Crawl Space Repair Solutions: Sump Pump
A vital part of a sealed crawl space is a reliable sump pump system. Without one, your crawl space will still be vulnerable to groundwater, as well as unnoticed plumbing leaks.
A sump pump will make it much easier for you to remove water from the crawl space, no matter how it enters. That’s why you need to install your crawl space sump pump early in the process.
Custom-Designed Crawl Space Sump Pump
Crawl spaces often remain wet for days, weeks, and even months without the homeowner realizing there’s a water problem. With the AquaStop Sump Pump System, you have the comfort of knowing you’re protected.
Along with two cast-iron/cast aluminum Pro Series Sump Pumps, your system can be customized to includes a floor drain to collect water from plumbing leaks, an AquaStop® Water Alarm System to notify you of water in the crawl space, and a Power Pack Back-up Pump that can pump 13,875 gallons of water on a single charge for maximum protection.
The AquaStop™ Sump Pump System is fully compatible with our complete crawl space vapor barrier system because of its unique lid. If you have no groundwater concerns, but would still like to be protected from plumbing leaks, you may also want to consider our crawl space drain system.
Understanding How Sump Pumps Work
One of the first things that many people wonder about sump pumps is how they work. Even if you already have a crawl space sump pump, you might not know how it works. Understanding this is crucial if you want to fully understand your home’s crawl space.
- The Mechanics
A sump pump takes in water, then pumps it out to an external drainage system. You can install a sump pump in your crawl space or your basement. The drainage system goes outside, distributing the water back out in a way that encourages it not to accumulate around the home.
The exact ways in which the device pumps the water out varies depending on the type of machine you have. For the most part, it’ll use a mechanical approach of pumping out water, which means the device will typically plug into the wall, often with a battery backup in case of a power outage. All you need to know is that it pumps water out of the space.
- Reasons to Invest in a Sump Pump
There are many reasons that most people will tell you to invest in a sump pump. The sump pump makes it easy for you to stop worrying about water accumulation in your crawl space. Standing water is never a good thing and a sump pump effectively removes that problem.
Most crawl spaces can benefit from this machine, as can any basements. The exact sump pump you choose may vary depending on the size of the crawl space or basement, as well as the regularity with which you’ll likely run the pump. An expert will be able to help you choose the perfect model.
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What Can a Sump Pump Do to Help with Crawl Space Water?
The good news is that a sump pump can help you with crawl space water problems. Here are the different ways in which a sump pump can make your crawl space safer and healthier.
- Pump Out Floodwater
If floodwater does get into your crawl space, you need some way to get it out. As a matter of fact, in some areas that are prone to flooding, flood vents are encouraged, as they allow water to flow through your crawl space rather than build up significant amounts of force by battering against your crawl space walls.
However, if you’re going to have flood vents, you also need some way to make sure the floodwater leaves your crawl space once the flood is over. Otherwise, you’re just going to have standing water in your crawl space all the time. A sump pump is one of the best ways to make sure floodwater doesn’t stay in the crawl space.
- Help with Unexpected Leaks
Unexpected leaks are something you should try to make as expected as possible. Essentially, while you may never know when these leaks will occur, you should expect to have internal leaks at some point. That means installing a sump pump to help you with the water when internal leaks occur.
Internal leaks can be frustrating enough to deal with on their own. You don’t also want to have to worry about where the water from that internal leak will go. When you have a sump pump as a backup, you’ll be able to worry about the other elements of an internal and unexpected leak rather than having to worry about removing the water.
FAQs About a Crawl Space Sump Pump
Because a sump pump will pump water out of your crawl space, you might wonder whether it can fix your waterproofing problems. Remember, a crawl space sump pump is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Because it removes standing water, it can help you avoid waterlogging and other moisture problems. Standing water of any type in your crawl space, even if it’s only a little bit, can be extremely detrimental. You need to make sure that you’re removing that standing water as quickly as possible.
Most importantly, you should remember that a sump pump is a valuable part of fixing certain waterproofing elements, but not all of them. If you’re having regular issues with standing water in your crawl space, a sump pump can help resolve the symptoms but should be paired with other measures. For example, an interior drain will often be able to connect directly to the sump pump, allowing you to drain water off more effectively. With these two things combined, you can tackle many waterproofing concerns.
Crawl space encapsulation should be something you pursue, especially if you’re experiencing chronic issues with standing water or if you have a dirt crawl space. However, you can’t assume that putting down a crawl space vapor barrier will fix your problems well enough to avoid adding a sump pump.
You’ll likely want to lay down a crawl space vapor barrier, add crawl space vent covers if you have open crawl space vents, and possibly include a crawl space dehumidifier. Additionally, for many crawl spaces, a sump pump is one of the elements of encapsulation. With a sump pump, you’ll be able to pump out water no matter how it gets into the area. Even with encapsulation, there are still many ways water can get into the crawl space, and a sump pump protects against that. You can’t just choose one or the other. You’ll likely choose both.
If you’ve started to look into a crawl space sump pump, you might wonder whether you could DIY the installation process. Sadly, buying, setting up, and placing a sump pump is rather complicated. When you try to DIY the process, you’ll notice one crucial problem pretty quickly: you don’t have a lot of experience with this. That means there are many places for you to mess up, which you’ll discover very quickly.
If you’re looking to add a crawl space sump pump into your crawl space or you want to upgrade your current model, your best bet is to talk to a Groundworks crawl space repair expert. They’ll be able to do an inspection, look at what’s going on in your crawl space, and recommend a solution. That’s a hands-on way to fix the problem. Schedule an appointment with Groundworks today to learn more about your crawl space health options.
Install a Crawl Space Sump Pump Today with an Expert’s Help
Especially if you don’t have a sump pump at all in your crawl space, you must install one as soon as possible.
Groundworks has plenty of experience with installing crawl space sump pumps. No matter what you’re looking for or what you already have in your crawl space, a Groundworks crawl space repair expert will make it even easier for you to keep your crawl space safe and dry. Talk to a Groundworks expert today to learn more about your options for crawl space sump pumps and other methods of crawl space repair.