As we all see on the news – or just by looking out our windows – the global climate is changing. Warming temperatures. More regular, and heavier, precipitation. Heavy rains and snowfalls are overwhelming the aging sewer infrastructure across our community. One of the unfortunate by-products of all of this has been flooding in neighbourhood homes.
The job of the sump pump, installed in the basement, is to keep the basement dry. This is “must-have” technology in the battle against water intrusion and flooding. An exterior waterproofing solution takes care of the water leak issue at its source – protective membranes across the outer walls of the home’s foundation. A sump pump has your back – just in case. It pumps water out of a sump pit or tank to an area outside the home that is non-problematic – maybe a storm drain or a dry well.
There are three parts to a sump pump – a tank that holds water that has collected from a weeping tile system, a pump that pushes the water up and out of the home, and a battery back-up system and alarm – in case a storm knocks out the power. More on that later.
SUMP PUMP INSTALLATION
Pretty straightforward – let our technicians handle it for you.
The older method of draining a weeping tile was to connect it to the home’s drainage system. But as we have said that system is older, wearing down, and is becoming more overwhelmed as weather systems change, and we see more, and heavier, rainfall.
When a sump pump is installed the old weeping tile connection to the city sewer is disconnected. That will help avoid flooding in your home.
The sump 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). The crews at Canada Waterproofers Uxbridge will excavate, remove and dispose of the soil, and install a water tank (also called a sump liner).
Next step is to set up a connection from the existing weeping tile (or the new weeping tile, if installed) to the side of the tank.
Our technicians will then 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 high standards, we’ll put a lid on the tank, bolt it down, and you are good to go.
SUMP PUMP BACK-UP SYSTEMS
There are two – a battery back-up and a water-powered system. Both ensure you have water pumping out of your house in the event the power goes out during a storm.
The battery system consists of a separate pump that runs off a marine battery. This back-up pump will automatically switch on during a power failure. It can operate without main power for up to 24 hours. There’s also an alarm, which will switch on automatically, so you know the battery-powered unit is in operation.
The water-powered one is just that – the water source to your home turns the pump turbine, which then pumps water out of your basement. With this pump there is no time limit as to how long it will run. As long as your water supply is on this pump will work.
Talk to a technician from Canada Waterproofers Uxbridge about these back-up systems.
