Why Every Home Needs a Backwater Valve

If you have experienced flooding one too many times or live in heavily flooded areas, such as Ottawa, you’ve come to the right place. A backwater valve is one of the many extra waterproofing measures to protect your home from flooding disasters. In this blog, we’ll explore what is a backwater valve and why it could be worth it for you.

Sewer line repair services Ottawa

What is a Backwater Valve?

A backwater valve, also known as a sewer backwater valve, is a reliable, minor plumbing solution that can prevent flooding in your home. The main components are the protective flap and cleanout.

The flap has a one-way flow, which draws away flood water from the home and directly to the sewer.

Where Is The Backwater Valve Located?

Backflow valves are typically attached to your sewer line and are often installed beneath your basement floor.

How Does the Mainline Backwater Valve Work?

The mainline backwater valve functions with a backflow mechanism that follows the law of gravity. It ensures that your sewer does not overflow or flood your property from the bottom up. In the case that your pipes start to clog, it will be detected and the flap will close. This function will prevent any potential flooding in your home. If a flood risk does arise, you will not have access to your water supply and will not be able to flush any wastewater.

Benefits of Sewage Backflow Preventer

By installing a proper sewage backflow preventer or replacing an outdated one, it’s another layer of waterproofing protection for your home. Here are the benefits that it can provide.

  • Flood prevention and control: If you experience heavy rainfall or have a sewer backup, the excessive amount of water can still find its way to your home if the public sewers are backed up. A backwater valve can ensure backflow is not an issue. Regardless of the source of the problem, flood prevention is one of the primary benefits of having a backwater valve sewer installed.
  • Sump pump backup: During a flood the sump pump can be overwhelmed and is not always reliable. The backwater prevention valve acts as a backup to the sump pump if its mechanism fails or electricity is out. This gives you assurance that unwanted water will be directed away from the home and out to the sewer lines.
  • Protects against city sewer problems : You never know when your city may experience sewer backup difficulties. When you have backwater prevention in place, it acts as a stopper which protects the home by blocking out public waste from coming up into your home.
  • Prevents sewage backup during floods: Flooding has become an increasingly common problem especially in Ottawa. By maintaining and ensuring your backwater valve works, you can avoid sewage backup during a heavy rain or flood.

Is a Backwater Valve Worth It?

Although it is not mandatory in every city, having a backwater valve provides many benefits. All homeowners should highly consider getting one especially if you’re in Ottawa or any other areas that are susceptible to flooding.

You can avoid the risk of potential flooding damages which are awful to deal with, can cause terrible smell and a health hazard.

Next Steps

Now that you understand what a backwater valve is, it’s time to install or replace your old one. If you’re a homeowner, rest assured that Ottawa’s Residential Protective Plumbing Program will help cover the cost of preventative measures against flooding. Summit Drain & Plumbing can assist you in protecting your home against flooding and water damages. Contact us today to install or repair the mainline backwater valve and we’ll discuss your next steps to prevent water flooding in your home.

Related Article: 7 Signs You Need Emergency Plumbing Services

FAQ

A main sewer line blockage can cause water to backup in random places. For instance, you run your washing machine and notice your sink overflowing – this can be a clear sign that you have a clogged drain line.

If you have ruled out a potential sewer drain clog, you can rinse your sewer drain by flushing it with water. When you flush your lines, try adding a bit of drain cleaner to the water. A great place to flush your sewer line is the toilet – a larger amount of water and drain cleaner can enter your system quickly and easily. Unfortunately, if you do this when you have a clog, it can cause backup and potential flooding – if this is the case, clear the clog first.

You should generally know if your sewer line is blocked with slow drainage. The purpose of the sewer line is to take all the water drainage away from your house via sinks, bathtubs or toilets – if you find that there is slower drainage in one drain then you can essentially clear that yourself using a drain snake or a plunger.

There is confusion regarding when you are responsible for sewer line repair. While some may believe that the homeowner is only responsible for repairing the part of the line that’s on their property, this is not the case. Sewer lines consist of multiple sections, the upper lateral, lower lateral and the main line. The city is only responsible for repairing the main sewer line.

If issues with the main sewer line cause damage to your lower lateral, which is most likely where the damage would generally first start – the city would repair this damage when they work on the main sewer line. Unfortunately, if there is backup and flooding on your property from the main sewer line, then the city would not be responsible. It is best to follow up with the city to see if they will repair any damage in these cases.

Unpleasant smells coming from your drains is indicative of sewer line issues and damage. You should always take these types of smells seriously as it could be toxic fumes slowly releasing from the sewer below into your home.

There are a number of ways to clear a slow drain using products found around the home:

Bent Wire – If you do not have a drain snake, you can try using a stiff wire – like one from a clothes hanger, leaving the hook to enter pipes and pull out any clogs. Try to make sure you don’t push debris further into the pipe.

Homemade Flush – Mixing baking soda and vinegar can dissolve any materials that are potentially clogging your drain pipes. This is a good and much safer alternative to store-bought chemical cleaners.

Toilet Plunger – Like plunging a toilet, you can try using this on your drains. Using a plunger on your drains can help get things moving by using suction. This should be enough to fix any mild blockages.

Aged drain pipes are at risk for corrosion which can lead to breaks. Summit Drain has both the technology and expertise to fix this if necessary.

Yes. Drain pipes are durable, but not meant to last forever. If you live in an older home in Ottawa, most likely the pipes are made from copper and can collapse in this day and age.

When it comes to a collapsed drain, call Summit Drain. We use trenchless technology to replace sewer pipes made from original materials without ruining your property.

Rock salt
Rock salt helps by removing moisture from the roots, which in turn kills them. Two lbs should do the trick, pour 1 down the toilet. Flush until gone. And repeat with the next. Then leave for 12 hours and don’t run any water.


Foaming root killers
Another effective way to treat roots in pipes is with foaming root killers. Pour powder into toilet and flush. It will foam upon contact with water. Not only does it help dissolve current roots, but also helps to protect against future ones.


Copper sulfate
Copper sulfate is another good option. Available at most hardware stores, pour roughly half a cup into toilet and flush until gone. Leave the home and take all pets and family members along. This is a toxic substance and banned in some places.


Should I replace old pipes?
There does come a time where it makes sense to replace your pipes. Over time they crack and corrode. It is recommended to begin routine inspections once your home reaches 50 years in age. For plumbing Services in and around the Ottawa area, nobody does it like Summit Drain.

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