flood stop safety valve free sample

Components: Motorized Full-Port Ball Valve (1 inch NPT pipe threaded), Control Unit (with Battery Backup 4 X AA Size), Water/Leak Sensor (1.25� X 7.5�), AC Power Adaptor (or use 4 X AA Batteries as Primary Power Source), Output Contact Wires (2).

Components: Motorized Full-Port Ball Valve (1 1/4 inch NPT pipe threaded), Control Unit (with Battery Backup 4 X AA Size), Water/Leak Sensor (1.25� X 7.5�), AC Power Adaptor (or use 4 X AA Batteries as Primary Power Source), Output Contact Wires (2).

Components: Motorized Full-Port Ball Valve (1 1/2 inch NPT pipe threaded), Control Unit (with Battery Backup 4 X AA Size), Water/Leak Sensor (1.25� X 7.5�), AC Power Adaptor (or use 4 X AA Batteries as Primary Power Source), Output Contact Wires (2).

Washing Machines are one of the most damaging appliances within the home. Washing Machine related flooding can happen at any time, from hoses with ruptures or failed fill switches, to cracked fittings, internal failures from clamps, valves, pumps and drains. Whether at home, at work, or on vacation these flooding events go undetected for hours or even days.

You can also have FloodStop automatically turn OFF your washing machine at the same time it turns off the water. See the Furman Remote Power Relay (120V only).

If the water flow volume during a continuous run does not exceed the set value before it stops normally, Water Block automatically resets to zero and starts a new measurement cycle when the flow begins again.

However, if the appliance malfunctions or the water line ruptures, and the water continues running, Water Block will shut off when the usage reaches 1 gallon and will stay off until someone resets the valve.

The Supreme Court has reinforced the theory of the First Amendment as a "safety valve," reasoning that citizens who are free to to express displeasure against government through peaceful protest will be deterred from undertaking violent means. The boundary between what is peaceful and what is violent is not always clear. For example, in this 1965 photo, Alabama State College students participated in a non-violent protest for voter rights when deputies confronted them anyway, breaking up the gathering. (AP Photo/Perry Aycock, used with permission from the Associated Press)

Under the safety valve rationale, citizens are free to make statements concerning controversial societal issues to express their displeasure against government and its policies. In assuming this right, citizens will be deterred from undertaking violent means to draw attention to their causes.

The First Amendment, in safeguarding freedom of speech, religion, peaceable assembly, and a right to petition government, embodies the safety valve theory.

These and other decisions rest on the idea that it is better to allow members of the public to judge ideas for themselves and act accordingly than to have the government act as a censure. The Court has even shown support in cases concerning obscenity or speech that incites violent action. The safety valve theory suggests that such a policy is more likely to lead to civil peace than to civil disruption.

Justice Louis D. Brandeis recognized the potential for the First Amendment to serve as a safety valve in his concurring opinion in Whitney v. California (1927) when he wrote: “fear breeds repression; . . . repression breeds hate; . . . hate menaces stable government; . . . the path of safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and proposed remedies; and the fitting remedy for evil counsels is good ones.”

Water damage can sneak up on you and catch you completely off guard. Whether they cause immediate catastrophic damage or drop-by-drop, it is naturally difficult to keep track of the health of the pipes in your home. Without a plumber on hand at all times, you need a solution that will not only spot the leaks the moment they occur, but one that will seal the leak at the source when moisture is detected. A shutoff valve for your home or business’s water is a tool perfect for the job, along with a variety of other wireless water sensing devices meant to keep water right where it is meant to be.

If you live north, perhaps you expect frozen and broken pipes. Climates of constant rain can threaten any unprepared home. But even if you live in Arizona or Nevada, don’t assume you’re safe, when it comes to flood damage in your home: insurance claims for flood damage occurs for 1 in 50 homes in the United States annually, all across the country. If you don’t have flood insurance, you should immediately consider it; the damage water can do to your home can have unexpected consequences and costs.

For one man in Las Vegas, water damage not only destroyed the brand-new renovation of his home, it also went undetected for months. As reported by Yahoo Finance, the unnoticed drip-by-drip flood damage stemmed from a 90° bidet connection that had burst. It wasn’t until a neighbor saw water leaking from the home and alerted the owner to the problem.

Another story reported by The Balance sheds light on unforseen secondary effects of flood damage. A Canadian family moved into an old home in 1970. In 2018, Susan Nicholsen, a daughter of the owners, discovered an upstairs bathroom flooded with water; a single plastic connector had sprung a leak and had gone unnoticed for some time. The water did not remain in the bathroom, however. It flooded from the second floor all the way to the basement through the vents, spilling into nearly every room downstairs.

Flood damage can reveal additional flaws in the home that restoration specialists will discover, adding additional time to the disaster clean-up and repair.

Depending on the quality of your flood insurance, they can cover everything from the disaster restoration crew, the renovations of the home, and the clean up of any additional faults in the home. If you already have flood insurance, it is an excellent idea to review what exactly it covers.

If your home is built in a region known for freezing temperatures, you learn fast to keep your pipes free of ice lest they burst from the pressure. But even if you live somewhere warm, any change in pressure from your city’s water can cause issues in your own home. Even nearby construction can make your home pipes burst! A pipe burst is sometimes much more dramatic than the typical dripping drain and can cause a great amount of damage before the water can be shut off. Or, worse, such a flood could prevent you from accessing your home water valve turn-off at all, since most valves are connected to the same basements your flood water wants to get to so desperately.

A student at Texas Christian University caught cellphone footage of a broken water valve in his dormitory on campus, as reported by local NBC news. The surprising video illustrates what typically happens when a pipe breaks. The first thing you will probably hear is the sound of rushing water. It may sound as quiet as a toilet flushing or as loud as rain on a roof. Depending on the floor of your home or apartment, the water flow may seep into your carpet and across your floor, or it may begin to “rain” through your ceiling.

For someone living near a fault line, there’s no doubt they recognize the danger. In fact, they’ve probably felt the ground quake, large or small. When you and your family endures the horror of a major earthquake, the last thing you are thinking of is protecting your home from rapid flood damage. Unfortunately, this is a major and common problem. If your home were to suffer fire damage from a ruptured gas main, the water used to extinguish the fire would damage what remained of the home regardless.

According to research performed by the University of Colorado, major pipelines were more likely to break rather than leak during an earthquake. Aftershocks can cause additional damage to urban and rural systems. Most systems, however, will still continue to pump water at lower pressures, with the addition of contaminants that make the water usage undrinkable (with repairs taking several hours on each water supply line rupture). If your water main is active during the effects of an earthquake, not only will your home suffer from the effects of the earthquake, flood damage can become an immediate health hazard because of mold and bacteria.

Whether a small water flow or major pipe bursts, damage from water can have long-lasting and devastating effects on your home, your belongings, and your personal health. The ultimate question is how to prevent such disasters in the first place and ensure water stays where it should. The answer comes from devices that monitor your pipes at all times and shut off your home’s main water valve the moment it senses even the smallest leak.

Earthquakes are obviously hard to predict, sure. And tiny undetectable leaks sound like a homeowner’s inescapable nightmare. Though it may sound as if all types of flooding and leaking in your home or property are unavoidable, there are steps you can take and tools you can utilize to lessen the chances of serious damage. You can always call an inspector to perform a leak detection. In addition to this, since we want to prepare you for emergencies at any time, day or night, we recommend making sure you have an automatic water shutoff valve.

The tool we want to share in detail is simple in function but modern in design: an automatic water shutoff valve. With the maze of pipes in the walls of your home, it may sound improbable that a single valve could prevent all the damage a flood could accomplish. But when we talk about a water shutoff device, we are talking about an entire system of detectors and sensors that monitor the length of your home’s plumbing system and stop your home’s water usage at its source before a leak or break can happen at all. The right sensor in the right place can make all the difference, and securing your main water line is vital in fending off disaster.

An automatic water shut off valve is not alone in its job. The dependability of your home’s water valve and piping depends upon a whole detection system that will tell it to turn off the waterworks should puddles start to form in specific places in your home or business.

The valve itself is just that: either a fixture connected directly to your main water valve or a straight pipe connector, each with a 180° valve that seals tight. Connected to the valve is a digital receiver that awaits input from the detectors placed around your home. These detectors come in many shapes and sizes and plug in like any other appliance; a detector device should be placed in a location where flooding or freezing is most likely to occur. Beneath your washing machine or bathroom sink, toilets both upstairs and down, and beneath your water heater and inside near the emergence of outside water fixtures. These detectors measure for any water that drips or pools around them and alert the shut off valve to seal off water access to the home. Some detectors can also measure whether hot water or cold water is being detected to help you or a plumbing specialist identify the type of leak.

Truthfully, you can affix multiple shutoff valves in your home if you don’t want your entire water system to cease function in case of emergencies. In case of a complicated system with multiple valves and detectors, it is wise to install a wireless water detection central hub that can become the control station. These hubs typically come with an app you can access on any smart phone to alert you wherever you are about any leaks and valve sealings, warning you automatically when disasters are averted. If you have multiple detectors, the hub can specify which ones were tripped, giving you a clearer idea of the trouble spot. Below is a video demonstrating how an automatic water shut off valve works.

While Cove technology cannot be integrated into the pipes of your home, systems specified as DIY flood protection alarms are fairly simple to install and inexpensive. Purchasing and installing a water shutoff valve (or several) may require a bit more assistance from a professional. With a hub device connecting your valve and your detectors, installation and integration is also fairly simple, especially with said professional’s help.

If you own a large residence or business and prefer not to fully automate your flood protection on your own, you can choose to go with a 24/7 monitoring company that can come in, perform a full inspection of your property, and install their devices and central hubs where necessary. This is the most expensive option, but it may also be the most efficient and effective. You may wish to discuss with a third-party plumbing expert (probably not a flood protection sales representative) on the best course of action. Such an expert has most likely seen every system under the sun and can judge which type you require.

Installing a leak sensor and valve may seem intimidating, especially if they are DIY projects; you may not feel fully protected if you become unsure about your system’s installation. If you decide to proceed with a company to help monitor your home or business for flood damage, here are two companies that specialize in flood monitoring you might consider.

The first is Water Hero. Available on WaterHeroInc.com is a full system of flood sensors and valves to protect even the largest buildings. Whether residential, commercial, or highrise, they can easily install an emergency shut-off valve where each is needed. If DIY projects still interest you for smaller residences, they offer the Water Hero P-100 system.

The second company known for their quality flood protection products is WaterCop. Available for both residential and commercial buildings, WaterCop leak detection system and shut off valves come in a variety of packages, including their classic valve and leak detector.

Let’s say you’ve done absolutely everything you can to make your property secure from water damage and flood. You’ve installed the valves to your water shut off valve, you have water detectors in all the right places, and you have an app on your smartphone with minute-by-minute updates of the precise pressure of every water pipe in your building. But then let’s say you go on vacation, or a business trip, or some other event that takes you away from your home. Then the worst happens: you get an alert that your water has shut off, but water continues to trip the water detectors elsewhere in your basement.

Anxiety fills your mind for every moment you’re away from home, and you see the true reality of the situation the moment you race downstairs: the floor of your basement, from the carpet, past the moulding, to the foot of your couch, is wading in five inches of water. Maybe the valve was improperly installed. Perhaps the main itself was corroded and burst. It could have been outside your control entirely, a tree root finally making its way through an exterior pipe (with your front lawn having just as much flooding as your basement).

With all your precautions, a situation like this is unlikely but if the worst case flooding situation occurs, here are some steps you can personally take to help you avoid as much cost and damage as possible. Remember, that you also have your family or your customer’s health to consider, as flood damage can make mold grow and multiply. In case you are unaware, mold is a dangerous fungal spore that can have a nasty variety of negative effects:

Turn off your home’s water shut off valve, if it hasn’t been already. If your flood damage is coming from another source, try to stem the water flow if possible.

When things are safe from electricity, unplug and remove all electronic devices and begin the process of removing furniture and belongings from the flooded area. Speaking from personal experience, this can be a very emotional time. But the faster you can evacuate your belongings, the more of your belongings you might be able to salvage. Getting assistance from friends, family, and neighbors can help with the physical and emotional weight of the situation. Connecting fans to nearby power sources (not near water) with extension cords (perhaps from a neighbor’s home) can help in drying out fabrics and paper.

Once the source of the water has been stopped and belongings are on their way to dryer places, try to reduce the amount of water in the area. Resist pulling out a wet-dry vacuum, however, as you never know if your electrical sockets are functioning properly. Never use extension cords since even a small nick in your cords can electrify the water and cause electrocutions. Instead, break out the towels and focus on carpeting first.

Once an area has been sufficiently dried, break out the disinfecting wipes and sprays to prevent harmful bacteria from settling on walls and floors. This is especially important if the flooding came from broken toilet pipes or public water mains. Disinfecting drying belongings is also a good idea.

Once you have done all you can, consider calling your local water damage restoration company to perform a full inspection and clean-up of your home or business. The cost of hiring professionals will be much less than performing restorations yourself, especially if you have no flood insurance.

The busyness and day-to-day normalcy of life can put us into a state of complacency when it comes to the safety and protection of our homes and property. You never think water can do much to your home until it does. You never think an inch of water could cost as much as it does when you find it flooding your basement, your wash room, or your kitchen. You never think your home is in danger of water, especially if you live nowhere near a lake, reservoir, or the ocean. Then, sometimes even in just a few moments, the damage is done and you’ll now have to pay tens of thousands of dollars for disaster clean-up and necessary home renovations. If this happens, you’ll likely wish you had attempted to prepare in advance.

Get flood insurance, even if you think you don’t need it. Like earthquake insurance, it is cheaper than you think. Arm your home with the proper tools and hardware. And, most importantly, learn as much as you can about the right steps to avoid or fix any situation that may arise. Do research on your local specialists and get informed of their pricing and emergency phone numbers. A little preparation and planning can go a very long way to avoiding the heartache that can come from an indoor flood.

Year after year, your water heater serves an important role in your home. Your morning routine just wouldn’t be the same—or nearly as comfortable—without hot water. Yet, water heaters and their components do not last forever. Preventative maintenance is the key to ensuring that your water heater continues to safely provide your home with hot water. In this article, we’ll review a critical safety component of your water heater, the water heater pressure-relief valve.

If your water heater has stopped working, fill out the form to schedule a free VIP plumbing inspection here in the Chicago area. Our plumbers are available 24/7 to help you and your home!

The name is actually quite literal. It’s a valve that relieves excess pressure in the water heater tank. By doing so, it can prevent excess pressure buildup that has the potential to cause a tank burst and flood your home. It’s an unheralded but essential safety mechanism for your water heater.

As your water heater heats up the water in the tank, the water expands and steam is generated. The greater the heat, the more expansion that occurs. This expansion puts pressure on the exterior walls of the tank, but this is to be expected. Some degree of excess pressure escapes through the water pipes connected to the water heater. In the event that it cannot, the pressure-relief valve triggers. By releasing some of the hot water and air, the valve lowers the pressure back down to safe levels.

If the pressure-relief valve is unable to open, the pressure can continue to build inside of the tank past that 100 PSI ceiling. The heavy metal tank can withstand a lot of pressure buildup, but it eventually has its limits. The results are explosive, as the tank gives way, sending hot water flooding outward.

If your water heater has an emergency shutoff valve installed, the burst will be detected and the water supply will automatically shutoff. If not, you’re potentially looking at a flooded home with significant and costly water damage.

So, what causes the pressure-relief valve to fail? In many cases, the valve gets stuck or frozen in place due to the buildup of rust and corrosion inside the tank. Or, the valve is stuck due to a prior instance in which it released hot water.

A broken valve is something that should be fixed right away, but—unless you’re examining your water heater closely on a regular basis—may not be something most homeowners notice. That’s why regular testing and maintenance is important.

We recommend that homeowners here in Chicago test their pressure-relief valve when they flush out their water heater twice every year. Bundling your water heater maintenance tasks together makes sense, since each of these tasks takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Start by positioning a large bucket underneath the valve. You are going to release some hot water during this process, so you want to make sure you’re wearing safe clothes to reduce a scalding risk. Remove the drain pipe attached to the pressure valve.

Then, gently lift the valve switch so that hot water begins to come out of the valve and into the bucket. For the purposes of this test, don’t push the switch all the way up.

So long as water and air are coming out of the water heater during this test, your water heater pressure-relief valve is working as intended. On the other hand, if you’ve flipped the switch up and you’re not seeing any release, that could indicate a problem with the valve.

This goes without saying, but if you’re not comfortable flushing your water heater or checking the valve, don’t just ignore this crucial maintenance need. Give our team a call and have us out to your home to perform this service for you. Remember, this preventative maintenance can help prevent a tank burst and major water damage.

To order, or if you have questions, call us at 1-800-318-4159. WaterBlock and YdroStop can also be ordered online - click on their product pages at the bottom of this page.

WaterBlock excess water-flow shut-off valves help prevent water damage by shutting off the water to an appliance when the volume reaches a preset level. Install them in the water lines that feed your plumbing fixtures or appliances, for example drinking fountains, ice makers, or dishwashers. WaterBlock measures the amount of water flowing through the water line; if a continuous flow of water exceeds your preset volume, WaterBlock will then shut off the water to that fixture. The water then remains turned off until you reset WaterBlock.

For instance, assume you set 5 gallons as your continuous flow limit. When the water runs, WaterBlock would count the volume of continuous water flow. The water would continue to run as long as it did not exceed 5 gallons of continuous flow. However, as soon it reached 5 gallons continuously, WaterBlock would shut off the water. If the water flow stopped before reaching 5 gallons, WaterBlock would reset its measurement back to zero and begin counting again the next time that water starts running, thus continuing the cycle.

Note: WaterBlock is not intended to function as a whole house shutoff valve. Instead, you install it in the water line feeding a particular fixture or appliance. WaterBlock must be mounted vertically, with water flow either up or down. For whole-house shutoff, see YdroStop, below.

Lets say you install WaterBlock into the water line that feeds a coffee maker, setting its limit to 1 gallon of continuous water flow, since this hypothetical coffee maker uses 2 quarts of water per brewing cycle. Normally, the coffee pot draws its 2 quarts of water and then turns the water off. As the water flows, WaterBlock counts its volume; when it stops at 2 quarts, WaterBlock resets its count back to zero.

YdroStop operates by detecting water pressure changes. If it registers a large difference in pressure (broken pipe, etc), it shuts off the water supply quickly.

During normal water consumption, a small difference in pressure occurs, which then activates the YdroStop’s timing mechanism. If continuous water consumption exceeds a preset time (leak, open tap, etc) YdroStop will then shut off the water supply. The timer can be set from 15 minutes to 2 hours.

After the open faucet has been closed, or the leak has been repaired, YdroStop will automatically reset (in automatic mode) after about 20 seconds, allowing water to flow again. YdroStop can also be reset manually.

Always consult with a licensed plumber to determine if you would benefit from a backwater valve since having one installed in on certain properties can actually make things worse.

A licensed plumber will assess the condition and layout of your sewer lateral. He or she will identify the most appropriate location to install the valve. Always consult with a licensed plumber to determine the location since a backwater valve installed in the wrong place can actually make things worse.

It depends on a number of factors, including the layout of your sewer pipes, the depth and location of the pipe that connects your home to the sewer, if there are environmental hazards (i.e. lead paint) in the area where the valve will be installed, what type of valve is installed, etc. The cost can be as little as $600 or more than $5,000.

You"ll know if your valve is closed because water will stop going down your drains. If you suspect the valve might be closed, you can also check using the valve access point provided by the plumber during the installation. Some valves have alarms connected to them that are activated when the valve closes, though they can be costly.

You could install backwater valves on all plumbing fixtures that are below the Base Flood Elevation rather than installing one on the sewer pipe connecting your home to the sewer, if deemed appropriate by a licensed and qualified plumber. You could also flood-proof your basement and use it only for parking or storage. Sewage may still back up, but your belongings would be protected. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) prepared this Flood Preparedness Flyer to help homeowners reduce the chances of their home flooding during a rain event.

There is a small risk that the backwater valve will fail. Backwater valves reduce the chance of sewage backing up into your home through your sewer pipe, but if the valve is not maintained properly, sewage can get stuck and leak through.

A backwater valve should only be installed by a licensed plumber who has completed other backwater valve installations in your neighborhood. You can ask for references!

NFIP is not currently written to allow premium reductions for dry flood proofing mitigation, which backwater valves fall under. For example, elevating your home gives you a discount because you"re raising your lowest floor above the BFE. A backwater valve reduces but does not remove the risk of flooding.

You are currently eligible if you live within the community boundaries of Lower Manhattan, Rockaway East, Southeast Brooklyn Waterfront, Gravesend and Bensonhurst, Howard Beach, Gerritsen Beach and Sheepshead Bay, and the Southern Brooklyn Peninsula as defined by the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR). After filling out the application, we’ll review your eligibility and let you know what our determination is. Even then, if the plumber or engineer find existing conditions that make it infeasible to install a valve once they get into your home, your eligibility could be put on hold until the issue with the existing conditions are fixed by the homeowner.

If your property is currently in the special flood hazard areas (SFHAs), the elevation certificate is the best way to know if your insurance is rated correctly. Additionally, if you see that the new maps will place your home in a higher risk, the elevation certificate can ensure you are mapped correctly.

Applicants in Canarsie and Red Hook who did not participate in the Home Resiliency Audit program are not eligible to participate at this time. Those who participated in the program previously will move through the backwater valve portion of the program at the same pace as all other participants.

Flood vents prevent structural damage to your home from the force of water pushing against it, called hydrostatic pressure. If the water can flow into the crawl space and back out, this pressure is reduced, protecting your home. Having flood vents in your crawl space could significantly lower your flood insurance rate, depending on the home’s elevation compared to the Base Flood Elevation.

Elevation certificates must be completed by a land surveyor and can cost between $500 and $800 for uncomplicated cases, but costs can increase by several thousand dollars for more complicated cases. Additionally, counseling services will work with you to help identify steps you can take to reduce your flood insurance rates in the future.

Yes, among others, there are gate, ball, and flapper valves. Backwater valves go by a variety of names including check valve and duckbill valve. A licensed plumber or engineer can tell you which, if any, is best for your home.

If you don’t meet the eligibility requirements but are interested in hearing from us when new flood resiliency programs become available or if our eligibility requirements change, please give us a call at (646) 786-0888 or email us at info@floodhelpny.org. If your situation changes, and you think you can meet the eligibility requirements feel free to apply again!

Yes. Flood vents protect your home by ensuring that water does not build up on one side of the wall and create pressure that could damage your foundation. They are also necessary in order to receive an insurance reduction following a basement in-fill. Flood vents should be installed by a licensed engineer.

Yes! FloodHelpNY services are designed to help make homes less vulnerable to flooding and to reduce the potential for damage to homes, including damage to rental units, in the event of a flood or sewer plumbing backup.

Priority is based on income of building tenants, whether they reside in the 100-year floodplain, and whether the building was damaged by Superstorm Sandy.

The NYC Department of Buildings can give you advice on how to find a designer and contractors who have experience working in flood zones. Contractors should be experienced, licensed and insured. Check references.

As of now, there are only four measures that have an effect on insurance premiums: home elevation, filling in a basement or crawl space and installing flood vents, abandoning your first floor, and raising mechanical equipment out of the basement. The last option provides the smallest insurance reduction of the three, but it can save you a great deal of money in the event of a flood.

The best way to find out if you have a sewer backwater valve or if you need one is to consult with a licensed and qualified plumber. A sewer backwater valve can be difficult to identify on your own, especially if it was installed a long time ago.

The best way to determine if you have a sewer backwater valve or if you need one is to consult with a licensed and qualified plumber. A sewer backwater valve can be difficult to identify on your own, especially if it was installed a long time ago.

Start by knowing your zone. If you are in an AE zone, an elevation certificate is the best way to accurately know you BFE. If you are in an X zone, you are in an area of the flood map that currently does not have a projected base flood elevation.

The DFE determines the safest elevation for construction in flood hazard zones. In NYC, the DFE is usually the Base Flood Elevation plus two feet — known as “freeboard,” for added safety. Your designer or architect should consult the NYC Department of Buildings during design and permitting to ensure that they are following the DFE.

You or your contractor should always consult the NYC Department of Buildings. Ideally, equipment should be raised to the Design Flood Elevation, which is the Base Flood Elevation plus two feet of freeboard.

Typically, BFE plus two feet of freeboard is required in NYC. But it’s a good idea to consult with a qualified engineer who has experience doing construction in flood zones. The NYC Department of Buildings can help you find one.

If you received help from FEMA, the SBA, Build It Back, or New York Rising — for repairs or reconstruction of your home or for the contents — because of damage caused by flooding, then you have received federal disaster relief. For most people, this would be help for damage caused by Hurricane Irene or Superstorm Sandy.

Ask your plumber to provide you with the operation and maintenance instructions from your valve’s manufacturer. It"s usually pretty simple — open your valve access point a couple of times per year to make sure nothing is clogging your valve. If something is clogging it, remove it. If the flap needs lubricant, apply it. Some plumbers offer maintenance programs and will do this for you. If you receive a sewer backwater valve through our program, the plumber who installs your valve will show you where the valve is, how it works, and how to maintain it. In addition, you’ll receive a field report when the installation is complete containing specific operation and maintenance instructions from the manufacturer of your valve.

You can only qualify if your home was built after November 1983 and you are currently in a high-risk flood zone. You must also show that your home was built in compliance with the current flood map and you haven’t modified it. If you converted a first-floor garage into living space, for instance, you won’t qualify unless you change it back.

If only one individual needs to sign your Homeowner Grant Agreement (that is, there is only one person listed on the deed for the property), then you can electronically sign the document. After we determine your eligibility, we’ll send you a link to do this. If more than one person needs to sign your Homeowner Grant Agreement, you can download and print the document from your status page. Once completed, you can fax it to (646) 506-4621, email a copy to info@floodhelpny.org or mail it via the postal service to FloodHelpNY, Center for NYC Neighborhoods, 55 Broad Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10004.

If you don’t have a basement or below-ground crawlspace, your rate is determined by the elevation of your first floor. The higher this floor is above the Base Flood Elevation, the lower your rate will be, basically.

You must be in Zone X or no zone and have only received one payment of over $1,000 from a federal disaster assistance program for separate floods in the past 10 years. Federal disaster assistance means NFIP flood insurance or FEMA or SBA or Build It Back.

If you live in a high risk flood zone, you are rated based on the height of your lowest floor in relation to your BFE. If you have a basement or crawlspace, you are rated based on the elevation of this floor, even if the space is unfinished.

If you live in a high risk flood zone, you are rated based on the elevation of your lowest floor in relation to your BFE. When you elevate your home so that it sits 2 feet above your BFE, you drastically reduce the chances of floodwater entering the home, and therefore the cost of insurance.

If you received over $1,000 on a flood damage claim by flood insurance, FEMA, or the Small Business Administration two or more times for different floods, you’re not eligible for a low Preferred Risk Rate policy. Remember, the payments must be for different floods, not two payments for Sandy damage. Even if you were paid $50,000 or $100,000 from FEMA and flood insurance for Sandy, that’s only one claim.

If you received over $1,000 on a flood damage claim by flood insurance, FEMA, or the Small Business Administration two or more times for different floods, you’re not eligible for a low Preferred Risk Rate policy. Remember, the payments must be for different floods, not two payments for Sandy damage. Even if you were paid $50,000 or $100,000 from FEMA and flood insurance for Sandy, that’s only one claim.

This is only in Canarsie and Red Hook. Canarsie was one of the most participative communities in the initial home resiliency audit program before backwater valve installations were added. Funding for audits in Canarsie was used up, but we have since received additional funding to install backwater valves there. Since nobody can get a backwater valve installed without having an audit, people in Canarsie who have not already had an audit and gone to counseling before funding ran out will not be eligible to get an audit or a backwater valve. It is possible that funding allocations could change in the future, and we will be sure to touch base if that happens.

If you have already received a FloodHelpNY Home Resiliency Audit we’ll need you to be home for three things: the engineer’s feasibility review, the Kick-Off Meeting with the plumber, and the installation. If you have not received a FloodHelpNY Home Resiliency Audit we’ll need you to be home for the audit, the Kick-Off Meeting, and the installation itself. We expect the audit to take a maximum of two hours. The timeline for the Kick-Off Meeting and the installation remain the same for homeowners who have received an audit.

A team of two to four certified engineers and surveyors will visit your home to assess its flooding vulnerabilities and make recommendations for how to protect your home against future flooding.

Depending on the depth of the basement and whether you need to relocate utilities and equipment and install flood vents, it could cost $8,500 to $30,000.

If you are in a high-risk flood zone and you have a mortgage, you must have building coverage for at least the unpaid balance on the mortgage (the principal balance) for as long as you have the mortgage. Contents coverage isn’t required.

If the applicant lives in an AE zone, flood insurance must be purchase before they will be accepted into the program. The building flood insurance coverage must be equal to the cost of the backwater valve installation, on average, around $1,500.

In additional to making sure the plumber has easy access to the basement area where the valve will be installed, please also be prepared to be home and make plans for when the water is shut off.

The confidentiality and security of your information is critical to us. We use physical, digital, and administrative security measures to keep your personal information secure and confidential. We will not provide any information to third parties who are not involved in administering FloodHelpNY without your permission or as required by law. We also adhere to strict privacy requirements set by both the state and the federal government.

If you have an elevation certificate, you do not need to submit a new certificate. However, if you make any changes to the property, such as improvements to minimize the effects of flooding, you may want to get an updated certificate to ensure you receive the correct price.

You will be retroactively considered for the Residential Backwater Valve Installation Program. When the program launches the Center will email you the Backwater Valve application. The application will have to be completed and returned to the Center for further eligibility review. Your eligibility will be contingent upon the outcome of our review of your application and the engineer’s and plumber’s findings in your home. An eligible determination does not necessarily mean that you will get a valve since only low-to-moderate income households will be served at this time.

Reach out to us at info@floodhelpny.org. Send us your name, address, and tell us about what happened when you tried to apply. We’ll research and get back to you. You can also call our Helpline at 646-786-0888.

You are most likely in the application phase. You can log onto floodhelpny.org and your status page will tell you what phase you are in and what you need to do.

Floodsmart.gov is a great resource to find more information about flood insurance and elevation certificates. You can also feel free to send your questions to info@floodhelp.org.

If an applicant from Canarsie or Red Hook received an elevation certificate and attended counseling, will they be considered for the Backwater Valve program?

Yes, the only residents from Canarsie and Red Hook that will be considered for the Backwater Valve Program are those who have received an audit and attended counseling.

Federal law requires you to have flood insurance if your home is in a high-risk flood zone (AE, AO or VE) and you have a federally-backed mortgage. (Almost all mortgages are federally backed). Also, if you have received federal disaster assistance for repairs to your building or for lost contents, federal law requires you to have flood insurance. If you don’t buy it, you will not qualify for assistance.

You"ll know if your valve is closed because water will stop going down your drains. If you suspect the valve might be closed, you can also check using the valve access point provided by the plumber during the installation. Some valves have alarms connected to them that are activated when the valve closes, though they can be costly.

We need legible copies of all of the requested documents to review your homeowners insurance, driver"s license, current gross annual income information, proof of flood insurance (if applicable), and tenant income information (if applicable). We will ask for additional information if the documents submitted are illegible or are missing from your application.

These are specially designed openings that allow water to flow in and out. There are rules about how many are required and where they must be placed. If the openings don’t meet these requirements, they won’t count as flood vents for flood insurance rating. Read more here.

If the existing conditions don"t allow for a backwater valve installation (i.e. not enough space or the condition of the sewer lateral is too poor for the plumber to be able to cut into it without making major repairs), if the home doesn"t need a backwater valve (there is no indication that the home is at risk of sewage backup based on elevations of the home, sewer house connection, nearby sewer, base flood elevation, etc.)

These are specially designed openings that allow water to flow in and out. There are rules about how many are required and where they must be placed. If the openings don’t meet these requirements, they won’t count as flood vents for flood insurance rating. Read more here.

You can flood-proof your basement and elevate your mechanical equipment so that the basement is only used for parking or storage. Sewage may still back up, but your belongings will be protected. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) prepared a Flood Preparedness Flyer to help homeowners reduce the chances of their home flooding during a rain event.\n\nhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/brochures/flood-preparedness-flyer.pdf\n

Please bring all of your flood insurance and storm resiliency questions. Currently, the flood insurance rating maps in New York City are under review; the federal government’s proposed future flood maps may double the amount of homes in the flood hazard area. Consider asking your counselor about your property’s potential future flood risk and how this could affect your insurance rates. They are also able to discuss mitigation options to make your home more resilient.

After the valve is installed, it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain it. The Center will provide a Field Report that will contain pre- and post-construction photos and information from the valve manufacturer regarding operation and maintenance. The contract is likely to contain some extent of warranty on the work. If there is an issue with the valve during the warranty period, then the homeowner can call the Center to discuss the issue and possibly get the plumber who installed the valve back out to the home to correct the issue.

An elevation certificate can help ensure you receive an accurate flood insurance rating. Once you have an elevation certificate, work with your insurance agent to update your policy. If, you have concerns about how your policy has been rated after using the elevation certificate, contact the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) center at 877-336-2627. They will be able to discuss and review your policy.

Homeowners with tenants are required to complete a Tenant Income Verification form; one form per unit. The homeowner is responsible for submitting the form with supporting documentation to the Center. If the Center receives information indicating their rental units, a Tenant Verification form will be sent via email. For questions, please email info@floodhelpny.org or call the Center at 646-786-0888.

Please send it by mail to the Center within 14 days of receipt to:\n\nCenter for NYC Neighborhoods, attn. FloodHelpNY\n55 Broad Street\n10th Floor\nNew York, NY 10004\n\nYou can also scan and email the form and supporting documents to info@floodhelpny.org.

The FEMA flood zones are geographic areas characterized by their risk of flooding. For example, high-risk flood zones have a 1% chance of being flooded each year.

To help your counselor review your flood insurance and the available mitigations options, we ask that you bring your flood insurance declaration page (if applicable), old elevation certificate (if applicable), and a mortgage statement or other document showing your home’s current mortgage status.

BFE stands for “Base Flood Elevation.” Only properties in high-risk flood zones have a BFE, which reflects the height (in feet) above sea level that flood water is projected to rise in a “100-year” storm — a storm that has a 1% per year chance of occurring. The rate for each $100 of coverage is based on how far above or below the BFE your home’s elevation is. Rates for homes where the lowest floor is at or above the BFE are inexpensive.

Your plumber will install your backwater valve, return the work area to pre-construction conditions, and show you how to maintain your backwater valve. Your inspector will do a final inspection to make sure all work is done correctly and go through a closeout checklist with you and your plumber.

Your technical report includes pre- and post-construction photos; a sketch showing the location of your valve relative to permanent items in your home or on your property; product data sheets on your valve from the manufacturer; operation and maintenance instructions from your valve’s manufacturer; and copies of permits obtained for your installation, if applicable.

Your feasibility review will be similar to your first home assessment, but a little shorter! The engineer and accompanying staff will need to take some photos and measurements of your home to determine whether it would benefit from a backwater valve.

Most homes in New York City have a pipe that collects waste from their sinks and toilets and carries it to the city sewer. A sewer backwater valve is a device that is installed on this pipe to reduce the risk of sewage backing up through that pipe and into your home. It has an internal mechanism called the “flapper,” which closes to help protect your home from flooding with raw sewage. When the overflow subsides, the change in pressure releases the flapper, allowing wastewater to flow from your home and into the sewer. To learn more, see our resource page.

The counselor will provide a customized explanation of your property’s flood risk by reviewing the data from the elevation certificate and technical report the engineers have put together. At the end of your counseling session, you will leave with a better understanding of your home"s backwater valve eligibility, specific flood risk, insurance cost, and options to reduce future storm damage.

If you have a federally-backed mortgage or an SBA loan, your mortgage servicer or SBA will buy the flood insurance and add the cost to your monthly payment. If you received federal disaster assistance and don’t buy insurance, you won’t receive federal disaster aid for home repair or reconstruction or for damaged contents for future storms. (You would still be eligible for other kinds of help, like temporary housing aid).

If the estimated rate calculated is lower than your current rate, you could be paying too much for flood insurance. Contact your insurance broker for a review of your policy. Go through all the information to make sure it is correct. Check that the property is described correctly, that it’s listed as your primary residence (if it is), and that the flood zone and BFE are correct.

If you are required to have flood insurance and don’t purchase it, then you will not be eligible for federal disaster relief for damage to your building or contents in the case of a future storm. You may still be eligible for help for other purposes, like temporary housing.

Maybe you can reduce your coverage or a get a higher deductible. Some coverage is better than no coverage. If you have a mortgage in a high-risk zone, your options may be limited. Try exploring changes you can make to your house to reduce the premium, like filling in a crawlspace or basement and installing flood vents.

Three key data fields on the elevation certificate are the building type and characteristics, the lowest floor, and the location of the property. These factors all play important roles in determining your flood insurance premium.

When the new flood maps are adopted and your home is placed into a higher risk flood zone or the BFE for your property increases, you can save money under the grandfathering rule. If you qualify, grandfathering allows you to lock in the previous flood zone or BFE for insurance rating purposes. There are two kinds of grandfathering: “continuous coverage” and “built in compliance.” Only homes built after November 1983 qualify for “built in compliance.”

If you or a prior owner has received at least two flood insurance claim payments and the combined total of those payments is more than the building’s market value, you have a “severe repetitive loss” building.

A space that is 1) below ground on all 4 sides, and 2) no deeper than 2 feet below ground anywhere, and 3) no taller than about 4 feet floor-to-ceiling. If it is taller than 4 feet or deeper than 2 feet below ground, it is a “basement” for flood insurance purposes.

Preferred Risk is subsidized policy only available to moderate- and low-risk flood zones (Zone X or not in a flood zone) with limited claims history. The average cost is approximately $500 annually.

Most homes in New York City have a pipe that collects waste from the sinks and toilets in your home and carries it to the city sewer. A sewer backwater valve is a device that is installed on this pipe to reduce the risk of sewage backing up through that pipe and into your home, especially during heavy rain. Learn more about backwater valves.

Most homes in New York City have a pipe that collects waste from the sinks and toilets in your home and carries it to the city sewer. A sewer backwater valve is a device that is installed in this pipe to reduce the risk of sewage backing up through that pipe and into your home, especially during a heavy rain event.\n

We are asking whether your home was damaged by wind, rain, or flood as a direct result of Hurricane Sandy. In general, if the NYC Department of Buildings tagged your home with a yellow or red placard, or if you received FEMA assistance, claimed insurance funds, or received charitable help with repairs due to Sandy, we think your home was damaged.

Damage caused by overflow or a body of water like the ocean or a lake, river or stream. Flooding from a burst pipe doesn’t count. A sewer back-up normally isn’t flood damage, unless it is caused by flooding.

Contents insurance covers damage to personal property caused by flooding. The only belongings covered in your basement are your washer, dryer and freezer. (Your furnace, boiler, water heater, and air conditioner are covered by your “building” coverage). When a flood is coming, move your belongings out of your basement. It’s also a good idea to take pictures of everything before a flood comes, so you can provide proof to the insurer.

Freeboard is additional elevation above the Base Flood Elevation, and ensures that construction is at a safer elevation from future flooding. In NYC, this means adding two additional fees above the BFE. Besides increasing safety from floods, freeboard can lead to lower insurance premiums that can help in recouping construction costs.

New York City adopted its first FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map on November 16, 1983, and added elevation requirements to the building code for properties built in a flood zone. Since there were no flood-protection requirements in the building code before then, properties built before then are eligible for a lower rate. But Congress later ordered FEMA to phase out that lower rate, called the “pre-FIRM subsidized” rate.

It depends on a number of factors, including the layout of your sewer pipes, the depth and location of the pipe that connects your home to the sewer, if there are environmental hazards (e.g., lead paint) in the area where the valve will be installed, what type of valve is installed, etc. The cost can be as little as $600 or more than $5,000.

For the purposes of flood insurance, a basement is lower than ground level on all four sides, and is taller than 5 feet. If the space is less than 5 feet high, it is a crawlspace. It matters because the rates may be different.

The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 slowed down or reversed some of the changes to the National Flood Insurance Program made by the Biggert-Waters Act of 2012. HFIAA restored “grandfathering” and slowed the phase-out of other premium subsidies by capping the premium increases at 18% per year for most properties. Some properties, such as commercial properties or severely damaged properties, can still see an increase of 25% per year.

An elevation certificate is an important flood insurance document that provides information about the flood risk and flood resilience of a property. The elevation certificate can be used to calculate your flood insurance premium.

If you’re receiving this form, your landlord has enrolled in the FloodHelpNY Home Resiliency Audit program, aimed at strengthening New York’s coastal communities by providing free services to eligible homeowners and their tenants in certain coastal neighborhoods. To learn more, please visit FloodHelpNY.org. As part of this program, your landlord may be eligible to receive a free sewer backwater valve. A sewer backwater valve is a device that is installed on the pipe that connects a home’s plumbing fixtures to the city’s sewer to reduce the risk of sewage backup into the home during a flood event such as heavy rain or storm surge.

This will depend on the home. We’ll let the homeowner know as soon as we can. Homeowners will be unable to put water down their drains or flush their toilet while the plumber is cutting into their sewer pipe and installing the new valve. It will not necessarily be the entire time of the installation since the installation is likely to include other work such as patching the floor. It could be as little as 8 hours.

An elevation certificate is an important flood insurance document that describes the elevation above sea level of each story of your home or building. It can help calculate your flood insurance rated correctly and also help you evaluate your resiliency options.

A new flood map is currently being deliberated, but there is no definitive answer as to when it will come out or be implemented. FEMA submitted an updated preliminary map from their 1983 baseline in 2013, significantly expanding high-risk flood zones in NYC, but is under revision after the city of New York fought implementing it as it was. This map now acts as an advisory map for zoning and new construction requirements.

They’ll know before signing the Tri-Party Agreement, which is the agreement signed by the plumber, the Center, and the homeowner prior to installing the valve.

As of now, there are only four measures that have an effect on insurance premiums: home elevation, filling in a basement or crawl space and installing flood vents, abandoning your first floor, and raising mechanical equipment out of the basement. The last option provides the smallest insurance reduction of the three, but it can save you a great deal of money in the event of a flood.

Counselors are legal or housing professionals from non-profit community-based organizations with experience serving homeowners in New York’s coastal communities. Counselors are trained in resiliency topics and flood insurance.

FloodHelpNY is made possible by funding from the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery through a federal Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program is administered by the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, a non-profit organization committed to promoting and protecting affordable homeownership in New York so that middle– and working-class families are able to build strong, thriving communities. Learn more about the Center at cnycn.org.

Federal law requires you to have flood insurance if your home is in a high-risk flood zone (AE, AO or VE) and you have a federally-backed mortgage. (Almost all mortgages are federally backed). Also, if you have received federal disaster assistance for repairs to your building or for lost contents, federal law requires you to have flood insurance. If you don’t buy it, you will not qualify for assistance.

Rising flood insurance costs may cause financial hardship for working- and middle-class families living in the high-risk flood zone, which could put them at greater risk of foreclosure or displacement. To learn more, read the full “Rising Tides, Rising Costs” report by the Center for NYC Neighborhoods here.

FEMA periodically updates the maps that it creates for flood hazard zones across the country. The current maps for New York City were adopted in 1983 and do not accurately reflect today’s risk of flooding.

We ask for income for purposes of prioritizing service. Households at all income levels are welcome to apply for an assessment of their home’s vulnerability to flooding. However, we will automatically serve low- to moderate-income households (up to 80% of Area Median Income for the New York City area). Applications that fall outside of this range will be prioritized and reviewed at the end of each three-week period.

The National Flood Insurance Program sets flood insurance rates, and insurance brokers can’t change them. The only reason you would get different quotes from different agents is because one or both of them made a mistake in how they described your property or your zone.

There are many reasons why this can happen: Your home will not benefit from a sewer backwater valve; you do not have flood insurance and you are in an AE flood zone; you do not have homeowners insurance; you did not own your home during Hurricane Sandy; and other factors. Have questions? Call us at (646) 786-0898 or email us at info@floodhelpny.org.

FloodHelpNY strives to serve moderate- and low-income homeowners and their tenants. We are required to obtain household income information, including income information of tenants in 2-4 unit buildings, so that we can make sure we are only serving to lower-income households. This is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR), which fund the program.

The program aims to reduce the risk of sewage backup into homes during flooding caused by combined sewer overflow specifically. Combined sewer overflow occurs when the city"s sewer becomes full beyond its capacity. Most properties are connected to the city sewer, but there are some properties that might still have septic tanks. If you"re not connected to the city sewer but you are experiencing sewage backup in your home, then the cause is not combined sewer overflow, and you should consult with a licensed design professional and/or contractor to determine the cause and remedy the issue.

The engineer needs to take measurements around your plumbing fixtures, photos of the area where the valve would be installed, and observe the space around your home to determine if installing a valve is feasible. This will help the plumber prepare for the installation by providing a clear picture of the construction area.

The reason Congress created the NFIP in 1968 was because private insurance companies wouldn’t cover damage from flooding. The losses were too expensive.

The National Flood Insurance Program is not currently written to allow premium reductions for dry flood proofing mitigation strategies, such as backwater valves. In contrast, wet floodproofing solutions, like elevating your home, result in a flood insurance discount because your lowest floor is raised above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). A sewer backwater valve may reduce flood risk, but does not remove the risk completely.

Certain mitigation measures may reduce the damage and the cost of clean up after a flood, they may not actually change the data used to calculate your home"s flood risk.

New York City appealed FEMA’s Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map in June 2015, arguing that they overestimated flood risk in the five boroughs. In October 2016, FEMA announced it had accepted the City’s appeal of the FEMA preliminary flood maps and will begin a new process to revise the city’s flood maps. It will take at least three to four years for FEMA to release new revised maps. Learn more here.

When a disaster occurs, a poorly managed staff response can put the safety and well-being of housing residents at risk, and expose housing owners to unnecessary costs, difficulties and potential liability. Affordable housing organizations face unique challenges during emergency events. Unable to easily relocate residents, housing organizations depend on the continuous operation of their buildings, or at least a rapid return to service. To learn