Residential plumbing seems simple, with pipes supplying water and gas throughout your home and carrying waste away. However, your plumbing is much more than mere pipes. The backwater valve is a key example. This guide will explain a backwater valve and the benefits of installing one on your property.
What Is a Backwater Valve?
Valves restrict flow through a pipe by what’s allowed to flow through the valve. In some cases, it limits the volume, while others act as a one-way door to prevent fluid or gas from flowing in the wrong direction through the pipe. A backwater valve, also called a backflow or sewer backup valve, is the latter type. It allows fluid to flow in one direction but prevents it from flowing back the other way. Most people recognize the types that will enable waste to flow out of the home but fail to take steps to prevent it from flowing back into the house.
Backflow occurs when potentially contaminated water flows back into the municipal water supply lines. This can happen if there’s a pressure reversal, such as a supply line losing pressure. At-risk supply lines, like lawn irrigation, may suddenly draw water rather than supply it. In these cases, the backwater valve protects the city’s water supply system.
Avoid Basement Flooding
Every home faces the risk of basement flooding during heavy precipitation weather events. During heavy precipitation, sewer systems become overwhelmed, and the liquid in the system will flow out at the lowest point, which is why basements are at risk. A backwater valve is installed at the lowest point in your plumbing and prevents the contents of the local sewage system from traveling back into individual building pipes. Depending on your home, these valves can either be inside your home or buried as part of the plumbing. Living at the bottom of a hill may benefit from one in heavy rain, even if you don’t have a basement.
Prevent Sewage Backup
Aside from property damage from sewage backing up into any part of your home, there’s the problem of sewage itself. Sewage can contain a wide range of contaminants and can risk the health of those in your home due to exposure to bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Unprotected contact with these can cause a range of problems like gastroenteritis. In the event of a municipal plumbing issue, a backwater valve protects your home and family, preventing sewage from flowing into your home’s drains, like showers and tubs, regardless of the severity of the problem.
Building Code Compliance
Ohio state law requires the use of backwater valves wherever cross-connections are possible. A cross-connection is any possible contamination access with a municipal potable water supply. Further, the law requires property owners to have a licensed plumber inspect these valves annually to ensure they function correctly. If your home doesn’t have the proper valves installed, it may be out of compliance. At a minimum, this can present problems when attempting to sell your home.
Insurance Benefits
Insurance companies want to prevent as many claims as possible and incentivize using specific safety devices. Check with your homeowner’s insurance provider and see if they offer a discount for having a backwater valve on your home. While talking with your agent, inquire about whether sewage backups are covered under your policy. In many cases, they are not, but the provider may have a specific rider available just in case this happens.
Backwater Valve Maintenance
State law requires that all cross-connection valves be tested annually. However, beyond testing, there’s a little bit of maintenance that also keeps them working effectively. Proper maintenance includes removing the valve access cover and checking the free movement of the valved flap. From there, you remove any debris caught in the valve that could inhibit its function. It’s also advisable to clean the valve assembly with mild dish soap to protect your home from wastewater. Cleaning the valve assembly removes grease and oil that could prevent the valve from sealing properly. Finally, check the o-ring seals to ensure they are still in good condition. Replace any that are visibly worn or are brittle.
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