🏡 Better Homes The sump pump thread
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I don’t have a water powered pump but the way to go is exactly what you’re thinking. Mains powered primary pump, battery backup secondary, water powered tertiary.
In your case, I wouldn’t trust a battery pump if you are moving a constant flow of water.
In your case, I wouldn’t trust a battery pump if you are moving a constant flow of water.
Thankfully, previous owners of my house took care of water management issues before we even bought the place. I’ve got two pits with a primary pump each and a battery backup pump. I’ve never heard either pit pump out.
Gutters are plumbed underground all the way to the street and I’ve got two catch basins in my front yard plumbed to the street too. The whole lot is downhill from north to south. I imagine water was getting stacking up against the north end of the house and gutters draining right at the house wasn’t doing any favors either.
Carpet/paneling/wood bar in basement is all water damage free and 20ish years old. I’m pretty confident the house is all good at this point.
Gutters are plumbed underground all the way to the street and I’ve got two catch basins in my front yard plumbed to the street too. The whole lot is downhill from north to south. I imagine water was getting stacking up against the north end of the house and gutters draining right at the house wasn’t doing any favors either.
Carpet/paneling/wood bar in basement is all water damage free and 20ish years old. I’m pretty confident the house is all good at this point.
I actually have a reminder in my calendar today that I last installed the sump pump 5 years ago and it’s time to buy another one for backup purposes
Your post actually reminds me that my battery on my battery backup is probably 5yrs old. I might want to replace it this year
Good point. I’m sure I bought the cheapest battery to ever exist too so I should add that to the list as well
I remember working for a waterproofing company back in 2007/08ish and there was one house I remember in particular in Barrington Hills. House was literally built on a area of water. The guy had 5 or 6 basins with each having a pump and backup and we were going to install another pump in one of the basins. It was nothing but constant flow of water.
I had to route my three downspout gutters to the front of my house where there is an incline to help my pump. The 4 inch black plastic tube is not the prettiest but now my front lawn has benefited from the extra water. Best lawn on the street candidate. I run a 1HP stainless steel pump from Lowes that has been the difference for me. No back up battery. I live dangerously like that…
I live on a hill and have a nice slope so i never thought I would have water issues. The neighbor to the east of me is on higher ground and his sump pump and downspout both discharge down the hill towards my place. The north and west side of my house has Egress windows with no window well because the ground is that low over there.
The east side of my house must be close to the water table, as my pump runs a lot. So if I ever build a house, it's going to be on a hill, and a giant ranch. Then put up a pole barn for the workout area and additional storage needs. Fuck water issues with a basement.
I STILL go walk around the basement every time it rains with a flashlight looking for leaks. Once we get through a full year of being in this place I’ll ease up
We made the call to finish our basement 5 years back. Had US Waterproofing come and address any and all issues. Basement is finished, laying down trim and boom, heavy ass rain. I walk in the workout room and the floor is the 3/4" foam/dense floor and it kinda gave moved under my feet. I ripped up a tile, as they're just click and lock in place, and I saw water. The contractor was over, so we started ripping them up and found the sump basin backing up. Go outside and rip off the pipes and force the water out. Plumber comes out and tells me when the house was built, they ran 2" pvc out of the house, and all the way to the storm drain, and it was not the 2" out of the house to a 3-4" pipe with an air gap (to prevent the very hydrolock situation we had).
Paid a bunch of money to dig it up, fix it outside, and all was well. Thankfully the water was contained to the workout room side and just lost 2 days letting the concrete dry before putting the floor back together again.
Then about 6 months later.... we had that rain - "Five hundred year flood" shit. Water was pouring in through my window wells. That one fucked me on the workout room and the mancave. Thankfully minimized water damage to 2" all around. So had to have the carpets ripped up and replaced, 2' drywall and insulation cut out and replaced, and NONE of the furniture got damaged, as it we were feverishly squeegeeing water into the sump basin.
Paid a bunch of money to have the yard measured, graded, etc. and all was well. Then we had another 500 year flood rain, and I saw it getting close to the window wells again, so I went to Ace, bought a pick axe, and dug from the back corner of the house, and from my neighbors (she's higher than me and all the water from her comes to me) and Y'd the two together, and trenched to the front yard so now all of the water drains out onto sidewalk, then to the street.
Paid a bunch of money to dig it up, fix it outside, and all was well. Thankfully the water was contained to the workout room side and just lost 2 days letting the concrete dry before putting the floor back together again.
Then about 6 months later.... we had that rain - "Five hundred year flood" shit. Water was pouring in through my window wells. That one fucked me on the workout room and the mancave. Thankfully minimized water damage to 2" all around. So had to have the carpets ripped up and replaced, 2' drywall and insulation cut out and replaced, and NONE of the furniture got damaged, as it we were feverishly squeegeeing water into the sump basin.
Paid a bunch of money to have the yard measured, graded, etc. and all was well. Then we had another 500 year flood rain, and I saw it getting close to the window wells again, so I went to Ace, bought a pick axe, and dug from the back corner of the house, and from my neighbors (she's higher than me and all the water from her comes to me) and Y'd the two together, and trenched to the front yard so now all of the water drains out onto sidewalk, then to the street.
No way, Jose. I paid out of pocket, that house is getting sold with no issues
Previous owner of my place put in a sump and a bunch drain tile in the basement. Guessing someone conned her good because When I was looking at the sump after I moved in I realized the sump pump was not even plugged in. It never fills up more than 5”. The only water that goes in there is from the water softer when it does a regen. The whole neighborhood is on an old mill pond so the soil is all gravel and sand under the topsoil so everything drains super fast when it rains.
The only moisture issue in the basement was because the old lady didn’t use the AC ever. On hot humid summer days everything in the basement would sweat like a glass of ice water in the summer. It was nasty. Before I had the AC replaced I was running a dehumidifier which cleared up all the moisture issues.
The only moisture issue in the basement was because the old lady didn’t use the AC ever. On hot humid summer days everything in the basement would sweat like a glass of ice water in the summer. It was nasty. Before I had the AC replaced I was running a dehumidifier which cleared up all the moisture issues.
We got about and 1 1/2 of rain. Decent but no 500 year flood shit. The water has no where to go right now and the ditches and fields have standing water.
100 year old house with 2 sumps and live near a quarry so the water table is pretty high. Pumps have been running steadily since the rain yesterday, and do so after most measurable rainstorms. The more frequent 100 year rains have been fun. Backyard turns into a swimming pool and numerous streams of water in the west portion of my basement floor and lower walls. A prior owner had drain tiles put in the east half that flow into the sump pits.
I’ve corrected and re-routed some gutters to drain further away from the house, and used hydraulic cement to patch the leaks in the basement. Always find new leaks after that although much smaller. At some point I will install drain tile in the rest of the basement, thrown around the idea of a 3rd sump in the west part to be extra safe, likely overkill though.
I’m a corner lot and my backyard is lower than my neighbors to the north and street to the south. The water gets upwards of a 6-8 inches at its deepest spot. It’s more of a nuisance since it buts up to the basement foundation that have drain tiles. Thought about putting a pit back there to pump out the water, not sure their technical name. Also want to regrade the yard to remove the low spot at the foot of my deck steps and help with better drainage.
Pics below are from the first 100 year rain we experienced here in 2017. It hasn’t been that bad since.
I’ve corrected and re-routed some gutters to drain further away from the house, and used hydraulic cement to patch the leaks in the basement. Always find new leaks after that although much smaller. At some point I will install drain tile in the rest of the basement, thrown around the idea of a 3rd sump in the west part to be extra safe, likely overkill though.
I’m a corner lot and my backyard is lower than my neighbors to the north and street to the south. The water gets upwards of a 6-8 inches at its deepest spot. It’s more of a nuisance since it buts up to the basement foundation that have drain tiles. Thought about putting a pit back there to pump out the water, not sure their technical name. Also want to regrade the yard to remove the low spot at the foot of my deck steps and help with better drainage.
Pics below are from the first 100 year rain we experienced here in 2017. It hasn’t been that bad since.
I am considering one of these battery back up systems. I currently have one battery and a Zoller Aqua Not 508 but the gallons per hours is very weak compared to a normal pump. The back up system I linked to would keep my regular pump going during a power outage.
www.sumppumpsdirect.com
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Also after flooding a couple of times due to my sump pump taking a shit and having a full finished basement.
I now keep probably 20-25 pieces of 2x4's cut into 3"-4" pieces in the basement closet. Last time we flooded thats the only thing that saved my furniture and bar.
Lifted everything up and set on top of the cut pieces of 2x4.
I now keep probably 20-25 pieces of 2x4's cut into 3"-4" pieces in the basement closet. Last time we flooded thats the only thing that saved my furniture and bar.
Lifted everything up and set on top of the cut pieces of 2x4.
I replaced my home builders pump a few years ago and put in a bull dog battery back up and Coleman pump. I have set up where I can remove the pump in 2 min and re install the builders pump just in case. Just for extra ins
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