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Re: catch basins and old school chicago sewers
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Adam H. Kerman
Jul 1, 2014, 11:54:43 PM7/1/14
to
barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
>I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
>Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
>with the building plumbing, but what?
>Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
>(My current home does not have one, even though it was built in the late
>1800's. I suspect it had one but was taken out of service at some point
>in time? I do maybe have a roundish concrete patch in the basement, that
>might be where it was.
>Also what about "storm drains" vs. sewage? Did downspouts go into the
>common sewer or into a separate line?
As most of Chicago has combined sewers and lacks separate drainage for
storm water, yeah, downspouts were connected to municipal sewers till
homeowners were told to break the connection years ago; I'm sure
everyone complied.
>I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
>Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
>with the building plumbing, but what?
>Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
>(My current home does not have one, even though it was built in the late
>1800's. I suspect it had one but was taken out of service at some point
>in time? I do maybe have a roundish concrete patch in the basement, that
>might be where it was.
>Also what about "storm drains" vs. sewage? Did downspouts go into the
>common sewer or into a separate line?
As most of Chicago has combined sewers and lacks separate drainage for
storm water, yeah, downspouts were connected to municipal sewers till
homeowners were told to break the connection years ago; I'm sure
everyone complied.
spamtr...@gmail.com
Jul 2, 2014, 2:06:24 AM7/2/14
to
On Tuesday, July 1, 2014 7:36:28 PM UTC-7, barbie gee wrote:
> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
> with the building plumbing, but what?
I thought a catch basin was a sort of settling pond for storm runoff.
> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
> with the building plumbing, but what?
> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
>
>
>
> (My current home does not have one, even though it was built in the late
> 1800's. I suspect it had one but was taken out of service at some point
> in time? I do maybe have a roundish concrete patch in the basement, that
> might be where it was.
>
>
>
> Also what about "storm drains" vs. sewage? Did downspouts go into the
> common sewer or into a separate line?
a storm drain, which in fact is part of Chicago's combined storm water and
fecal matter disposal system.
RonT
Jul 2, 2014, 6:01:45 AM7/2/14
to
On 7/1/2014 9:36 PM, barbie gee wrote:
>
> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
> with the building plumbing, but what?
>
>
> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
> with the building plumbing, but what?
>
> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
>
> (My current home does not have one, even though it was built in the late
> 1800's. I suspect it had one but was taken out of service at some point
> in time? I do maybe have a roundish concrete patch in the basement,
> that might be where it was.
>
> Also what about "storm drains" vs. sewage? Did downspouts go into the
> common sewer or into a separate line?
I'm guessing that the "catch basins" you're referring to might actually
>
> (My current home does not have one, even though it was built in the late
> 1800's. I suspect it had one but was taken out of service at some point
> in time? I do maybe have a roundish concrete patch in the basement,
> that might be where it was.
>
> Also what about "storm drains" vs. sewage? Did downspouts go into the
> common sewer or into a separate line?
be old cisterns.
A very common thing way back in the day, designed to catch rain water
for use in the house.
Bruce Esquibel
Jul 2, 2014, 8:55:30 AM7/2/14
to
barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
> with the building plumbing, but what?
> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
I thought this was covered somewhere in the past on here.
> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
> with the building plumbing, but what?
> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
As far as I can tell, the only purpose of it is to have access to the main
sewer line that runs under the house.
It's a pit or well that is about 10 feet deep, depending on the depth of the
basement. About a foot or two from the bottom of it is the main line that
goes out to the street, so most are the furthest point away from the street
sewer.
If something clogs up between it and the street, one (not me) can climb into
it and rod it from there to the street. In my place, in the basement, the
only hole/drain in the floor is a regular like 1 inch or inch and a half
drain that ties into the main line, so it would be useless to rod from
there.
Some houses on this block have them in the front of the house, which seems
to mean it was an after thought, put in much later than when the house was
built.
If you don't have one (catch basin), you must have some kind of clean-out
trap somewhere that can access the line running under the building.
Off hand it seems technology has made the catch basin obsolete. I'm pretty
sure at one time, maybe before "power rodding", it probably was a pain to
get a rod down 6 to 8 feet then make a 90 degree turn, all the time trying
to push/pull the rod to clean anything. So installing or having a catch
basin allowed a better cleaning of the line.
These days putting a clean-out trap in the front lawn or basement somewhere,
any of the power rodders can make it from there to the street.
I really don't think the catch basin was for rain water, even though most
gutters emptied into them. Was probably a easy way to dump the water
somewhere and not have to tie into the line under the house.
Technically the catch basin should be next to empty all the time. Since the
line going to the street is near the lowest point, if you don't see the top
of the pipe, something isn't flowing right.
Bottom line, I really think the only purpose of them was to have access to
rod the main line to the street back in the days when it was all done by
hand.
-bruce
b...@ripco.com
Message has been deleted
Cydrome Leader
Jul 2, 2014, 1:13:07 PM7/2/14
to
barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
>
> While we're on the subject, I suspect I have some abandoned sewer lines
> under my house that back up, but without a sewer guy with a camera, I'll
> never know. There are *4* openings in my basement floor.
>
> You got a good sewer guy, anybody, who won't rip me off?
let me know if you find a honest guy too.
there's one of those pits with the steel lid in the backyard of a place I
have to deal with. It's about 4 feet deep or so.
we have to dig shit out with a shovel from time to time. it seem to mostly
fill with mud from a collapsed drainage pipe from the garage or something
like that.
>
>
> On Wed, 2 Jul 2014, Bruce Esquibel wrote:
>
>> barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
>>> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
>>> with the building plumbing, but what?
>>
>>> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
>>
>>
>> I thought this was covered somewhere in the past on here.
>
> My memory is lousy, so if so, I can't remember.
>
> On Wed, 2 Jul 2014, Bruce Esquibel wrote:
>
>> barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
>>> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
>>> with the building plumbing, but what?
>>
>>> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
>>
>>
>> I thought this was covered somewhere in the past on here.
>
>
> While we're on the subject, I suspect I have some abandoned sewer lines
> under my house that back up, but without a sewer guy with a camera, I'll
> never know. There are *4* openings in my basement floor.
>
> You got a good sewer guy, anybody, who won't rip me off?
let me know if you find a honest guy too.
there's one of those pits with the steel lid in the backyard of a place I
have to deal with. It's about 4 feet deep or so.
we have to dig shit out with a shovel from time to time. it seem to mostly
fill with mud from a collapsed drainage pipe from the garage or something
like that.
Mark Anderson
Jul 2, 2014, 2:08:35 PM7/2/14
to
In article boo...@nosespam.com says...
> You got a good sewer guy, anybody, who won't rip me off?
Did you get flooded?
Message has been deleted
Bruce Esquibel
Jul 3, 2014, 8:00:33 AM7/3/14
to
In Chicago? Ha. You crack me up.
If this flooding only happens when we get a heavy storm like the other day,
leave it alone.
When your toilets start to not flush or drains on the lower levels back up,
then figure on taking a big chunk of your retirement savings out to fix it.
There isn't going to be much cost difference between today or tomorrow.
The camera bit is the only way to go ($225 to $300) and is somewhat of a
gamble, if they find a problem between the sidewalk and street, the city
will pick up the tab for the repair. Anywhere else, it's your problem.
Unless that building was modified at some point with overhead sewers, I
really don't think anything was abandoned. If they aren't overhead and you
don't have a catch basin, there has to be clean-out traps somewhere. These
are supposed to be put outside, near the front of the house in the lawn.
It's about the size of a coffee can lid (around 6" diameter) and has a
rather large square nut on top of it.
It's possible it or they were installed into the basement floor, prior to
1990 or there abouts.
My point is that you have to have one or the other or both.
If you don't have either, no catch basin, no clean-outs, you have a bigger
problem than a flooded basement. They aren't going to be able to do anything
until something is installed. You can't rod from a drain. Not the main line
anyway.
So you'll have to cough up the bucks for that, just to learn what the real
problem is.
-bruce
b...@ripco.com
If this flooding only happens when we get a heavy storm like the other day,
leave it alone.
When your toilets start to not flush or drains on the lower levels back up,
then figure on taking a big chunk of your retirement savings out to fix it.
There isn't going to be much cost difference between today or tomorrow.
The camera bit is the only way to go ($225 to $300) and is somewhat of a
gamble, if they find a problem between the sidewalk and street, the city
will pick up the tab for the repair. Anywhere else, it's your problem.
Unless that building was modified at some point with overhead sewers, I
really don't think anything was abandoned. If they aren't overhead and you
don't have a catch basin, there has to be clean-out traps somewhere. These
are supposed to be put outside, near the front of the house in the lawn.
It's about the size of a coffee can lid (around 6" diameter) and has a
rather large square nut on top of it.
It's possible it or they were installed into the basement floor, prior to
1990 or there abouts.
My point is that you have to have one or the other or both.
If you don't have either, no catch basin, no clean-outs, you have a bigger
problem than a flooded basement. They aren't going to be able to do anything
until something is installed. You can't rod from a drain. Not the main line
anyway.
So you'll have to cough up the bucks for that, just to learn what the real
problem is.
-bruce
b...@ripco.com
Message has been deleted
Adam H. Kerman
Jul 3, 2014, 10:42:39 AM7/3/14
to
barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
>I am planning on spending a little to have the diagnosis done by camera,
>and hope there will be a few different solutions offered. I still have
>money in a HELOC I can use, in a pinch....
Why don't you just win the lottery?
>I am planning on spending a little to have the diagnosis done by camera,
>and hope there will be a few different solutions offered. I still have
>money in a HELOC I can use, in a pinch....
Why don't you just win the lottery?
Message has been deleted
Mark Anderson
Jul 3, 2014, 4:32:11 PM7/3/14
to
In article boo...@nosespam.com says...
> yup.
> approx. 3-5" up from the floor drain plus some bad perimeter infiltration
> on one side where the sill is low..
I got enough water to take out hot water heaters, first time since July
2011. This one was 1/2 the water of the last one. It came in fast; 15-
30 minutes and then sat for a couple hours before going down. Not sure
if my new sump pump would have worked since it's still in its box. I
estimate I get a hot water heater knockout every 3-5 years so perhaps
this was due. Luckily all my heaters started with little trouble yet I
lost that special tool for taking those new fangled ones apart and
cleaning them.
> But I'm not doing this again.
Are you throwing down the gauntlet to Mother Nature? Don't mess with
Barb or else! :-) I saw a pretty fancy garden apartment in my
neighborhood that had all drywall ripped out and lots and lots of
garbage bags on front lawn. This was new construction where I'm sure
they had some flood control system in place. Water is going to reach
its level when it has nowhere to go.
> yup.
> approx. 3-5" up from the floor drain plus some bad perimeter infiltration
> on one side where the sill is low..
I got enough water to take out hot water heaters, first time since July
2011. This one was 1/2 the water of the last one. It came in fast; 15-
30 minutes and then sat for a couple hours before going down. Not sure
if my new sump pump would have worked since it's still in its box. I
estimate I get a hot water heater knockout every 3-5 years so perhaps
this was due. Luckily all my heaters started with little trouble yet I
lost that special tool for taking those new fangled ones apart and
cleaning them.
> But I'm not doing this again.
Are you throwing down the gauntlet to Mother Nature? Don't mess with
Barb or else! :-) I saw a pretty fancy garden apartment in my
neighborhood that had all drywall ripped out and lots and lots of
garbage bags on front lawn. This was new construction where I'm sure
they had some flood control system in place. Water is going to reach
its level when it has nowhere to go.
Message has been deleted
Mark Anderson
Jul 4, 2014, 1:45:20 PM7/4/14
to
In article boo...@nosespam.com says...
> yes, I'm throwing down the gauntlet! I know this is a challenge, but not
> impossible. The 2-flat up the block that my sis and I own has not taken in
> water ever, or maybe once I remember, back in like 1975, that I found a
> dried up worm near the floor drain once... So, I have a metric to strive
> for. It is also not a very deep basement, just like my house. The rental
> is also one of the lowest yards on that block, just like my house. But,
> the neighbors are better at keeping their own gutters cleared, so the back
> yard doesn't turn into a pool, either.
You can't compare two buildings in different locations. They each
differ in elevation to the water table and are located differently from
where water wants to flow in these heavy rain situations. If you walk
down my block you wouldn't know my place is at the bottom of a hill.
You wouldn't even know there is a hill. The water knows there's a hill
and that I'm at the bottom because it comes by to pay a visit every now
and then. My uphill neighbors like to brag as to how they never get
water. Why? Because their basements are a few feet higher than me.
Every foot counts.
> yes, I'm throwing down the gauntlet! I know this is a challenge, but not
> impossible. The 2-flat up the block that my sis and I own has not taken in
> water ever, or maybe once I remember, back in like 1975, that I found a
> dried up worm near the floor drain once... So, I have a metric to strive
> for. It is also not a very deep basement, just like my house. The rental
> is also one of the lowest yards on that block, just like my house. But,
> the neighbors are better at keeping their own gutters cleared, so the back
> yard doesn't turn into a pool, either.
You can't compare two buildings in different locations. They each
differ in elevation to the water table and are located differently from
where water wants to flow in these heavy rain situations. If you walk
down my block you wouldn't know my place is at the bottom of a hill.
You wouldn't even know there is a hill. The water knows there's a hill
and that I'm at the bottom because it comes by to pay a visit every now
and then. My uphill neighbors like to brag as to how they never get
water. Why? Because their basements are a few feet higher than me.
Every foot counts.
bu...@nsripco.com
Jul 4, 2014, 5:24:03 PM7/4/14
to
:> barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
:>
:>> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
:>> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
:>> with the building plumbing, but what?
:>
:>> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
:>
:>
:> I thought this was covered somewhere in the past on here.
: My memory is lousy, so if so, I can't remember.
:>
:>> I've lived in more than a few properties in Chicago that had a "Catch
:>> Basin", generally under the back porch. I know it had something to do
:>> with the building plumbing, but what?
:>
:>> Can our resident Chicago historians please explicate a little?
:>
:>
:> I thought this was covered somewhere in the past on here.
: While we're on the subject, I suspect I have some abandoned sewer lines
: under my house that back up, but without a sewer guy with a camera, I'll
: never know. There are *4* openings in my basement floor.
: You got a good sewer guy, anybody, who won't rip me off?
We use ABLE sewer, they are south side but work everywhere (Ihave seen
them at Toughy and Clark.
They are not the cheapest but they are the best as far as I have
found.
Butch
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
S.J. Butch Weinberg | Well I guess I've gone and
DLOM | done it this time!!!
bu...@ripco.com |
dlo...@gmail.com |
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