I need to get a flood control valve system in my house. My house floods about once a year whenever the rainfall is extremely heavy. We live just north of Chicago and twice we have had rainfall in excess of 8 inches in a 16 hour period and twice we have had more than 4 inches in a one hour period.

I have a one story, brick raised ranch that is about 1100 square feet.

My question is will a back water valve system be sufficient or do I need an overhead sewer system to keep my basement from flooding? We just had 4 feet of water in my basement and I need some advice. The back water valve system is about half the cost of the overhead sewer system.
Thanks!

First we need to know where and how the water is coming in. Walls, openings, floor drains? Have no idea what an "overhead sewer" system is. Is this a sump pump? If so, it doesn't go into the sanitary system. Give us some more detail please.

The water was backing up from the sewer system. Our sewer system combines the runoff and sewage. I found my sump cover across the basement on top of one my tables.
Here is a link to a picture of an overhead sewer system: http://vjkillian.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/killian-plumbing-overhead-sewer.jpg

I have no window wells. All the water came in from the sump hole. Here is a picture of the proposed back water valve system: FloodControlSystem | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/95157273@N05/8674641407/in/photostream)

I do a sump pump but there was no way it could keep up with the water coming. It failed after a couple of hours.

That is an ejector pump. Yes it will work as long as you have electricity. I have one in my basement bath. If the backflow is coming through a floor drain can't you just block it off. Is there a toilet in the basement?

The ejector pump if for waste. An electrician has to hard wire the system. I don't have problems with electricity just the flooding with excessive rain.

Hi Shooman

Your first line of defense in your situation will be to install a BACK WATER VALVE (see images... second pic. Shows the internal part) in the main drain line just as it enters into your home.

It sounds like you have a sewage ejector and that should also have a check valve (also called a backwater valve) installed in the pump discharge line. If the check valve is installed and working properly you shouldn't have had water flooding out of the ejector pit??

That your sump pump couldn't handle the volume of water tells me that you need to have two sump pumps installed. One, and I recommend the ZOELLER BRAND pump should be installed as normal and a second one should be installed in the same sump pump pit about 6 inches higher. In this way, if the first one fails or can't keep up with a flood situation then the second one can kick in as needed.

With all that being said, if you install the backwater valve in your main drain line, the concern of excessive flooding should be resolved for you!

Let me know what you think, OK?

Mark

Mark,
Thank you! I do have a follow up question. Does anyone know the failure rate of the back water valve system?

The failure rate is almost non-existent as long as the back water valve is periodically checked for things getting caught up on the flapper.

Be clear also, that when the backwater valve is engaged you CANNOT discharge anything into the sewer system or it will just back up and into the house, right?

Mark

Does that mean that no one can go in the bathroom? I have a wife and 2 daughters who live in the bathroom.

When the backwater valve is engaged, i.e. during a storm, then yes, you cannot use the plumbing fixtures...

However, you couldn't really use them before, or if you did it only backed up into your basement...

I just want to make sure I understand the issue. If they use the bathroom it may backup into the basement but it won't open the valve. Yes?

If the back water valve is engaged due to a storm, then when fixtures are used they should fill the plumbing pipes until the pipes get filled to the lowest fixture in the basement and then can overflow the fixture... the backwater valve will NOT open.

Thanks for clarifying this point! I appreciate your time and patience with me!

I am glad to help, especially with clarification as every point matters in this case!

Pop back anytime!