How Can You Stop The Sump Pit In Your Basement From Filling Up With Water And Flooding?
Sump pumps prevent water from collecting near your home's foundation, making them a vital part of basement waterproofing. When the ground near your foundation becomes saturated with rainwater, it will flow into a sump pit that's located in the lowest part of your basement. When the sump pit fills up, the sump pump will turn on and divert the water outside your home or into your home's sewer line.
If the sump pit in your basement fills up with water too quickly for your sump pump to handle, however, then your basement will flood. This can cause severe water damage to your basement. It's also a hassle to deal with, since you'll need to go down into your basement with buckets in order to collect and remove all the water that's pooling on the floor. If your sump pit is frequently filling with water and flooding during heavy rains, read on to learn what you can do in order to stop it.
Improve Drainage Around Your Foundation
One of the best ways to stop your sump pit from flooding is to make sure your foundation has excellent drainage. Installing French drains around your foundation, for example, will reduce the amount of water that enters your sump pit. With less water entering the pit through the soil, your sump pump will have an easier time keeping the water level in the pit low during heavier rains.
If your sump pump drains outside of your home instead of into your sewer line, you should also make sure that the water is being discharged to an area that slopes away from your foundation. This prevents the water from simply returning back to the sump pit after it has been pumped out.
Dig Your Sump Pit Deeper
Digging your sump pit deeper is a good solution to stop it from flooding during short, heavy rains. A deep pit can hold a larger volume of water, which gives your sump pump some extra time to empty it after the rains have stopped. Making your sump pit deeper is also an inexpensive way to stop flooding, since it doesn't require you to replace your sump pump or install drainage improvements on your property.
Replace Your Sump Pump With a More Powerful One
If your sump pit is flooding frequently, you most likely need a more powerful sump pump. If you have a pedestal sump pump that sits above your sump pit, you may need to replace it with a submersible pump that sits in the pit itself. Submersible sump pumps are able to remove more water from the pit since they don't have to fight as hard against gravity. Replacing your sump pump with a more powerful one allows it to remove a larger volume of water from your sump pit, preventing it from flooding.
Install a Backup Sump Pump
One downside of replacing your sump pump with a more powerful one is that powerful sump pumps use more electricity. If you have enough room in your basement, installing a backup sump pump is often a more energy-efficient option. A backup sump pump only turns on when the water level in the pit is very high, so you'll only use more electricity when it's absolutely necessary to prevent your sump pit from flooding. Having a second sump pump also gives you extra protection if your first one suddenly fails, so it's a very good solution to prevent flooding if you have enough space in your basement for a second sump pump.
Using a combination of methods will give you the best protection against basement flooding. Improving drainage on your property, making your sump pit deeper and installing a backup sump pump will give you the maximum amount of protection since you'll benefit from having another sump pump if your first one stops working during heavy rains.
To find out which solution is best for you, it's a good idea to contact a basement waterproofing contractor that's familiar with the water table and rainfall in your area—they'll be able to tell you the quickest and least expensive way to make sure your sump pit doesn't flood.
Contact a local contractor to learn more about sump pump replacement and waterproofing.