Prevent Basement Flooding With a Sump Pump
3 pros!
Worried about basement flooding? Along with keeping up on leak repairs, you may need a sump pump.
While nothing takes the place of basement waterproofing, a sump pump can suck up water that intermittently seeps into your basement.
“Every basement should have either one of two water evacuation systems in place from original construction,” says Dean Teaster, owner of Mr. Sponge Waterproofing in Novi, Michigan. “Either a sump pump, or a storm drain system with a clean out.”
If water seeps in and doesn’t drain properly, it might be time to consider a new pump system.
Assess your need for a sump pump
“One should consider a sump pump at the first signs of moisture on the concrete basement floor,” says John Sferra, owner Sferra Waterproofing in Akron, Ohio.
Whether you need a sump pump may depend, in part, on where the water comes in.
“If it is a simple leak from a crack on the wall, you can just seal it without a sump pump,” says Mike Lo, president of B-Dry in Racine, Wisconsin, which provides basement waterproofing and installs interior drain tiles and sump pumps. “But if the leakage is from the cove joint (where floor and wall meet) or from the floor, then you need drain tiles and a sump pump.”
Two types of sump pumps
While many options exist, experts say sump pumps typically fall into two main categories: submersible and pedestal. “The submersible one has the motor submersed in the water and is quieter but harder to adjust the water level to start pumping,” Lo says. “The pedestal one has the motor above the water and is a little noisier but easier to adjust the water level to start pumping.”
So which one is right for your basement? That depends.
“If you have a very wet basement and the pump may pump constantly or frequently, buy a one-half-horsepower submersible cast iron pump,” Lo suggests. “Since the motor is submersed in water, it will not get overheated. But if your basement does not have much water, then one-third-horsepower pedestal plastic pump is fine.”
Another factor to consider: submersible pumps, by virtue of frequently being underwater, tend to have a shorter life span than pedestal pumps, averaging about 10 years compared with about twice that.
Other sump pump features to consider
The horsepower of the motor will control how much water it can remove, says Brad Curry, operations manager at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Franklin, Tennessee. Pumps frequently operate at one-third or one-half horsepower. “A licensed professional can properly size the pump for the job,” he says.
In addition, Sferra says pay attention to the gallons per hour that a pump can discharge, with 2,400 gallons being the optimal amount.
Choose cast iron over plastic for heavier duty pumping in wetter basements and look for systems with a battery backup. “Typically your pump is working at its hardest during a rain storm,” Sferra says, when chances are highest of losing power to a home.
Cost of a sump pump
“Don’t go cheap on a sump pump,” Sferra advises. What you save on the pump you could pay in multiples on water damage repairs.
Experts say costs for a pump can range from $250 to $700. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend on the high end of that range.
“There are many options to choose from and the price range is wide,” Teaster says. He calls the SJ10 SumpJet by Liberty, which averages less than $300, one of the best units around.
Installation of a sump pump
The cost for the pump is just part of the total bill. You also need to hire a professional to install it, which can run from several hundred to more than $1,000.
“We charge $550 to $650 to install a sump pump,” Lo says. Almost any job can be DIYed by a hyper-handy homeowner, but experts suggest that most homeowners would do better to call in a pro on this involved job, which — among other things — routinely involves cutting into a concrete floor.
Hire a licensed plumber to do this work, or some waterproofing companies will also do installs, and expect to pay more for a submersible pump installation because it requires a concrete cut-out. As with hiring any service provider, look for a trusted contractor, and check references, Curry says.