Basements, Attics and Crawl Spaces - Basement sump with no pump...
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Thinkly
10-23-09, 08:44 AM
I have been in my "new" home since June. The house was built in 2001 and has a sump in the basement that is fed by drain tile on the perimiter of the basement. (at least that is what i have been told)
Today was the first time i ever looked in it and i saw about 1" of water in the bottom of it. It looks like the bottom is covered in sand and i presume this will gradually drain?
Regardless, do I need to have a pump in this sump?
Today was the first time i ever looked in it and i saw about 1" of water in the bottom of it. It looks like the bottom is covered in sand and i presume this will gradually drain?
Regardless, do I need to have a pump in this sump?
shane21
10-23-09, 10:43 AM
Not necessarily as your footer drains may gravity drain. The sump crock may have just been a junction point for all the inside footer drains to "meet" and then drain out of the foundation. If you have a gravity drainage system it is by far the better method so I would guess the sump crock was a secondary option where you could install a pump to remove water from that sump crock in case the gravity drain were ever to plug.
Most times sump pumps discharge into the same pipe as the outside footer drains so if all your footer drains are tied into one single discharge pipe then connecting your sump pump to that line would be pointless. If it's plugged bad enough the water won't gravity drain then pumping the water into the same discharge drain will not achieve the purpose of removing water from the sump crock.
If you install a sump pump as a back-up system to the gravity drain then you will need to discharge that sump pump line to a different pipe to carry it away from the foundation or dump it on the ground outside the foundation. If you choose to dump it on the ground it should only be used as a temporary system until the gravity drain is fixed.
Most times sump pumps discharge into the same pipe as the outside footer drains so if all your footer drains are tied into one single discharge pipe then connecting your sump pump to that line would be pointless. If it's plugged bad enough the water won't gravity drain then pumping the water into the same discharge drain will not achieve the purpose of removing water from the sump crock.
If you install a sump pump as a back-up system to the gravity drain then you will need to discharge that sump pump line to a different pipe to carry it away from the foundation or dump it on the ground outside the foundation. If you choose to dump it on the ground it should only be used as a temporary system until the gravity drain is fixed.
Thinkly
10-23-09, 10:52 AM
So it sounds like i have a gravity drain. There is something to go learn about.Beer 4U2
Concretemasonry
10-23-09, 10:59 AM
Are there any clues that indicate a pump may have been installed? - Look for a near-by electrical outlet (that a pump may have been plugged into), or any piping left in place when a pump was removed or an opening in the wall for a discharge.
The house may have been built in 2001 with a sump because it was cheap to do during construction. If there was no need to install one over the past 8 years, you have an idea of the present need, but could always put one in if needed.
Because the sump is there, you can buy a pump in an emergency and have it working in 10 minutes for a temporary solution and then go through all the mess of properly installing a permanent and piping for a permanent solution.
Dick
The house may have been built in 2001 with a sump because it was cheap to do during construction. If there was no need to install one over the past 8 years, you have an idea of the present need, but could always put one in if needed.
Because the sump is there, you can buy a pump in an emergency and have it working in 10 minutes for a temporary solution and then go through all the mess of properly installing a permanent and piping for a permanent solution.
Dick
Concretemasonry
10-23-09, 11:06 AM
Duplicate post from the previous.
Dick
Dick
Thinkly
10-23-09, 02:36 PM
There is sand in the bottom of the sump. The sump is fed by two corrugated pipes approx. 4" in diameter. I can tell that the moisture is coming from only one of the pipes as it is still wet inside.
There is an outlet near the pump but i think it was just put there when the house was built to power a possible pump. I see no evidence that one ever was in there.
There is an outlet near the pump but i think it was just put there when the house was built to power a possible pump. I see no evidence that one ever was in there.