A properly installed sewer back up valve can mean all the difference between ensuring your property stays dry or dealing with a potentially crappy situation.
With spring’s wet weather already putting in an appearance, homeowners are reminded of added steps they can take to protect their property. Along with keeping moisture out of your home through measures such as shoveling snow away from your foundation, ensuring downspouts drain well away from your house, and having your property properly graded so water doesn’t pool, a mainline back up valve offers added protection against sewer back up.
A sewer back up – caused by heavy rain, blockages from tree roots, collapsed sewer pipes and improper use of the sewer system – is not only messy, but can be quite costly. Prevention is key, and that comes in the form of a professionally installed sewer back up valve. It’s important to remember not all valves are created equal.
“A common mistake homeowners make is not distinguishing between the valves that provide better protection to their home and are acceptable for insurance purposes, and those that aren’t,” explains Don Thompson, Vice-President of Product Management.
Knowing the difference can save homeowners a lot of money – not only on their premiums, but in plumbing costs or clean-up costs too.
Ping Pong Valve vs. Mainline Valve
“We’ve seen it before. A customer hires a professional to install a back up valve, only to find out it’s a ping pong valve, also known as a closed valve. Their only option then is to have a plumber re-install a proper mainline valve, or risk not only losing the discount on their insurance but the protection of sewer back up coverage altogether,” said Thompson.
Homeowners who have suffered a sewer back up in the past may need to have a mainline valve installed after the incident to receive sewer back up coverage going forward.
This is where homeowners need to be aware that there’s a difference; a mainline valve remains open until a back up occurs, allowing for the free circulation of air while still protecting the home from backflow.
Ping pong valves (also known as closed valves) were once popular, but no longer meet building code standards. They remain closed which means debris accumulates on the gate, which can become damaged when cleaned rendering the valve ineffective in the event of a sewer line back up.
Homeowners with a professionally installed mainline valve can receive a 10 per cent discount on their home insurance through SGI CANADA. Homeowners who have experienced a sewer back up in the past may need to have a mainline valve installed after the incident to receive sewer back up coverage going forward.
But what if homeowners want more protection than just a back up valve?
There’s insurance for that Sewer back up coverage is optional coverage on an SGI CANADA home policy. It pays for loss or damage caused by back up, accidental discharge/escape or overflow of water or sewage from a sewer, sump, septic tank, eavestrough or downspout connected to your sewer.
Homeowners can also purchase SGI CANADA’s Service Line Coverage, which covers repairs to underground pipes and wiring that run from the street to the house when damage occurs on the homeowner’s property. Many homeowners are not even aware they’re responsible for these pipes and lines. It’s another way for homeowners to protect themselves from costly damage from a burst pipe, blocked tree roots or other common problems.
“It’s the customer’s choice if they want to add these kinds of optional coverages to their home insurance policy,” Thompson said. “But if you are concerned this could happen to you, the added protection is well worth the added cost, and all you have to do is talk to your broker.”
Visit SGI CANADA’s website at www.sgicanada.ca for more loss prevention tips.
