Community Emergency Preparedness

Jackson_Fusion said:

Sac all great suggestions. One thing though... iirc modern tanks have obstructions in them designed to lower evaporative emissions from fuel and keep them from spilling gas in a rollover. Net effect in this context is you can't siphon from them anymore because you can't get the hose to the fuel.




Maybe someone here knows more, but that's my recollection from Sandy.

Hmmm - how new/old is "modern"?  Will my 2005 Honda Civic work?

RobB said:

It wouldn't be my first choice. But during the zombie apocalypse I don't think beggars will be choosing. 

Right.  I mean, how else are we going to get the zombies?

I guess it's possible that drinking from the Rahway causes Zombitis, maybe double up on the bleach, wait 2 hours then slosh back and forth for 15 mins. Or buy some Poland Spring. 

Sac- there are siphons, or so google tells me, specifically designed to get past both the emissions flap near the gas cap and the rollover anti-leak valve. One brand I saw was called "gas tapper". Available on amazon. Make sure it is the "modern car" model, which essentially is a narrowly tapered hose to sneak past the rollover valve and a bracing tube for pushing past the emissions device.

Jackson_Fusion said:

Sac- there are siphons, or so google tells me, specifically designed to get past both the emissions flap near the gas cap and the rollover anti-leak valve. One brand I saw was called "gas tapper". Available on amazon. Make sure it is the "modern car" model, which essentially is a narrowly tapered hose to sneak past the rollover valve and a bracing tube for pushing past the emissions device.

Thanks - I know that the one I have was intended for this purpose and purchased after Sandy ... it's still in the package.  I'll have to take a look.

Can someone explain the mechanism by which sewers back up into basements during storms?  I know that the toilets can back up and overflow but does flooding also come up through the drain plugs?  Is there something that can be done ahead of time to prevent this type of flooding?

I know we don't have any threat on our immediate horizon but this horror in the South has me thinking what I can do now to be better prepared when the next hurricane to hit NJ inevitably rears its ugly, one eyed, head.

I found this very detailed link http://www.balkanplumbing.com/sewer-backflow-valve-preventer-device/

Essentially the public sewer line becomes obstructed down stream of you or a surge exceedes the carrying capacity of the municipal sewer.

I installed back water valves to protect my basement laundry room and basement bathroom.  It should protect my basement from a blockage in my main sewer line under the front yard as well as a municipal sewer blockage.  With the back water valves installed my lowest point of potential over flow is the kitchen sink.

In the case of a municipal backup, I am counting on the hope my back water valves will protect my basement while the sewage back up water finds other relief at an elevation below my kitchen sink. 

Klinker said:

Can someone explain the mechanism by which sewers back up into basements during storms?  I know that the toilets can back up and overflow but does flooding also come up through the drain plugs?  Is there something that can be done ahead of time to prevent this type of flooding?

I know we don't have any threat on our immediate horizon but this horror in the South has me thinking what I can do now to be better prepared when the next hurricane to hit NJ inevitably rears its ugly, one eyed, head.

I, too, installed a backflow preventer on my main sewer line back in 2011.

alias said:

  With the back water valves installed my lowest point of potential over flow is the kitchen sink.

Yuck.

And thank you for the link and the info.  A sewage flood is the stuff of nightmares.  My plumber is coming to service the boiler, I will ask him about installing valves.

FilmCarp said:

I, too, installed a backflow preventer on my main sewer line back in 2011.

Do you mind if I ask you (and Alias) roughly how much it cost?

Klinker said:

FilmCarp said:

I, too, installed a backflow preventer on my main sewer line back in 2011.

Do you mind if I ask you (and Alias) roughly how much it cost?

I renovated my unfinished basement into a finished basement as a DIY project, so it was maybe 200 bucks for the two pvc valves.  I was already planning to Jack hammer the floor to replace most of the cast iron drain with pvc (If renting a Jack hammer from Home depot spend a few more bucks and rent the Hilti).  My situation was not typical.

In a more typical case there would be the jackhammering and digging to get to the main sewer line and then probably a plumber for a day to install the valve.

Eta, and then backfill the hole and new concrete with an access hole to service the back water valve.

my valve was about $60 and I was doing other work so the install added very little.  I had already exposed it all myself.  Keep in mind that the backdoor from the street in a storm is very diluted with rain water.  It isn't pure poop.

FilmCarp said:

my valve was about $60 and I was doing other work so the install added very little.  I had already exposed it all myself.  Keep in mind that the backdoor from the street in a storm is very diluted with rain water.  It isn't pure poop.

Reassuring.  

I guess the consensus is that, if you have the lines exposed, it isn't too bad but, if not, there's a lot of demo to do.

Thanks to both of you for the info.