Basement Sump Pump
Submersible Sump Pump
Sump Pump Battery Backup
Backup Sump Pump
Water Powered Sump Pump
Dry Sump Pump
Basement Sump Pump
Basement Sump Pump
A basement sump pump is one of several items in our homes that many of us seem to forget about that does require some upkeep from time to time. Usually it’s not until we come home to find several inches of standing water in our basements and some of our belongings have become soaked and water damaged, that we remember our basement sump pump.
Like any other appliance in your home, a basement sump pump requires seasonal maintenance to ensure proper year around trouble free performance. A good rule of thumb would be to check the operation of your basement sump pump at least twice a year; it only takes a few minutes to test your basement sump pump system.
This includes the battery backup on your basement sump pump, assuming you have installed a sump pump battery backup option.
We do highly recommend that homeowners install sump pump battery backup systems by the way. They may cost a little more than your average submersible sump pump, but we look at it as a cheap form of insurance. If you think about it, most of the emergency use of your basement sump pump takes place during adverse weather conditions, which usually leads to power failures.
For those who may not be quite so familiar with the operation of a basement sump pump, this is a quick summary.
A basement sump pump will come in several different types. Some of these include the submersible sump pump, water powered sump pump, dry sump pump, pedestal sump pump, and the sump pump battery backup system.
A basement sump pump is designed so when the water in the sump pump basin, which is the bucket like object that the basement sump pump is lowered into, reaches a certain level, a lever or trigger is tripped which turns the pump on. This of course requires the use of electricity, or a battery backup system. The basement sump pump takes the water from the basin and moves it out of the basement or crawl space by use of the discharge line which rises out of your sump pump basin. This discharge line runs to the outside of the home and pumps the water away from the house.
Some factors you will need to keep in mind as you research basement sump pumps are:
What is the pumping capacity of your submersible or dry sump pump; that is the number of gallons per hour that the pump motor is rated at? The greater the pumping capacity, the sooner you remove the water from your basement. This is usually stated as a GPH number, and can range from 100gph to 4000gph.
If you have frequent need of a heavy duty basement sump pump system, you should look at a double pump system. That way if your primary basement sump pump fails, the backup pump will kick in. Would also recommend a ½ horse motor over a 1/6 horse motor.
The construction of the sump pumps housing, and internal parts. Cast iron housings will last longer than your typical plastic housing. The internal parts should be made of carbon and ceramic and assembled with stainless steel screws to ensure a longer operating life and to prevent corrosion. A cast iron housing basement sump pump will cost more, but it gets back to that cheap insurance we talked about earlier.
Decide if you want a submersible basement sump pump, a dry sump pump, or maybe even a pedestal sump pump. If you’re not sure of the type of sump pump you want or need, this may be a good time to consultant with a plumber, or your local hardware store. A good rule of thumb here is just to replace your basement sump pump with the same type that was already installed, but add a battery backup system, or even better yet, a double pump system with battery backup.
Throw in a sump pump alarm with your new system, and you will have ultimate in water damage prevention. Your basement sump pump alarm will signal a high water alarm once the water in the basin has reached a certain level. This alarm will also trigger if you should experience a sump pump failure.
Many people rarely spend time in their basements, and or crawl spaces, unless they have them finished off, so we don’t realize we even have a water problem unless we venture down into those areas. By that time, it’s too late; the water damage has already been done. That makes a good argument for a basement sump pump alarm system right there.
So remember, your basement sump pump is just like any other appliance in your home and requires timely maintenance.
Visually inspect your basement sump pump at least twice a year. Checking for cracks in the housing, dirt, silt and sediment build up around the motor and inlets. Check the operation of your system by taking some buckets of water and pouring it into the basin of the pump, you want to make sure the pump engages, and it is running and pumping properly.
With proper installation and regular maintenance of your basement sump pump, you will be sure to receive several years of trouble free operation and dry basements.