Backwater Valve Installation Toronto

Protect Your Home Against Floods With Backwater Valve Installation

On July 8, 2013, the Toronto area experienced one of the worst floods in its history, receiving 12.6 centimeters of rain in just two hours, which amounts to the total the area normally receives in the whole of July. The damage this storm created is almost incomprehensible, with trees being ripped clean up, transport services grinding to a standstill and thousands of residences in the GTA experiencing flood damage. The estimated cost of this damage is thought to be somewhere in the region of $850 million. In light of this, many homeowners are seeking ways in which they can protect their properties against any future floods and avoid costly repairs and insurance claims. One of the best ways to do this is to have a backwater valve installed at your property.

What is Backflow?

First things first, it’s important to be aware of what backflow actually is and how it can potentially affect your home. Backflow is when water flows through a water system in the opposite direction to what it’s supposed to. This is something that can occur in a number of different water systems, but a backwater valve is designed to specifically deal with sewer backflow. Sewer backflow is a problem that is particularly prevalent throughout Toronto and the GTA and is most commonly caused by large amounts of rainfall received in short periods of time. This rainwater is quickly directed into sewer drains, overwhelming the whole system very quickly. Public sewage systems simply don’t have the capacity to deal with all this extra water, which is forced to backup and flow through residential sewer drains instead, flooding your basement and potentially causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

What is a Backwater Valve?

A backwater valve is a special type of valve that can be installed at your property to prevent backflow from the sewer entering your home plumbing system. In the past, it was a hassle for homeowners to protect their properties from sewer backflow since it was necessary to have one of these valves installed in each area of the property that contained a sewage line (bathroom, kitchen, utility room). However, thanks to a plumbing specialist from Edmonton, it’s now possible to have a single valve installed on a property’s main sewer line that will protect the entire household against sewer backflow. Under normal conditions this valve will remain open to let waste flow freely from your home into the public sewage system, but if water from the sewage system starts to back up, the valve will be lifted up by flap floats and sealed against a gasket, ensuring no sewage waste can flow back into your home. The valve automatically re-sets its position again once backflow has subsided.

A professionally installed backwater valve not only prevents flooding in your home, but also protects you against unsanitary conditions that can affect your health. New Canadian Drain & Plumbing have years of experience in the industry and are able to install backwater valves both inside and outside your home. Call us today for a free estimate.