I don't know nearly enough about this to know for certain, but here is what just happened at my new place. This is the first time it has happened but it is also probably the first time it could have happened with me as the owner.

The sewer maintenance guys were out on the street doing something. About an hour in, I hear a bunch of noise from my bathroom and there is a fountain of clean water coming out. Enough came out for it to cover the floor and it shot all the way up to the windows. This also happened in another bathroom, and the other ones showed similar water in much less of a volume basically only hitting the seats.

I called up the sewer maintenance people who claimed they were cleaning the city sewer lines and that this was called a backflow pressure release and they actually got rid of something in my pipes but the pressure caused this to happen and that it shouldn't be a regular occurrence. Is this plausible?

I really only have the choice to wait a year and see if it happens next time though so it doesn't matter too much but I'm hesitant to totally buy into what any utility company says to avoid blame.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

It happens. When the clean the main line sewer, they basically pressure wash the inside of the pipe which can cause pressure build up in the service lines. This usually just results in either some gurgling in the house toilets.

But it should not happen again.

Make them pay for cleanup.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Luckily nothing seems to be damaged, but the lady on the phone said "We did you a favor".

I guess I have to wait a year to see what happens. I'll push things a lot harder if it happens twice in a row.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

That sucks and I never heard of that before. I don't know where you live,but if it's not in Chicago (because they don't do shit),I'd bitch to suburban City Hall.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Move.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Between this and Frank's unfortunate recent sump pump fun, just a friendly PSA to consider adding Sump Failure/Sewer Backup coverage to one's homeowners policy. It's not the cheapest thing in the world, but it's a shitload cheaper than the alternative if something happened.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Light a match!!!

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Did. Not. Happen.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Just like Trump will have Mexico pay for the wall.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

you should add a backflow prevention device on your sewer line.... its essentially a valve that will allow the poo to flow away from your home but not allow sewer water to flow from the main back to your house.


was this a basement bathroom? do you only have one bathroom? do you have overhead sewers in your house (if really old house may not)

It is a newer house, so I'm a little surprised if it doesn't have one, but this would be my first solution if it ever happens again I think. How easy is it to get one?

It was our main floor, and the bathroom directly above the other one that had the major issue. Those seem to be the closest to the sewer pipe.

The house was built in the past few years. The basement bathroom had a small amount of splashing but nothing even on the floor.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Obviously the house is broken. Replace it.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

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I always thought backflow prevention devices were on inbound clean water lines. At least the ones I have to certify are. I've never seen a poo water backflow prevention device.
Then again I'm not a plumber.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Holy Cow!

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

DID YOU TRY A JOHNSON ROD

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Backflow valves in homes are for waste.

RPZ valves protect water supply and I would highly doubt you have them in your house, they are usually in medical offices to protect from backflow contamination.

But of course, I am just guessing as never really put anything like this in, a guy who has a handyman as a brother in law that runs around in a van and is unlicensed and unisured is probably a much better source.

BRick, also consider that if they are shovinig a pressure washer rod up your main water supply which is probably 1 inch max, and if you have an old house, has a 1/2 inch buildup of hard water solids, they are saving you the drastic cost of new service which in Chicago costs me about $9-12K and would probably cost a homeowner 15-18K.

But once again, you should ask someone that knows.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Shots fired at Darkside!

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He has a livable wage.

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Elections have consequences.

No shots fired. Would be very unlike any residential home, even a plumbers home to have an RPZ valve on the water supply, however, I would be impressed and they arent cheap, but would probably be a good idea for everyone to have them, but so would backup gas generators.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

i dont see how one would work... theres no real pressure in a drain... any type of valve would cause more plugging issues than anything

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

Back up natural gas generator would serve you best.

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That too....but I am sure the experts all knew that.

Installed a couple of them and they are really one of the coolest systems. If power goes out, they kick in, at the 15 second mark of no power. The terror of being without electricity though for 15 seconds for a fmaily that can afford such a system though, must be a harrowing time.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

This should probably go in the "Common Knowledge You Never Knew" section, but I recently learned the difference between a plumber and a pipefitter is that the former works on low pressure systems and the latter on high pressure systems.

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Freedom is our Strength.

My kicks on immediately. You don't even notice that the power went off.

A little tip for all of you homeowners out there. Your local Generac dealer probably has a used system that they replaced with a new one, sitting around their shop. Good deals with warranties can be had for those who like to negotiate a little. I was able to get ours at a third of the cost of a new one.

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I would have gotten it at half the cost. You're a terrible negotiator.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!