They jackhammered the floor around the perimeter, installed a drainage channel in a bed of gravel, drilled weep holes in the blocks to allow the wall to drain, and put in a sump with redundant pumps and a battery backup. When the water level rises or water enters the basement, it gets directed to your sump basin (sump crock or sump pit), where the pump discharges the water through a drain line. For this reason, combined with the nuisance-tripping from GFCIs, sump pumps should have a backup power source to rely on. A pump powered by a battery or the home’s water pressure can also be installed as a backup. Heavy rain can severely damage your house’s foundation and basement if you don’t have a sump pump installed. Up-to-date pricing and reviews for outdoor sump pumps on the market can be found at the sump pump shop website.
If your sump pump appears to be running, but there is no water in the pit, it is likely that it is not installed correctly or is not hooked up properly to the drainage system. Where can I find the best state-of-art guidance for constructing/installing an EXTERIOR sump” type pump for exterior drainage pipes to drain ground water away from house? It seemed to me that any time there is flooding the water is not frozen, but I’m not sure if sump pumps are meant to be installed outdoors so I wondered what people’s opinions are on this.
Containing gravel and a porous plastic pipe known as drain tile, this invisible trench funnels water from the edges of the foundation to the sump pit, where the sump pump can then eject the water out of the basement. When running the sump pump line outdoors, it’s important to install the pipes so that the water is carried away from your home, and not just dumped next to it. The water will just flow back into your home through the foundation walls, and over time, can damage your foundation. Once you’ve invested and installed any necessary sump pumps, test them regularly and make sure the check valve is functioning, so water doesn’t flow back into the basement.
A check valve should be installed in order to prevent pumped water in the discharge line from re-entering the sump pit when the device is turned off. The sump pump is triggered by a switch to turn on and pump the water outside, a freeze guard can be installed to prevent freezing of the discharge line. Quality waterproofing contractors have great, reliable sump pumps available, including single pump systems, battery backup sump pumps , triple sump systems, and water alarms that keep your basement or crawlspace dry and healthy.
Iowa homeowners can control their wet basement and water damage by having a sump pump installed by WCI. A properly installed Underground Sump Pump Discharge Extension will get the water away from your foundation without the worries of a freeze up. Commercial sump pumps work much like residential ones do-when water reaches a pre-determined level, the sump pump is triggered by a float switch to turn on and remove water by pumping it away to an approved area.
Sump pumps are usually triggered by a float switch and only activate when water reaches a predetermined level. Install an underground PVC pipe (or other rigid pipe) to carry the water discharged from the sump pump away from the house. Once a sump pump is installed, the water will flow into the sump pit through drains or by natural water migration.
These types of electrical pumps are installed in a pit usually in a basement and are designed to work underwater. This powerful pump can remove up to 11,500 gallons of water on a full charge, while a secondary battery can be installed on a single SafeDri to double the pumping time. When you have a perimeter drainage system installed in your home, your sump pump is your main line of defense against a basement flood.
Check Valve: A check valve on the discharge line has a flap that keeps water in the pipe from falling back into the pit when the pump switches off. These direct water into a shallow pit, or sump, where a sump pump pushes the water out and away from the house through a discharge pipe. Sump pumps can even be installed to resolve exterior drainage issues.
When flooding causes the float to rise, a switch automatically turns on and the pump begins to extract water and drain it through a pipe to the outdoors. Basement drainage systems should be built to work hand-in-hand with your pump, diverting the water to the sump pit. Sump pumps pull excess groundwater from the drainage tile below your crawlspace or basement and release it a safe distance away from your home.
While drains work by allowing water to flow through pipes with gravity, sump pumps use much more power to move water. Sump pumps also usually powered by mains electrical power which can get cut in an electrical storm with a flood that follows leaving basements vulnerable even if they had a sump pump installed. I unplugged the old power cord, removed discharge pipe, measured and cut a new discharge pipe, installed the discharge pipe, and put everything back in the sump basin.
If left in standing water, pedestal pumps should be manually run from time to time, even if the water in the sump isn’t high enough to trip the float switch. Water level sensing switch type – Pressure switches are fully enclosed, usually inside the pump body, making them immune to obstructions or floating debris in the sump basin. Sump pumps are used where basement flooding happens regularly and to solve dampness where the water table is above the foundation of a home.
Both drainage systems are effective at collecting water through a check valve and discharging it. However, the main difference lies in how the pump draws the water and the size of the sump pit. The horsepower requirement for a house is determined by the area of drainage connected to the sump, the depth to groundwater, the depth of the basement and many other factors. A sump pump is a small pump installed in the lowest part of a basement or crawlspace, used to remove water that’s accumulated in a water-collecting sump basin.
The sump or pit in your basement is usually around 18 inches in diameter and contains a float switch that turns the pump on when water enters. The sump pump is installed in the lowest part of your basement and contains a sensor which activates the pump (similar to the one in your toilet tank) when the water level gets too high. The best battery backup systems monitor your whole sump pump with a controller and then switch your sump system from AC power to DC power when there is an interruption in power service.
In these cases, a battery backup sump pump will automatically turn on and provide protection to your basement until power is restored. Battery backup pumps provide protection against water when your power goes out. The sump pumps job is to remove any water that collects in the sump basin or pit.
If you have extensively gone through your house and repaired all the cracks in your walls, leaks , and pipes and you still notice problems you may want a sump pump installed. The homes electrical system usually provide sump pumps with power, however, they may also have battery backups. Many Iowa homes have installed sump pumps that are old, unreliable, and create moisture and health problems in basements or crawlspaces.
Just like floor drains, many Iowa basements must have sump pumps in order to control basement and crawlspace water seepage. Once it’s burned out, you will have water in your basement if you don’t have a battery backup sump system acting as a secondary pump. A sump pump can be your home’s first line of defense when it comes to preventing basement flooding and water damage.
Go battery-free with one of our water-powered back-up sump pumps, which operate solely on water pressure from your water supply when there is a power outage. Our wide range of sump pumps offers peace of mind when you know that heavy rains, light flooding and spring thaws won’t cause expensive damage to the below-grade portion of your house. If the line is too short or leads to a place where the ground slopes toward your house, the water will just end up right back in the sump pit where it started, overworking your sump pump and increasing your risk for a basement flood.
This type of sump pump is ideal for basements needing frequent water drainage. Optional Battery Backup Sump Pump — For protection from sump pump power outages or pump failures, we highly recommend that you install an SafeDri Battery Backup Sump Pump. The SafeDri ProX can be installed with an optional SafeDri Battery Backup Sump Pump, which can pump out 11,500 gallons or more on a single charge!
Long-Lasting SafeDri Battery Backup System — In the case of a tripped circuit, power outage, or sump failure, your SafeDri Triple also includes an SafeDri Battery Backup System This heavy-duty battery backup can pump more than 11,500 gallons of water on a full charge. Cast-Iron Zoeller® hp Primary Pump — Reliable and powerful, this sump pump system can discharge 2,220 gallons of water per hour at an 8-foot head from your basement. In case of a power outage, our SafeDri battery backup sump pump, set at the highest level, will pump 11,500 gallons or more on a fully charged battery!
A battery kept continually charged by the backup system operates a separate pump linked to the discharge pipe, providing hours of protection until power is restored. Likewise, if you have an extra-high basement ceiling — combined with the depth of the sump — you want one with the power to lift water up the tall discharge pipe. Switch: All three types of switches — tethered float, vertical float and electronic — automatically turn on the pump when water in the sump reaches a certain level.
Some homes with basements or crawl spaces are protected from ground water damage by a network of drainage tubes around the foundation. Keep your basement free from flooding by channeling water away from the foundation with the right kind of sump pump. When placing the basin, consider easy access, and as with the basement install, a proper drainage plan, and a ready power source.
If you ever need to replace the pump, this can be done by simply switching off the power to the unit, disconnecting the old model from the discharge valve, reconnecting and leveling a new pump, and testing it the same as you did upon the initial installation. Before installing a sump pump, check with your town to see which drainage options are permissible. Although it isn’t the most DIY-friendly of projects, installing a sump pump in your basement, crawlspace, or backyard will prevent your home from warping, rot, mold, and mildew caused by water damage.
So, if your sump pump is more than 5 years old, you should consider replacing it. Even if your sump pump is relatively new, a sump pump alarm system is a great way to receive a heads-up when your sump pump is damaged or unable to keep up. In areas with high water tables that see a lot of flooding, consider adding a backup sump pump for an extra layer of protection. Note that you will want to install the sump basin in a location that works well for both the Radon vent pipe and the water discharge. A float switch simply tells the sump pump motor to stop once the water level becomes too low.
Sump pumps are most commonly used when basements regularly flood, and also to solve issues associated with dampness (again, if the basement is located below the water table level). There are a few ways the water may enter the sump pump: it enters by funneling into the pump through the designated perimeter drains in a basement’s system of waterproofing, or by gravity because of ground water or rain fall, if the basement happens to be below the water table level. Usually, sump pumps are installed in specially constructed sump pits.
In November 2008, the Grand Forks Herald reported icy patches on the streets of Grand Forks, N.D. But it wasn’t because of wintry precipitation: The problem came from sump-pump runoff meeting subfreezing temperatures source: Grand Forks Herald But in spite of the trouble they caused for pedestrians and motorists, the sump pumps were doing an important job of their own – keeping basements from flooding. Sump pumps work best in situations where the potential for water damage is more extensive than those that can be handled with simple drains. Sump pumps are a drainage option for removing water from your yard in situations where the problem is too big to be handled with French drains or surface drains.
Drainage options, including sump pumps, can save your lawn and your home from being affected by water. A sump pump sits in a basement or other low-lying area; it pumps out water that collects in the catch basin. We also have an interior sump pump installed in the basement that is connected to the interior form-a-drain.
Our foundation contractor installed an exterior sump pump 2-3′ feet below slab elevation, connected to an exterior foundation drain (exterior form-a-drain). Solutions depend on your budget, but you can install two sump pumps if you want, or a battery backup system, or a sump pump alarm. We then asked someone from a basement waterproofing company (for a second opinion) and he wanted to run a pipe from the drain under the basement and put the sump pump in the basement.
Others are dedicated sump pumps that ideally are installed in a basement permanently even if they’re technically portable versions with carry handles. A backup sump pump is designed to run on battery power which is regularly charged up. The idea is that it can provide sufficient power to operate a sump pump for a limited period of time in the event that the power goes out. Sewer vs. Storm Drain: In the past, sump pumps were just piped into the existing sewer line running out from the house.
The sump pump, which is triggered by a float switch, removes the water by pumping it to the nearest storm drain, dry well or detention pond. A sump pump is a submersible pump that sits at the bottom of a sump pit, which is typically installed at the lowest point in your basement or crawl space. There are two types of sump pumps commonly installed in houses. Be sure to visit sump pump shop for the best outdoor sump pumps on the market to buy.
Without a drain tile system, a sump pit and pump is most effective if it can be positioned in the precise low spot in the basement where water naturally collects.