How to Maintain a Check Valve
The best way to maintain a check valve properly is follow the recommendations of the manufacturer especially where repairs or replacements are involved.
For the proper maintenance of your installed check valve, it is always best to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer especially where repairs or replacements are involved. This is because different products are made of different materials and parts; and therefore, must be maintained differently. However, there are some common maintenance steps that you can undertake on your own to compliment the proper procedures prescribed by the manufacturer.
The control valves installed in your basement or any part of your home that are installed as protection from sewage backflows must be regularly inspected and tested just to make sure that they are working properly. As in any other mechanical devices, the valves are also subject to normal wear and tear. Regular maintenance checks will provide the opportunity to identify possible problems so they can immediately be addressed before they get worse.
Refer to the manual that came with the product for the inspection and testing procedures, intervals, and replacement of parts if necessary. If there are any procedures which you are not comfortable in doing yourself, you may seek the help of a contractor to do the job for you. This is much better than taking the risk of doing more damage to your one way valve assemblies.
The Check valve must be inspected ideally every six months (or as often as the manufacturer may recommend); or when heavy rains are forthcoming; or if you are leaving your home for a long period of time either for a vacation, a work engagement, or for any other reason. Visual inspection must be performed and the valve assemblies must be cleaned.
Remove excessive debris and dirt that may affect the seal quality. Clean the affected parts. If required for proper washing, remove then reinstall. Make sure you wear protective gloves before exposing yourself to the potentially harmful dirt and debris.
Try to see if any component or part is broken. Replace worn out parts of a check valve if necessary. Do not attempt to replace worn out parts if you think you cannot do it on your own or if other adjacent components are affected. Call a professional if you think you will need help.
If you see that the flapper of the valve is dirty, take the flapper off and rinse with clean water. If you have to, scrub it to remove the dirt. Put the valve control component back to its original place. Test it to make sure that it will be forced open with outflow from the drain. Run water through it for proper testing. When pushed towards the direction of the drain, the flapper must properly close. If this procedure is not possible probably because of time constraints, a quicker alternative would be to flush each of the check valve with clean water. Flushing the nearest toilet bowl that uses the drain several times; or letting the sink run for 3 to 5 minutes; or flushing the floor drain with a couple of pails o water will also help clean the assemblies up.