# check valve on the sewer main?



## builditright (Apr 27, 2008)

About once or sometimes twice per year during a major rain storm my basement floods with sewer water that backs up in every house in the town. Its been going on for years and the town is not going to increase the size of the sewers anytime soon. Because of this almost everybody in the town has removed or capped any open lines below the line of the sewer. Sumps cannot keep up with the flow of water coming in. 

could a check valve work for this or is this a can of worms for creating stoppages.

Nick


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## PIPES (Nov 8, 2006)

Well first off I have a real hard time believing you are a plumber by trade to ask this question.

Here's your muligan http://www.jrsmith.com/_marketing/mkpt/mk_presentations/floodgate/sld018.html


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## Moscow (May 3, 2005)

PIPES said:


> Well first off I have a real hard time believing you are a plumber by trade to ask this question.
> 
> Here's your muligan http://www.jrsmith.com/_marketing/mkpt/mk_presentations/floodgate/sld018.html


I agree, and if you are a plumber by trade you would also know that you only have the fixtures that are below the up stream man hole go through the back water vavle. So I would think you will have to break up your bastment slab and re-do the plumbing drains in the bastment to meet the code. 
Just one plumbers opion.


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## builditright (Apr 27, 2008)

*??*

To clarify..

I was a Plumbing mechanic for ten years. It was my first trade. Now i am a field super. Its been 10 years since i did any plumbing work and even though i supervise all aspects of apt. renovations currently i don't get to many odd plumbing problems coming up. 

My basement is deep and the house trap is way down in a pit. Probably 12' below grade. So how the hell should i know is the high point of the sewer is above my basement fixtures? I intend to break up the basement floor and replace everything back to the main trap but i don't want to add a bathroom down on that level if i can't have a backflo valve serving it. Just never did this in my ten years and not sure if its legal or problematic with stoppages.

You know In my ten years i was on huge jobs that had me either sweating copper or threading pipe for months and years at a time. So forgive me if i did not do so many underground waste jobs

Nick


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## Ron The Plumber (Oct 10, 2006)

FYI

It is called a backwater valve not a backflow valve.


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## MALCO.New.York (Feb 27, 2008)

It is now Code in Atlanta. Cost the builders a bit when they first made it mandatory. Makes no sense to not have one! Put it in properly and alleviate your symptoms.

http://www.cleancheck.com/faq.htm


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

I don't know about a "house trap,"
but a lot of houses around here
have a check valve.
It just requires a cleanout on 
the street side.


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## Ron The Plumber (Oct 10, 2006)

builditright said:


> About once or sometimes twice per year during a major rain storm my basement floods with sewer water that backs up in every house in the town.


Are you saying storm water as causing waste water to back up during a rain storm?

Strom water and waste water are not suppose to connects to each other, something is really wrong with the sewer and storm system there.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Ron The Plumber said:


> Are you saying storm water as causing waste water to back up during a rain storm?
> Strom water and waste water are not suppose to connects to each other, something is really wrong with the sewer and storm system there.


Same problem in some parts of 
town around here.
150 year-old "combined" sewers.
Storm drains and about 40% of 
pre-1960 houses still have roof
drainage hooked into sewers.
No one wants to pay taxes for
sewers if theirs work.


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## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

MALCO.New.York said:


> It is now Code in Atlanta. Cost the builders a bit when they first made it mandatory. Makes no sense to not have one! Put it in properly and alleviate your symptoms.
> 
> http://www.cleancheck.com/faq.htm


Good 411 Mal. :thumbsup:


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## NICKPAUS (May 11, 2008)

builditright said:


> About once or sometimes twice per year during a major rain storm my basement floods with sewer water that backs up in every house in the town. Its been going on for years and the town is not going to increase the size of the sewers anytime soon. Because of this almost everybody in the town has removed or capped any open lines below the line of the sewer. Sumps cannot keep up with the flow of water coming in.
> 
> could a check valve work for this or is this a can of worms for creating stoppages.
> 
> Nick


 Check Valve should work just need cleanout on backside of it. Maybe two if problem is that bad. Is this with a Pump system?


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