[tlcottingham]

When ever it rains my basement backs up with water. I had it snacked and videoed and nothing was found wrong. I complained to the city about there sewer backing up into my basement due to living on a corner house with a city sewer on the side street of my home. The city came out and inspected and said that the sewer system is flowing properly. I questioned the side street holding water when it rains? They told me that its not connected to the same line as my homes sewer line. The only thing that could be wrong is if the city line gets full and backs up into my home because it need to be cleaned out. Could this be the case?

[ballengerb1]

Where exactly do you see the water first enter the basement?

[tlcottingham]

From a floor drain located in the main area of the basement.

[ballengerb1]

Most floor drains are connected to the city sewer but do you have a sump pump pit? Do you know for sure that drain is connected to the city sewer?

[tlcottingham]

Don't have a sump pump, Yes I am sure that the drain runs out to the city sewer. This was shown on the line inspection with the video.

[hkstroud]

Exactly what drain pipes were snaked and videoed? Do you have drains in any stairwells outside? Rain water would have nothing to do with your floor drains unless you have exterior stairway drains coming inside, or the floor drains are connected to the storm water drain system.

[tlcottingham]

The main line was snaked and videoed. Don't have stairwells but the floor drains are connected to the storm water drain system and it connects to the main line that runs out to the cities main.

[ballengerb1]

If the city can't figure out what's wrong at their end you can add one of these or a stand pipe in the drain opening. General Wire Spring #4FH 4'''' Floor Drain Back Seal : 4FH - Buy.com

[hkstroud]

Do your gutter down spouts empty into the same system as your floor drain?

[ballengerb1]

Hope not Harold, that would be illegal in nearly every town. Gutters and sump pumps aren't allowed to drain in city sewer lines every place I have worked or owned.

[hkstroud]

The way I'm reading OP last post he is saying that the floor drain empties into a storm water system. When I say storm water system I mean the city storm water system. The wording of OP post makes me think he may have a other piping for rain water run off, and may be referring to that. Since he does not have any stairwell drainage, the only other thing I can think of is gutters. Hence my question.

Have a friend who bought a house built by an engineer. Fool connected a floor drain in a stairwell and a floor drain in a sub basement to the same piping, which he put in the center of an asphalt driveway. Emptied that pipe into the center of the 10" concrete pipe under driveway.

He put in a 2" clean out pipe 8' down, but use a straight tee connection. When pipe got blocked, couldn't snake from clean out because snake won't make the turn. Can't snake from other end because drain pipe is 5 foot up a 24" concrete pipe.

[tlcottingham]

My gutter down spouts are blocked and pointed away from my home due to city certs. I've tried blocking the floor drains before and the water started coming out of the upstairs toilet and tub. What is a back flow converter and what is it's purpose?

[hkstroud]

Then your floor drains do not drain into the storm water system. They are connected to the sanitary system.

Either the city sanitary sewer is backing, or rain water is getting into city sanitary sewer and over whelming it.

Do your neighbors have the problem? Are you at a lower elevation than your neighbors?

If city won't fix, put a back flow preventer valve on your sewer main. That's a valve that allows water to flow only one way, out.

[tlcottingham]

Harold, I'd say that I am at the lower end of the block being on the corner. I've asked my neighbors and they are not having a problem. The back flow preventer valve may fix the problem until the city cleans out their sanitary system. This sounds like a great idea. Would you happen to know an estimated price on the back flow preventer and installation?

[hkstroud]

Price of valve not the problem. It's the digging. You can probably find out from the city how deep the city main is at that point. I would install valve, with a clean out stand pipe, just inside the property line. How difficult plumbing work would be will depend on what kind of sewer pipe you have. Main cost will be the digging. Most assuredly its too deep to dig by hand, will require a machine.

[tlcottingham]

Thanks for your help, will keep in touch. Tony