What is a Sump Pump?
A sump pump is usually an electric pump that is placed in the basement of a home, and used to pump water from the basement to outside the home. Sometimes sump pumps drain the water into the house’s drainage pipe system, and sometimes they simply pump the water outside. Sump pumps normally work in combination with a sump pit. The sump pit is simply a hole dug into the ground, generally in the basement of a house, which allows water to collect into it. The sump pump then pumps the water out of that sump pit hole. A sump pump is most often used in cases where the house’s basement is below the water table level, and in places where flooding is common. Sometimes sump pumps are also used if the bottom level of a house is below sewer lines. Sump pumps can be useful, particularly as a precaution, in almost any area though, for all homes which have basements. When rain comes and the soil around your home’s foundation gets wet, that water can leak into the basement. And even just an inch or so o
A sump pump keeps the space beneath your basement, and your basement itself, from flooding during excessive storms. The sump is a small reservoir under your basement that is meant to fill when groundwater levels rise, instead of letting the water seep into the basement and cause damage. Using a sump pump to move that water forces it up to ground level far enough away from your house to properly drain. Many houses in wet climates are built with a sump that drains the basement and the area under the footings of the foundation of excess water. The sump collects water flowing in, as during storm flooding, as well as water rising up from a saturated ground supply. Installing a sump pump ensures that whether water comes from above or below, your basement will remain dry and structurally sound. Standing water in a basement is not only inconvenient, but over time it can begin to affect the integrity of your foundation. There are two main kinds of sump pump. The submersible variety combines the
