Sump pumps are special equipment used to protect your basement from dampness, flooding and
leaking through a plumbing system. They also play a major role in protecting the structural integrity and the foundation of your house. In fact, they remove ground water that might have accumulated near the walls of the basement and under the basement floor slab resulting from heavy rains or flooding.
How They Work
This equipment sits above a small hole known as a sump pit or sump hole located on the floor of the basement. The hole traps any water that tries to enter the basement while the pump pumps out the trapped water through a system of piping and plumbing. The pump can drain this water either away from the foundation of the basement or into the water drainage system of the house. However, its main function is to keep the basement dry by pumping out the diverted water from the hole.
Sump pumps have floats which are used to automatically turn them off or on. When the water in the hole rises, the float also rises until it reaches a specific height where it triggers the pump to pump out the excess water. The pump pumps out water from the hole until it drops below a specific level after which the float triggers the pump to go off.
These pumps are supplied with electrical power for operation from the main electrical system of the house. However, a power backup is always critical for these machines to work especially when the main electrical system fails to work, or during flooding and storms when electricity go out often. They work well with batteries, but if you are not comfortable with having a battery in the basement of your house, you can get some pumps that are run off the water pressure in the house.
Sump pumps can be bought depending on the number of water gallons they can pump per hour or the horsepower rating. However, the size of your basement does not determine how large a sump pump can be. Instead, the size of the pump depends on the depth of the water table from your house, the amount of rain and flooding, and the quality of your lawn grading and gutter.
Sump pumps are very essential in areas that have high water table. However, you will require a professional plumber to install the pump and the plumbing system because it needs to be connected properly to a drainage system.
Robinson Plumbing is a local, family owned company. We offer both residential and commercial plumbing services. Our quality service is fast, clean, and available 24/7.