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Finished basement room with a desk and stairs
A backwater valve keeps city sewer water out of rooms like this

Basements & sump · Richmond Hill

Backwater Valve Fitting

A backwater valve is a flap inside your main drain that lets sewage leave the house but closes when the city sewer surcharges during heavy rain.

  • Basements & sump specialists
  • Figure agreed before a wrench turns
  • Cloths down, worn parts carried out
  • Proven under real use before we go
Call now(365) 413-5241
  • Licensed & insured (details on request)
  • Price agreed before work
  • Local to Richmond Hill

Why it matters in York Region storms

Summer cloudbursts can overload municipal sewers in minutes. When that happens, the lowest drain in your house, normally the basement floor drain, becomes an outlet for the street. A normally open backwater valve stops that flow without restricting your drains on ordinary days.

The installation

  1. Camera the main drain to confirm its route and depth.
  2. Saw-cut and break the basement floor over the pipe.
  3. Cut out a section of the main and fit the valve level and in the correct direction.
  4. Bring a riser up to floor level, giving room to clean and inspect the flap.
  5. Backfill, pour new concrete and leave the cover flush with the floor.

Permits and subsidies

Installing a backwater valve normally needs a plumbing permit. The City of Richmond Hill has offered programs to help with basement flooding protection; terms change, so check the City's current program before you book. We can provide the paperwork details the application usually asks for.

Things to know

  • Valves need a yearly look to make sure the flap is free
  • They do not stop groundwater; that is a sump pump's job
  • A finished basement may need some flooring lifted

Read more in backwater valve basics, and pair this with sump pump installation.

The short version

Tell-tale signs

  • Float stuck against the side of the liner
  • Pump cycling over and over through a dry spell
  • Pump hums but the pit level never drops
  • Grate water rising during a summer storm

Kit on the van

  • Cast-iron submersible pump and a check valve
  • Battery backup unit with its own float
  • Backwater valve body with a clear lid
  • Wet vac and pails for the pit

How we go about it

  1. Pour in a pail and watch it kick on and shut off
  2. Unplug and lift the old pump out of the crock
  3. Scoop silt and gravel from the bottom of the pit
  4. Drop in the new pump, glue the riser and check valve

Your questions, answered plainly

How long does installation take?

Plan on about one working day, then curing time for the patch.

Will it slow my drains?

A properly installed normally open valve has no noticeable effect on daily drainage.

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