Straight-Fit Backwater Valves Provide Easy Access

New plumbing codes typically require backwater valves to be accessible for maintenance and servicing. That can be difficult for in-ground installations, though, where plumbers often need to construct a concrete pit with an access lid. To combat that problem, and save plumbers some time, Mainline Backflow Products offers the Straight-Fit Backwater Valve.

The Straight-Fit simplifies in-ground installations with a removable extended flapper system, allowing for easy ground-level access at any depth. The flapper system opens under normal flow conditions, but closes and remains friction-sealed during backflow from the sewer or septic line. It’s a product that is a fit for inside the home or out, according to Mainline Backflow’s sales and marketing coordinator Mark Wells.

“You don’t need any special tools or rigging to install or remove the Straight-Fit gate, simply attach a standard Schedule 40 pipe to the gate housing,” he says. “The body has a minimal slope, making it ideal for new installations and retrofits.”

The unit’s Smart-Curve flapper is designed to smoothly guide cleaning and surveying equipment through the backwater valve, also allowing for safe withdrawal of the same, minimizing risk of damage to the flapper. The addition of a Smart-Curve snake guide at the elbow of the valve body also allows easy snaking from the main access.

“The Smart-Curve is a huge addition because it provides such a smoother ride under the gate deflecting the snake,” says Wells. “Any plumber who has had to perform maintenance or snake a line through the backwater valve knows it’s easy to get tools stuck and make a mess.”

The unit is available in ABS and PVC pipe, in 3-, 4- and 6-inch sizes. Plumbers can request an optional gate for pressure testing or isolation of the system as well. Wells says the unit has been on the plumbing market for roughly five years, and is gaining a loyal following among the plumbing and septic system installation industry.

“I feel this is a terrific fit for plumbers, but the septic industry is a market we are really trying to grow in,” says Wells. “There is so much crossover between those two markets, it makes a lot of sense for us to be in both.” 877/734-8691; www.backwatervalve.com.



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