Is one type of sewer check valve better than the other. I have had 3 quotes on installing one. All approximately the same price. One is single gate valve, one is a double gate valve and the third is a balanced valve. Any recommendation on which to use?

Were you told the down side of installing a check valve onb your sewer line? Yes it will stop the city sewer from backing up in your basement but when it closes everything that you flush or drain will back up in your system and come out the lowest fixture, As a rule the basement floor drain.
Can you tell us why you wish to install a check valve on your sewer? Regards, Tom

I live in Chicago. Storm drains and sewer line run together. About every two years when we have a very heavy rain the sewer backs up through the floor drain. All three systems have a pump system that pumps house waste around the valve when it is closed. System goes outside in the front yard.

Hi Rogert...

We are set up the same say in my area... changing that slowly, but nevertheless, the sewer and storm water combine in many areas.

I would recommend the installation of a simple single flapper backwater valve... see image. I've installed maybe 20 of these and never had any call backs or issues that I was made aware of anyway... ;)

Any other type of valve with multiple flappers or any springs.. basically, anything with extra parts... is not recommended. SImply put, the more parts, the more things that can break down and need repair.

Go with the simple backwater valve... will fix the issue for you.

Mark

Mark gave you a good solution.

Quote:

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All three systems have a pump system that pumps house waste around the valve when it is closed. System goes outside in the front yard.

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Are you saying when the valve's closed that the sewage is diverted out to your front yard?
In my area it's against both the law and our code to connect any thing to the sewer but sewage and gray water. The reason for this is that the sewage plant has to treat all incoming water as sewage and treat it as such. This raises the cost and you're the one that ends up paying it.
Good luck, Tom,

No. The sewer water from the house is diverted into a basin and pumped into the sewer line on the street side of the valve with an ejector piump