SUMP PUMPS AND BACKWATER VALVES
Sump pumps are extremely effective at controlling water, then redirecting it out of your basement.
A sump pump is a highly effective way of redirecting water away from the foundation and footings of your home, ensuring your basement stays dry while others are getting flooded.
A sump pump is usually installed so that the weeping tile system that surrounds the perimeter of the house has a place to drain.
This is very important since the old method of draining a weeping tile was to connect it to your drainage system – which is deteriorating and cannot keep up with the huge rainfalls that we are now seeing. This will almost guarantee that your house would eventually get flooded if not addressed properly.
WHY SHOULD YOU INSTALL A SUMP PUMP AND BACKWATER VALVE?
The global climate is ever changing. Heavy rains and snowfalls are overwhelming the aging sewer infrastructure, and the result has been major flooding in area homes.
Residential basements have been particularly impacted. There has been little the homeowner can do to protect their homes against such extreme weather-related flooding.
In 2013 the insurance industry spent almost $1 billion repairing clients’ basements and replacing possessions.
The good news – there is a solution to keep basements dry and avoid any property damage or loss. Canada Waterproofers Mississauga will give you a free assessment of the work needed for your home. We’ll show you how to protect your property from any future flooding with the latest in flood protection technology.
SUMP PUMP INSTALLATION PROCESS
When a sump pump is installed the old weeping tile connection to the city sewer is severed. That will help avoid flooding.
We also highly recommend installing a sewer back-up valve (backwater valve) to protect you from sewage coming back from the city.
The pump is installed inside the basement, along the wall – as long as there is a place to discharge the water (so the water doesn’t flow back into the house). Our crews will excavate, remove and dispose of the soil, and install a water tank (also called a sump liner).
We’ll then set up a connection from the existing weeping tile (or the new weeping tile, if installed) to the side of the tank. We’ll encase the tank with gravel (3/4″ clear), re-cement around the tank, install a submersible pump, then test the system (discharge water to the exterior). If all checks out and meets our standards, a lid is then put on the tank, bolted down, and you are good to go.
A sump pump consists of three main features:
- Tank that holds the water that is drained from a weeping tile
- A pump that pushes the water up and out of the basement to a drainage point
- There is also a third feature that can be added to the sump pump – a battery back-up system and alarm
BATTERY BACK-UP
This system consists of a separate pump that runs off a marine battery, so in the case of a power failure or a primary pump failure, the back-up pump will automatically switch on. The back-up device can continue to pump water out of your basement without the aid of the main power for up to 24 hours.
The battery system also includes an alarm that automatically switches on every time the battery pump kicks in, so you’ll be aware when the main pump is not functioning.
The battery back-up pump is very effective. We highly recommend that you install one if you are planning to have a sump pump installed.
WATER-POWER BACK-UP
There is also another back-up pump that can be installed, powered by your water supply. Like fighting fire with fire, water turns the pump turbine which then pumps water out of your basement.
The really good thing about this pump is that there is not a time limit as to how long it will run. As long as your water supply is on then the pump will keep on pumping.
But like everything there is one catch to this pump.
You need a minimum 3/4″ water supply line from the city that comes into your house in order for the pump to work correctly. If you have the supply line, and it’s close to your sump pump, then this is the ideal way to go, as it’s one of the most reliable pumps on the market and doesn’t require any power.
