Friend of mine just had his basement flooded with 10″ of water from recent rains. Water came back in via a drain in his basement floor.
I could be wrong but I think I might have read a while ago about a certain type of drain that only works in one direction? Was I wrong? Does something like this exist?
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I believe that there is that sort of drain in this months FHB. I may be wrong, I'm not at home and can't check, but I just saw it this weekend.
http://www.drainbrain.com/newhardware/pdf/10floodguard.pdf
They are called back-water valves, they will keep water from coming in but they will keep water from going out if there is a flood situation, we are talking about a floor drain, arn't we?. I think that you have to find out why this flooding problem occurs. If this drain is connected to the foundation drain and it goes to a sump pump, something is not working. Best that I can do with the information that I have.Luck.
There are floor drains that contain a hollow ball that floats up and seals itself, mostly, if the water backs up. Mostly the seal is imperfect, given the likelihood of dirt and crud being present, and it only slows the water flowing in.
The ones I saw last had black ABS bodies and strainer and a hollow yellow ball.
Once worked on a house near a river that had this type of floor drain. Interestingly they added a large valve, fairly deep underground outside the building but with a long handle to allow easy activation, on the drain line. I suspect it was a plastic ball valve.
The idea being that if water started coming in the automatic floor drains would slow the advance until the valve could be used to stem the flow entirely.
An alarm was fitted to let the occupants know when the water was coming in.
I'll have to find out more about what his house is doing, or not doing.
4lorn - maybe i'll go down there and check it out with a mini-mag light. . . .kidding. Couldnt resist.
I was in there rewiring the house. The basement, about the only one I have ever seen in Florida, had flooded a bit when a storm came through and the river and groundwater rose. The flooding, and loss of a lot of the stuff stored low, precipitated a major renovation, electrical, plumbing and a small addition included so it was out with the 60A service with three circuits run in K&T wiring and in with a 200A service, eight circuits in NM, UF in the basement by their request.Nothing too difficult. Good people and a happy job. I tend to notice things out of the ordinary and the basement and innovative floor drain system stuck in my mind.
Page 26 in this month's FHB.