Sump Pump Drainage Installation

The basement is the first place in your home where water will flow to, whether it be water leaking into your home from a storm or from a water line bursting. The best way to prevent water damage is to install a sump pump in your basement.

Things You'll Need

• Submersible sump pump Plastic sump pump basin Jack hammer Marker Shovel Piece of filter fabric Protective eyewear Gloves Small square of concrete (stepping stone paver) PVC pipe 90 degree PVC pipe elbow connector PVC pipe sealer Drill with hole drill bit the diameter of PVC pipe Exterior silicone caulk Hand saw Cement mix

Instructions

Installating Sump Pump Drainage

1. Place the plastic sump pump basin in an open corner of your basement. Marker an outline around the circumference of the basin onto the basement floor.

2. Jack hammer the circle pattern on the basement floor. Remove all the cement chunks from the circle area. Dig a hole with a shovel the same depth as the plastic sump pump basin. Carry the dirt outside and dispose of it or disperse it on the lawn.

3. Cover one end of the basin's end openings with a piece of filter fabric. Lower the basin, filter fabric down, into the hole. Dump the cement chunks back in the hole on top of the filter fabric and spread them out evenly to the basin walls.

4. Place the stepping stone paver on top of the cement chucks, this provides a flat area for the sump pump to sit on. Place the sump pump on the paver.

5. Drill a hole, with a hole drill bit the diameter of the PVC pipe, through the base wall rafter in your basement ceiling. The hole should be 3 to 6 inches from the bottom of the rafter. This will drill through the base rafter and the siding on your house.

6. Force a piece of PVC pipe (the PVC pipe should reach from your sump pump to just an inch below the hole you drilled to the outside of your house.) onto the rubber water outlet on the sump pump. The diameter of this rubber hose water outlet will be the deciding factor for your PVC pipe diameter size you purchase.

7. Connect the PVC pipe elbow to the top of the PVC pipe coming from the sump pump with PVC pipe sealer. Push a length of PVC pipe through the hole outside that will leave 5 feet of PVC pipe outside and connect to the elbow inside. Connect the end in your basement to the other end of the PVC pipe elbow with PVC pipe sealer.

8. Put silicone caulk around the PVC-pipe-drilled hole both on the inner basement wall and around the hole on the siding outside.

9. Pour cement mix around the chunky, choppy area around the sump pump basin and smooth it out a couple inches onto your basement floor to blend it together with your current floor.

10. Plug the cord from your sump pump into a standard 110V outlet. You may need to use an extension cord as basements seem to have very few outlets.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear protective eyewear and gloves.