recent flooding, the City of Toronto has taken several initiatives to encourage property owners to take the appropriate measures to minimize basement flooding. One of these measures is a financial subsidy of up to $3,200 per property to install flood protection devices, such as a backflow valves, sump pumps and pipe severance and capping.
What is a Sewer Backflow Valve?
A sewer backflow valve is a simple and effective flood protection mechanism for the basement. Placed at the point where the sewer exits the building, the valve allows sewage to flow smoothly out of the building but prevents it from flowing backward in case of an overflow. It is a one-way gate that opens only outwards and closes tightly as soon as there is a reverse flow. Since a single back valve is adequate for the entire building, installation, repair and maintenance is easier and a lot less costly.
The available subsidy to install a backwater valve is 80% of the total invoiced amount of up to $1,250. This includes the cost of the labour, materials, permit and taxes.
Chances are, if you’ve ever had a sewer backup into your basement or place of business, you remember it vividly. A sewer backup can be one of the most unpleasant situations you’re likely to encounter, and if you haven’t taken measures to protect against it, you surely will after it happens once.
What Is a Sewer Backup?
When municipal sewers become overloaded with rain water after a heavy storm, the water is often forced back toward your home through the sewer lines and up through the drains in your basement. This is known as sewer backup, and it has the potential to send contaminated water through your floor drains, up through toilets or even through tubs and showers.
Storms aren’t always the culprit, though. Sometimes, you may encounter a sewer backup because of tree roots, grease, broken pipes, waste or ground saturation.
Using MAINLINE BACKFLOW PROTECTION, a backwater valve is installed where the sewer exits the building on the main-building drain. There are several benefits and advantages of putting a backwater valve on the main-building drain: Only one backwater valve is required…
