Dr.Pipe Ottawa: Why You Should Install Backwater Valves at Home

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If you’re a homeowner in Ottawa, one of the last things you want is a sewer backup. Having human waste flood your residence and damage your furniture, flooring, and equipment isn’t just disgusting. It can also cost a fortune to fix the problem and replace your damaged possessions.

The good news is there’s a cost-effective way to avoid a basement full of raw sewage. It’s a device known as a backwater valve.

A backwater valve in Ottawa guarantees a one-way flow from your residence to the sewer system. When the backwater valve detects a backflow situation, it automatically closes up so water doesn’t backflow into your home.

Do you need backwater valve installation for your Ottawa home, or do you need to have yours repaired? At Dr. Pipe Drain and Plumbing, we’re the experts in backwater valve installation in Ottawa. Get in touch with the drain and sewer professionals at Dr. Pipe Drain and Plumbing!

What Is a Backwater Valve?

A backwater valve is a simple plumbing fixture that can be the difference between extensive property damage and a safe, dry home. The valve is placed on the sewer line in your basement. It stops sewage from flowing back up during heavy rains or flooding.

Waste from your home freely flows out but the backwater valve stops any water and waste from coming back up into your basement. This means no disgusting smells and no water damage.

When a backwater valve is properly installed, you can remain confident that your home is protected 100% of the time. Without a backwater valve in your Ottawa home, you risk spending hundreds of dollars on damage. This damage can happen if sewage backup after a flood.

How Does it Work?

If heavy rainfall or melting snow overwhelms your main sewer line and causes a backup, the water will flow towards your home. A backwater valve has a flap that rises up and closes shut whenever water or wastewater flows toward your home. This will ensure that your basement does not get flooded. Once the water or sewage stops flowing toward your home, the flap will lower back into the open position.

Backwater Valve Prevents The Damage Of Your Sewage System

Sewage can destroy everything it encounters, including your walls, flooring, and any personal belongings. It can also make the home smell foul and cause an incredible health hazard to all who live in the home.

It is important to consider where your home is located. This is especially true if you live in a low-lying area. Homes in these regions are more likely to experience flooding and its effects.

A simple backwater valve installation can help prevent the consequences that come along with flooding. Therefore, it is always a good idea to have one of these units installed, especially if you live in a flood-prone region or near a large body of water.

What About the Protective Plumbing Rebate Program?

The city is offering to cover the cost of backwater valves Ottawa. This is great news. Back water valves lower the cost of your insurance, protects your home, and provide Ottawa home owners with some peace of mind. The protective plumbing program is willing to cover the cost up to $4000, and most of the time, back water valves cost much less.

Back in 2009, many Kanata home owners suffered from a massive city sewer backup which flooded hundreds of homes. The sewer system running through Kanata was just too small to handle the growing demands of the city. Expanding the sewer system is a big project that will take years to finish. Because of this, residents of Ottawa and Kanata can now use this free plumbing service.

If you’re an Ottawa homeowner, you can take advantage of the City of Ottawa’s Protective Plumbing Rebate program. It offers rebates to homeowners who buy and install a backwater valve and a sump pump. In order to qualify for the rebate program, your home must have been constructed by no later than 2004, must be served by the city’s sewers, and must not have any backwater valve or sump pump currently installed.

An indoor sanitary backwater valve qualifies for a rebate of $700, an indoor storm backwater valve qualifies for a rebate of $500, an indoor sanitary and storm backwater valve qualifies for a rebate of $1,000, an outdoor storm backwater valve qualifies for a rebate of $1,750, and a sump pump with battery backup power qualifies for a rebate of $1,250.

Whether you want to know about backwater valve installation, want a quote for backwater valve installation, or have sewer backflow valve problems, get in touch with us at DrPipe. We offer 24/7 emergency services, upfront pricing with no hidden costs, and five-star customer service. Please call us at 613 791 5777 and let us know how we can help.

Backwater Valve For Home Flood Prevention

What Does a Backwater Valve Cost?

Living in Ottawa we’re very fortunate that the city itself has realized the immense benefits of having a backwater valve installed. Ottawa has something called the Residential Protective Plumbing Program which can substantially offset the cost of installing a backwater valve. You can also check with your home insurance provider to see if the installation will lower your rates.

The cost of not having a backwater valve installed is hard to calculate when you factor in not just the cost of repairing and replacing anything damaged during flooding, but what it might cost to have a crew come to your home during an emergency when you’re likely to pay a premium. That’s why it’s so important to ensure you have a valve in place before it’s too late. While every home is different, we’re more than happy to offer you an estimate upfront.

Whether you have a backwater valve installed already and need a maintenance check or you’re ready to have a new one installed, give us a call. Backwater valve installation will save you more in the long run, not only financially but with peace of mind, knowing you’re not going to have to worry about that next rainstorm or flooded street putting your home in jeopardy. Call us today or fill out the form to get a free estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions about Backwater Valves

1. Are there backwater valve limitations?

If you have blockages outside of your home then you can expect the valve to keep your home free from backup water. However, if the clog is inside the home, a backwater valve will do nothing to prevent issues with backup or flooding.

If you are adding waste to the pipelines, again, the backwater valve will be unsuitable for home protection. For example, if the backwater valve is floated because of existing sewage levels outside of the house, the waste that ends up being flushed into the house will create an undesired backup in the waste pipes of the home.

2. If I install a backwater valve on the main sewage line, will doing so stop backups in the event there is a lot of heavy rain?

It is likely that the valve will help with backup regulation when dealing with heavy rains provided the house was erected before the 1960s. In such homes the storm drain lines one will often find the storm drain lines still connected to the sewer pipes.

As long as your home is in these areas then you will find a backwater valve a feasible option for home protection. In contrast, the newer homes are often in neighborhoods that have sewage and storm lines that are separate, not tied in together, so it might be necessary to install a backwater valve on, not just the sewage line, but the storm line too.

3. When is the best time for an installation of backwater valve?

The most ideal time for a backwater valve installation is before you renovate or finish off your home’s basement. The reason the install should occur before you finish your basement is that in install the value a two to three inch long trench is needed. The home’s construction and pipe layout will determine the actual size of the trench you need.

4. Do I Need A Backwater Valve Installed?

The short answer to this is yes, you should have a backwater valve installed. The City of Ottawa has implemented a bylaw requiring all new homes built in the region to have backwater valves installed. It also offers rebates for retrofits.

Flooding in Ottawa is a problem many of us face. You don’t have to suffer the costs and damage from water backing up into your basement. A backwater valve can help prevent flooding and potentially save you a lot of time, aggravation, and money.

5. Backwater Valve – Will it Work for Me?

If you are a homeowner, a valve will work for you. It does not matter if your home is on low or higher ground levels. It is possible to have a backup of the sewage system even if your home is on a hilltop: this is because it is a clog causing the flooding, not groundwater.

To protect the home from sewer surges a backwater valve is a must. Contact a professional today to find out more about installation, and what a backwater valve can do for you.

6. Do I Need A Backwater Valve For Home Flood Prevention?

If you want to keep your home safe from potential flooding and the water damage that comes with it, the install of a backwater valve is in order. The valve will help keep sewage and water that drains to the home’s exterior from getting “backwashed” into the home and flooding it. Basically, a backwater value is like a one-way street sign forcing drivers to go in one direction.

In the event a city sewage drain system clogs, it can take a while before all the homeowners connected to the said system realize that there is an issue. In the meantime, they will continue to make use of sinks, toilets, and showers. This can lead to the clogged pipe forcing the water to back up and start returning into the homes where it is coming from in the first place.

The clog and the backflow of water is non-discriminatory too, and can backflow into homes where water is not being used or is under controlled usage. If the homeowner has not installed a backwater valve, then the water can easily back up into the basement area of the home and even flood it.

7. How To Install and Maintain a Backwater Valve?

A licensed plumber is required to install a backwater valve, this is not the kind of thing you can try yourself. The device should also receive yearly maintenance since there are moving parts involved and a yearly inspection ensures they keep operating in a way that keeps your house protected.

What is the process for backwater valve installation; in other words, how does it go about preventing flooding damage? Not surprisingly, a backwater valve was created by a Toronto contractor and thus the unit is a Canadian-style invention: one of superior quality.

The valve is installed where the main sewer and drainage system meet outside of the premises and the simple design of the unit allows water to flow through in one direction away from the home but not back into it. Because of the superior novelty of the backwater valve, most of the cities in Ontario decided to enact laws regarding the new systems in brand-new homes.

8. What Can Go Wrong with the Backwater Valve?

If there’s an obstruction in the backwater valve, the flap that is supposed to rise and close shut if water or sewage flows towards your home won’t be able to do so. It’s also important to know that the backwater valve location is important.

We at Dr. Pipe, for instance, will ensure your backwater valve is installed in the right place so that you get the right protection for your home. The last thing you want, after all, is for water or sewage to enter your basement courtesy of a floor drain.

9. What to do When Something Goes Wrong?

If something goes wrong, visually inspect the backwater valve through the cleanout receptacle on top. It’s usually easy to access. You should be able to see if there are any obstructions adversely impacting the backwater valve.

Whether you see obstructions or not, follow up by giving us a call at Dr.Pipe. We’ll find the obstruction, clear it out for you, and ensure that the water is flowing as it should.

10. Do I Need a Backwater Valve if My Home Is on High Ground?

Whether your home is on high ground or low ground, you need a backwater valve. Sewer backups can happen to any homeowner, so getting a backwater valve installation will safeguard your residence against sewer surges.

11. When it’s time to install new backwater valve?

When it’s time for sewer backflow valve installation, give us a call at Dr.Pipe. We’re a licensed plumbing company with years of experience performing these types of installations. Remember that the cost of installing a backwater valve is low. This is much less than the cost to repair damage from basement flooding.

Why Dr. Pipe Drain and Plumbing Services?

Many companies offer licensed plumbers, but Dr. Pipe Drain and Plumbing Services also offers respect for your home and your time as our standard. This means from the time you call us, we are committed to making your entire experience as customer friendly as possible.

We coordinate times that work with your schedule and call when we’re on our way. Our plumbers keep our areas neat and covered while working. In our projects, we use the most appropriate solutions to work quickly and efficiently.

Our strengths do not only lie in plumbing. We can also help to navigate the insurance companies and city red tape. You will receive all the necessary permits for our jobs. We will guide you through the City of Ottawa rebates for which you qualify.

You Can Count on Our Emergency Service

Count on Dr. Pipe’s 24/7 emergency services, if you have any problems with your drains.

Please note that Ottawa plumbers often charge different rates for different plumbing system services. For instance, emergency service on a drain pipe or sewer line costs more than installing a hot water tank.

Emergency service can be more expensive than regular prevention, but Dr. Pipe is proud of our affordability and reliability with any plumbing service you require.

Dr. Pipe Serves Customers Throughout Ottawa

Homeowners and business owners in Ottawa and surrounding areas trust Dr. Pipe Drain and Plumbing’s exceptional plumbing services.

Our service area includes Barrhaven, Carlington, Emburn, Gloucester, Kanata, Nepean, Old Ottawa South, Orleans, and Vanier.

Dr. Pipe’s Valued Customers Have Spoken Up

You can search the Internet for hours on grease cleaning in the drain pipes in Ottawa when there’s a problem in your kitchen or bathroom in Ottawa as soon as you notice the warning signs.

When you need a plumbing professional, look for customer feedback. Dr. Pipe Drain and Plumbing in Ottawa was built on our five-star ratings, and we’re proud of our 5.0 customer rating on Google Maps.