The cellar of the house I grew up in was dry and tight… for the first ten years. That kind of lulled the family into a false sense of security.
Eventually some serious weather stuck around for too many days, and water found its way through the wall or the floor. Lots of stuff had to be throw out that never needed to be at risk. It was lots of work. And it was expensive to replace some of those items.
You might see the same possibilities for disaster in your own basement – cardboard boxes of summer clothes and old financial documents on the floor. The furnace and hot water tank sitting low on the concrete. Power mowers and large paintings. Not to mention computers and monitors, televisions, and all manner of electrically-powered devices not meant to be drenched in moisture.
Imagine pouring a couple of thousands gallons of water on the floor. Now how do things look?
My father had a square-foot-sized hole dug and lined with concrete in a corner and installed a sump pump that would start automatically when it sensed water and pump it outside. I'm not sure the cellar ever leaked again, but my father was ready for it.
A sump pump is a last line of defense, if water does get through the barriers you have in
place. Even thoughtfully designed and well-constructed houses are vulnerable to water intrusion in their cellars.
A Sinking Feeling
"We've had customers who lived in a neighborhood for 40 years without water problems, and then something changes in the neighborhood and they start having problems," says Steve Andras, owner of Pioneer Basement in Westport, noting that construction projects in a neighborhood can shift underground water flow patterns.
Water in the basement is annoying in so many ways. Cleaning up is time-consuming and dispiriting. A proper fix is going to cost you some money. And if you plan to sell the house in the future, a leaky basement is going to reduce the value of your home.
Despite the potential for water problems, most homes with cellars don't have sump pumps. One of my family members who until recently built houses for a company on the South Coast says sump pumps weren't installed as a matter of course, and rarely did homeowners request them if a house was being planned.
Steve Andras explains, "The builder has to warranty the house for water leakage for one year, so they take the risk," though custom builders offer sump pump systems to the homeowner as an option.
Spec home builders also shy away from providing sump pumps because they create negative impression in the minds of prospective buyers.
Water can get into a basement in many ways, through the walls, through the floor, through the joint between the walls and floor. I've had the pleasure of mopping up after a clogged overhead pipe dumped sewage onto the cellar floor.
On most houses with basements, the outside surfaces of the foundation is slathered with tar to prevent water from wicking through the concrete, but even a tiny gap in the coverage or a developing crack gives water a way to get in.
Some foundations feature drainage around the outside of the foundation called French drains. A French drain is a perforated PVC pipe covered by a layer of filter fabric that is buried in a bed of gravel, so that water can flow away from the house with little resistance. French drains are likely to become more inefficient as the years pass and more sediment works its way into the pipe.
So we're back to the sump pump. If you're willing to wait till the water actually penetrates, keep on hand a couple of small, submersible pumps that can be set on the floor and attached to a hose long enough to move the water well away from your house.
These small pumps are available at hardware stores, but rest assured they'll be sold out if you need one when everyone is being hit by bad weather. And if you try to borrow one you'll find your friends are already dealing with their own water crises. For $150-200 each they're a good investment to make before you have problems.
Installation Advocation
Put the pump at the low spot in your basement--you'll probably know where this is after having spent hours brooming water toward a pump in that spot during your last crisis.
You may prefer a sump pump system that offers full-time protection. Ideally you want a sump pump that will take a lickin' and keep on tickin', which of course costs more money. If you're on vacation in Florida for two weeks in February, gloating about the major storm you just missed, you don't want to be paralyzed by anxiety a few days later when the temps on the South Coast go up to 55, everything is melting rapidly, and you don't have someone regularly checking your house. A proper sump pump will turn on and off as needed, work through a power outage if you have a battery backup, and be tough enough to operate for years without failing.
It turns out an open sump pit is a Pandora's box of potential problems. "A pump should always have an enclosed cover," Steve Andras says, noting that open sump pits have proved dangerous to both children and pets. Pits also let in radon gas from beneath the foundation.
Most of all, a cover helps control basement humidity.
Humidity is more insidious than outright flooding. Humidity contributes to mold or rot or mildew, which also encourages insects to move in. And the basement humidity eventually gets sucked up into the upstairs areas, which can provoke allergies and produce unpleasant odors.
A good dehumidifier works hand-in-hand with a sump pump in keeping a basement dry and comfortable. Dehumidifiers help keep the humidity under control, but a dehumidifier placed next to an open pit will simply pull from the endless supply of moisture coming out of the ground, adding to the problem. A sump pit cover helps prevent moisture from getting into the basement.
Realizing the importance of controlling humidity, in 2006 Andras created a company called Grate Products (www.grateproducts.com), which manufactures its own pit liners, covers, and related items.
Permanent sump pumps come in two types, pedestal pumps and submersible pumps. Each has its advantages. In most circumstances, Andras favors submersible pumps because the water cools them when they're in operation, helping to lengthen their lifespan.
"Generally, we see a lifespan of five to seven years for a pump. If your stuff in the basement is valuable, replace it closer to five years," he says.
Inverter and backup batteries are options on sump pump systems. Some homeowners choose to go with multiple pumps. And "since the pump is always in or near water, it's a good idea to have a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) on the outlet to prevent accidental electrocution," warns the HowStuffWorks website.
Permitting is another consideration when planning a sump pump. Not all towns require permits, and in many towns homeowners can install a sump pump themselves without permits, while professionals require a permit.
Where pumped water flows to is another important consideration. If the pump is tied into a city sewage system it will likely require a plumbing permit, but if it discharges outside, it doesn't require a plumbing permit. However, more and more cities are having issues with pumping water into the street. If the water freezes on the street and can be shown to be the cause of an accident or problem, the homeowner may be liable.
If you're looking to a professional to install your sump pump, they should know what your town requires. Check with your local building officials on this one.
Also, plan to keep the outflow away from septic systems and wells.
Sump pumps require maintenance. Look for corrosion, particularly if you're near the beach and saltwater makes it into the pump. Sediment is usually suspended in the water and has to be cleaned out of the pump. Keep the sump pit clean, particularly if it's an open pit.
A sump pump is one more thing for the homeowner to spend money on, but well worth it if want a dry, clean basement.
For any further questions you may have, Steve Andras has a free forum at www.pioneerbasement.com where one can ask and find answers to basement waterproofing issues.