Sump pump installation

Drainage collects the water. The sump pump is what gets it out of the building.

How a sump system works

A basin is set into the floor at the low point of the drainage system. Water arriving through the perimeter pipe collects there. When the level rises, a float switch starts the pump, which pushes the water up a discharge line and outside, away from the foundation. When the level drops, the pump shuts off.

What we look at

• Basin size and placement — too small a basin means the pump short-cycles and wears out faster
• Pump capacity — matched to how much water your basement actually produces
• The switch — the most common single point of failure in an older sump
• Check valve — keeps discharged water from running straight back down into the basin
• The discharge line — where it exits, whether it can freeze, and how far from the foundation it releases
• Backup options — battery backup keeps a pump running through a power outage, which in this region often happens during exactly the storm that needs it most

Signs your existing pump needs attention

• It runs constantly, or cycles on and off rapidly
• It's noisy, vibrating, or the motor stalls
• Water stands in the basin without the pump starting
• The discharge line freezes or dumps water right next to the house
• There's no backup and the basement floods when the power goes out