Flood questions

[res428]

Hi all,

thanks in advance for the help. Background info: have had numerous floods in our basement- always had to call in the plumber and run the snake to unclog it. Finally changed the main line to a new pvc. Thought all our problems were solved. Fast forward less than a year, and started getting flooded again. This time, we would have water entering even without running any water in the house. always started with a gurgling in basement bathroom and slow draining when that toilet was flushed. Within days, the water would start to come into the basement through the caps of the main line. Interestingly, our neighbors a few houses down have the exact same problem with the exact same warning signs. They have not changed their main line to pvc. We now think it’s a town problem, but they won’t seem to help. They ran a camera through the towns line, and it looks like there’s a load of tree roots, a crack in the side, and a belly right after the opening to our mainline. I assume this because there is a ton of sitting water in that area. And this was filmed after they jetted, so this was the cleanest it will ever be… my thought is that the towns line is clogging due to roots, then getting stuck in the belly, then backing up into our line and eventually into our basement. Is this possible? If so, how do I prove it? Any and all help
Is appreciated. Thanks
Ps- happy to post pictures if you think it will help.

 

[Twowaxhack]

You should have a backwater valve to prevent the city main from backing up into your basement.

 

[wpns]

If the town line is in that poor condition, why doesn't the town repair/replace it?

 

[res428]

Working on that now. They don’t seem to want to help.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Working on that now. They don’t seem to want to help.

They’re not usually required to.

Usually the customer is responsible for protecting their system against backflow.

If I had a basement bath, I’d have it on a pump system and pump that sewage up to the sewer.

This way I wouldn’t have anything that the city line could back up into because all of my openings would be above the manhole outside.

We also install a sewer overflow outside on the main in cases like this.

Backwater valves are not allowed here in the sewer……

 

[res428]

What’s the cost of something like this?

 

[wpns]

Working on that now. They don’t seem to want to help.

Talk to the town manager or the mayor's office, or the local paper. 8*) "Don't want to help" would seem to collide with "It's their job". Ask to see their charter.

 

[wpns]

What’s the cost of something like this?

Backwater Valves | How They Work, Costs and Repairs | Square One says $150 to $2K, and that's Canadian Dollars, so call a local plumber who does this and can pull the permit and do the work and ask for a price quote. [Also, have all your neighbors call to complain, even if they don't currently have the problem, they will once you and your neighbor put in the backflow preventers, as the sewer backs up to the next lowest house.]

 

[ESTIMATOR]

Ok, you replaced only the exterior sewer line outside of your home? It maybe the piping under your basement floor? Other than that...run your basement bathroom into an ejector pit with a 2" sewage pump. When was your bathroom installed in the basement? Could be poorly installed underground that is allowing storm water to enter your piping with dirt/stones. Really, you need a professional plumbing contractor to investigate. Yes, you can use a backflow preventer, but they can malfunction if anything get under the flapper, so you need a access cover to do a visual to see if it is working properly.

 

[Twowaxhack]

The city will never guarantee that their city main won’t back up. So even if they did correct their pipe it can still back up.

It’s a start but it’s not a solution to your problem.

 

[res428]

What would be the real solution then?

 

[Twowaxhack]

What would be the real solution then?

Personally I would install a pump system for the basement and pump the sewage above manhole level and connect to the house piping.

The sewer could then back up from the city and it wouldn’t have a place in my basement to back up and spill out.

We install sewer overflow relief pipes in the yard when the house is below the lowest city manhole.

We don’t use backwater valves here.

A cheaper solution would be a backwater valve but they must be operating correctly to work. You don’t know they’re operating correctly until it’s too late.

 

[res428]

Where would It go then, if it didn’t back up into our basement? What’s a reasonable cost for that kind of work? Is it major work? Permits? Tearing up the basement?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Where would It go then, if it didn’t back up into our basement? What’s a reasonable cost for that kind of work? Is it major work? Permits? Tearing up the basement?

Hopefully it would overflow at the city’s manhole or into someone else’s basement

Yes, expensive work.

 

[wpns]

Tearing up the basement?

Indeed, it needs to go in the sewer main as it leaves your house, which is probably buried in the basement floor. There may be a cleanout, which it can replace, but it's still jackhammer and concrete work.

 

[hukre]

A backwater valve will close and prevent city sewage to come into your basement. But while this valve is closed, you better not flush any toilet or or use any shower because your sewer line is dead ended.