Deluge of Rain Blew Sewer Trap Off
During today’s miserable downpour there was an explosion sound in the basement. Our sewer trap cap had blown off and water was gushing in for a good 20 minutes. As soon as the rain subsided, the water stopped gushing. I was thankfully home and as soon as I saw what was happening, I called the…
During today’s miserable downpour there was an explosion sound in the basement. Our sewer trap cap had blown off and water was gushing in for a good 20 minutes. As soon as the rain subsided, the water stopped gushing. I was thankfully home and as soon as I saw what was happening, I called the closest sewer plumbing company to the house. The guy who showed up said it was because of the rain and suggested a check valve would help, but that it couldn’t be done today because they’d have to get the necessary parts. They did send two guys over to pump out the basement for $800. It was a ton of water. The boss then called me tonight just recommended a camera inspection. He doesn’t think a check valve is in order because it could lead to water backing up in our toilets, sinks and bathtubs. He thinks a new sewer trap cap might be a better idea, but wants to do the $350 camera inspection of our sewer line first to see if there’s “a problem there.” If there’s no problem he thinks a copper cap with threads will keep this from ever happening again. I called a couple of better-known plumbing companies that I’ve used before (but don’t love) and didn’t get a call back yet. With rain predicted for the next few days, I want this taken care of quickly, but I am suspicious for some reason of the camera inspection and why the boss couldn’t give me even a ballpark quote until after he does one. Until I spoke with the boss, the guy who showed up had me convinced this was a freak thing that was caused by an overdeveloped neighborhood that the city system can’t handle, and a check valve is my answer. Anyone have some thoughts on this?
Give Gary at Python Drain Cleaning a call for a second opinion. He’ll give you great service. Tell him Bill from Westside recommended him.
718-605-0930
Putting a backwater valve(check valve)in might not be a bad idea. Keeps your basemant from future flooding due to backed up storm or sanitary sewers.
sourgrapes sounds like BP. “Nothing can hold the trap cap.”
Only BP deals with oil pushed up by miles of rock under a mile of water. While sourgrapes deals with a few feet of water pressure. 🙂
We live nearly at the intersection of three busy streets and you can see during a storm that the drains can’t keep up. Our basement used to flood terribly. I mean, up to your knees in storm water and who knows what else. I used to have anxiety attacks at work if we ever had an unexpectedly violent rainstorm. Plumbers came, snaked the trap, reinstalled the cap and it would happen again. I don’t think there was anything that would keep that cap in place with so much pressure. We had an industrial check valve installed a couple of years ago and have had no water problems since. That said, we don’t leave anything we care about directly on the floor. The washing machines, tools, etc… are all elevated, just in case.
We are a three family building, but I think it would take everyone flushing the toilets and taking showers at once for it to back up to the first floor when the valve is engaged. It has never even backed up into the washing machine in the basement. My impression is that the storm water comes fast an furious and trips the valve, but the pressure ebbs after a few minutes, therefore disengaging the valve and letting any trapped water out. Having observed our basement flood in person (I don’t recommend that kind of stress to anyone!) you could see the water rush in violently, but rush out through the trap almost as quickly. Our roof water does travel through the main drain inside the house, but there is an overflow to an outside patio if the pipes can’t handle it.
So, I think we are in the clear with the check valve solution, though I’m sure no two situations are alike. I still sweat a little during rains like we had yesterday.
BTW, the sewer trap cap can be blows if water or even air pushed it out and it is not fastened well. It does not mean, that your system need to be cleaned or anything. I suppose that the cap sits at least 4 feet bellow the lowest shower. So water had another 4 feet to rise before it could poise any issue to your house. You can replace the cap with something called “test valve”. available in plumber supplies for $5. make sure it fitted tied.
check valve stops water from coming from the street into the house. During the rain the sewer can be overloaded and valve will close. But this means, that water from your house has no way to go. It includes any sewage and rain water from the gutters.
So during heavy rain check valve will close and your basement shower will fill with rain water from your gutters.
In other words check valves helps to ensure that you will swim only in your own sewage.
the alternative is to install sump pump in your basement’s toilet and discharge it on the street, but it could be not very legal.
Good experience with Econo Sewer and also with Allboro, in case you want second opinions. Second all of the above about PS sewer lines and tree roots. Part of the charm of the neighborhood, no doubt.
We had the exact situation parkslopemom described happen yesterday. Back up due to the main sewer line in the street not being able to handle the volume, closing our check valve and not letting water into the main sewer line. After spending a lot of money replacing our line to the street, frustating to still have this problem (although we did know at the time this could/would still be an issue).
Has anyone ever looked into what it takes to get the city to replace the main sewer line in the street? I believe some Park Slope streets (8th st maybe two years ago?) have had them replaced. Does that take pressure from residents to get it done, or does the city have some kind of schedule they are working on? Thanks for any info.
Yeah, the reason water can get in is that when there’s pressure from the outside line against the check valve it’s closed. So internal water – laundry, gross stuff can potentially back up.
For what it’s worth, I used Sessa Plumbing to install a valve a couple of years ago. Would go with them again.
This is so common in Park Slope. Happens to us every so often. The city sewer lines cannot handle the amount of water that comes down during those fast and furious rains, like we had yesterday. Starts to back up the street – and backs up into houses that do not have a check valve. Coupled with all the water coming down from the roof, feeding into your sewer line in the cellar – something has to blow – or it will back up into the lowest level toilet, etc. Check valve will keep the sewer water from backing up into the cellar — but it will also keep the rain water from your roof from getting out — so, on occasion, again during these freakish fast and furious downpours, something either blows in the cellar or it backs up into the lowest bathroom/laundry room. We had a check valve installed, so that it is clear rain water from the roof that pours into the cellar, not the sewer line from the street. Sump pumps installed to code have to feed into the outgoing sewer line – so they can’t kick in until the city sewer line clears and the check valve opens again.
The camera will show if you have blockage in your sewer line – but I doubt that’s the problem. Until the city replaces all sewer lines on residential streets – this will continue during those fast, hard driving downpours. Yesterday, our check valve snapped shut – but the power of the massive amount of water was so great – it was spraying in to the cellar through the vent pipes and even the electrical box.