What Is a Sump Pump?

Listening to a summer rain shower is like listening to music. It is calming and relaxing--until it has rained so long, the calm turns to worry as puddles turn into lakes and creeks into raging rivers. People who live in flood zones rarely have basements, but even a crawlspace should stay dry with the help of a good sump pump in case the floodwaters rise high enough to enter under the house.

History

Houses used to be built on lots where the ground was not totally flat. The home builder used this to his advantage to drain water away from the house using simple principles of gravity. A sump pit with a drain pipe leading outside was often built into the floor of the basement to allow groundwater to seep in and drain away without the floor ever getting wet. Other systems were also used, but all without electric pumps. Today, people use electric water pumps to force the water out, as the engineering involved to create a drainage system simply with gravity is too complex and expensive with modern building lots.

Geography

Flooding is usually a concern for people living in high groundwater areas, coastal and river plains as well as low-lying areas. Homes in the Northeast quadrant of the United States generally have basements with sump pumps installed. Other areas that normally never had basements but now are including crawl spaces beneath their homes also install sump pumps to keep the ground water from seeping into their homes. Sump pumps are used globally in any areas where water accumulation might be a problem under the home.

Function

The way a sump pump works is very simple. A pit is dug into the floor of the basement to allow water to accumulate in one area. A water pump is set into the hole with a floating switch. When the water level rises, the switch is turned on and the water is pumped from the pit into either the municipal sewer or into a pipe that leads out and away from the house. It creates a dry environment where damp conditions would normally prevail.

Types

"Sump" refers to a below ground well or pit. There are hand pumped simple mechanisms that will remove small amounts of water, such as those used in boats. Usually when sump pumps are talked about, most people refer to two types: a submerged pump or a pedestal pump. Both have an electric motor and a float switch. The difference between the two is one sits above ground and has a pipe that goes down to the bottom of the pit, while the other has a watertight housing and sits at the bottom of the pit or well.

Features

Draining the water from the sump pump pit is another major decision during installation. Some plumbers install the pump directly to the municipal sewer system to drain the water away from the surrounding area. This practice is against building codes in areas where flooding is a constant concern. It can be drained to an outside septic system or simply drained to an area away from and below the ground level of the basement. Sump pumps are generally wired directly into the electric grid of the home by an electrician. However, they can be installed simply by plugging them in to a close outlet and then positioning a drain hose to remove the water. Other options power options include solar energy, wind or hydropower, depending on your environment. Some homeowners drain the water into a collection tank to be filtered and used as gray water in the home.

Resources

• Sump Pump Information