What Exactly is a Sump Pump?
A sump pump is a pump used to remove water that has accumulated in a pit commonly found in the home basement to collect water called a sump pit. The water may enter via the perimeter drains of a basement waterproofing system, funneling into the pit or because of rain or natural ground water, if the basement is below the water table level. Sump pumps are used where basement flooding happens regularly and to ameliorate dampness where the water table is above the foundation of a home. Sump pumps send water away from a house to any place where it is no longer problematic, such as a municipal storm drain or a dry well. Pumps may be connected to the sanitary sewer in older properties. Now, this practice may be against the plumbing code or at least municipal bylaws because it can overwhelm the municipal sewage treatment system. Usually hardwired into a home’s electrical system, sump pumps may have a battery backup. The home’s pressurized water supply powers some pumps, eliminating the need fo