One of the best options for homeowners to tackle the problem of a wet basement and water damage is by using a sump pump.  A heavy duty sump pump in a sealed sump pit positioned in a home’s basement will sends water out to a more acceptable location, like a sloped lawn or a municipal storm drain. This type of high efficiency sump pump and sealed sump pit or sump liner is designed as a reservoir for excess groundwater and rainwater.

The principles at work are pretty simple: rather than keeping water out completely, a sump pump system controls how water gathers beneath your home, then pumps it out after it’s collected, while preventing moisture levels in the home to rise.

If you’ve explored other ways of keeping your basement dry – examining the grading around your home, injecting cracks and repairing any noticeable leaks or broken pipes – and are still having trouble, it might be time to consider a sump pump system.

Remember, sump pumps don’t prevent water from accumulating, but they can go a long way in controlling water in your basement. Either way, your possessions stay dry and your family’s health is not compromised, which is the point.

Many homes already have sump pits built right into the basement floor.  The problem is most of them are inadequate and cause as many problems as they solve. If this is the case, you will need to have a basement waterproofing professional install a sealed sump pit, like the ECP Sealed Sump Basin. If your home is not equipped with a sump pit, a waterproofing contractor should be able to tell you if it’s possible to retrofit your basement.

 Types of Sump Pumps

There are three types of pumps used in basements or crawl spaces:

Pedestal Sump Pump: Also referred to as a “column type” or “upright” sump pump, the pedestal sump pump has an open motor that is supported on top of a column attached to the pump casing. When installed, the motor sits outside the sump and above the basement floor. The motor is not designed to be submerged in water. This type of sump pump system cannot be sealed.

Submersible Primary Sump Pump: This pump uses a watertight motor designed to be immersed in water, and will typically kick into action when it senses that it’s become submerged. The motor is coupled directly to the sump pump casing and is designed to be completely hidden within a sealed sump pit.

Primary Sump Pump with Battery Backup: Submersible primary sump pumps with a DC battery backup pump provide the ultimate protection to homes. During heavy storms, when sump pumps are needed the most, electrical power can go out. In this case the sump pump becomes useless due to lack of power. When equipped with a battery backup, your sump pump system can continue to provide protection to your home.

A Working System

So what does a functioning high quality sump pump system look like? There are usually four key pieces:

·         A Primary Pump

·         An Emergency Backup Pump

·         An Emergency Backup Pump Alarm

·         A Sealed Sump Pit

Because homes sometimes lose power during thunderstorms – just when an operational sump pump is critical – a quality sump system employs a backup pump. Emergency battery backup pumps work when the power goes out, when the primary pump does not remove the water fast enough, or if the primary sump pump fails.

In this setup, primary pumps are powered with electricity, and backup pumps are battery powered. Using two pumps instead of one makes it unlikely that both pumps will malfunction at the same time. And with the alarm system, you’ll be able to tell when the primary pump has failed and the backup pump has to be used.

Is A Sump Pump Right For You?

Installing a new sump pump system – especially if your basement doesn’t already have a built-in sealed sump pit – is an extensive, complex job. Make sure you consult with a waterproofing expert.

 To find out more about particular pumps for your basement, or to check if a certain pump is certified, consult the Sump & Sewage Pump Manufacturers Association.

 

 

Olathe, KS., May 9, 2011 – Earth Contact Products is pleased to introduce Zoeller Sump Pumps as their latest addition to their basement waterproofing product line. Zoeller Company, the oldest independently owned U.S. pump manufacturer, continues to maintain the highest of quality standards, setting the benchmark for all other manufacturers of pumps. The combination of ECP and Zoeller gives basement waterproofing companies the ability to purchase premium products from the leading source of basement repair products.

All Zoeller pumps are time tested and quality driven. Their submersible pumps are 100% factory tested underwater for dependability from the instant they're plugged in.

Earth Contact Products, which is a manufacturer and distributor of foundation repair and basement waterproofing products, is now bringing customers one of the most well-known and reliable sump pumps in the industry.  Zoeller Pump Company, the oldest independently owned U.S. pump manufacturer, continues to maintain the highest of quality standards, setting the benchmark for all other manufacturers of sump pumps.

Earth Contact Products will offer a variety of Zoeller pumps that will include, the 1/3 hp M53, the ½ hp M98, the Basement Sentry I battery back-up and the ProPak 53 primary and battery back-up prepackaged system.“No other sump pump name is more recognizable than the Zoeller,” said Jeff Tully, General Manager of Earth Contact Products.  “We believe that working with Zoeller pumps will give us an advantage over our competition.”

 

 

There are few home projects that could be more important and potentially costly for your home than installing a basement waterproofing system. Basement remodeling projects are expensive for a reason: water damage can lead to some very steep repair costs and can significantly lower the value of your home and potentially causing health issues for your family.

Although homeowners from all areas of the country need to be concerned with proper foundation drainage, it is especially important in the Springtime, when heavy rainfall puts more stress on basement walls.   Cracks, dampness and mold on and in basement walls is primarily due to a phenomenon called hydrostatic pressure, which increases as the surrounding ground becomes saturated with rainwater. Saturated soil is much heavier than dry soil, which causes undesigned pressures on basement walls.

A good basement waterproofing system will allow excess water to be channeled away from your home's foundation, thus reducing the amount of hydrostatic pressure on your walls.  This is done using perforated footing drains, which run around the perimeter of the home and deposit excess water in a sump pit or daylighted away from the foundation.Many types of basement waterproofing systems can be installed in or around your home, and they are generally differentiated by internal and external functions.  Internal basement waterproofing systems can fix visible problems such as moist walls or mold, but they are much less effective at eliminating hydrostatic pressure than external waterproofing systems. 

While exterior systems can be more invasive, they are the one true form of waterproofing.When considering a basement waterproofing system, make sure that you get an estimate on a complete solutions, opposed to a Bandaid.  While internal basement waterproofing can be effective for many basement water problems, you should also consider proper maintenance for your footing drains and external drainage system as well.  While it may cost more to excavate and replace footing drains, it adds significant equity to the value of your home, and may stave off a potentially expensive flood or foundation repairs.

 

 

When it comes to draining water from around and under basements there is a single preferred method and a whole host of less desirable methods. This preferred method is named many things but has a few basic elements that engineers and professional waterproofing contractors prefer.

1.       Sealed System

2.       Pitched Drain Piping

3.       Cold Joint Drainage

4.       Below Slab Drainage

First of all, any plumbing system must be sealed from the living area to prevent increasing humidity levels which can lead to mold growth, higher radon levels and bacteria growth. This can be seen in many older homes which have a damp and musty cellar smell due to poor drainage and open cavities in floors and walls.

Secondly, any plumbing system must be based on the simple principal that water, among other things, flows downhill. Without positive slope, pitch, water will sit in place opposed to flowing downhill to a collection point where it can be directed away from the foundation.

Next, water enters a basement from a path of least resistance. Often times this path is the cold joint between the footing and wall. Water can migrate through this joint due to pressure caused by the downward force that saturated soils place on the footing.

Lastly, interior drainage systems must remove water from beneath the basement floor. As many homeowners know, basement floors become cracked due to water that is trapped below the concrete floor. This trapped water is constantly looking for a path of escape and can crack a concrete floor very easily.

So with this information in hand it becomes very simple to determine the best interior basement drainage system. The system must be closed, or sealed from the living space. This will include a sealed sump pit and sealed piping system that is laid around the perimeter of the basement walls. Many systems have open backs designed to capture water that is running down the walls. These open back systems will capture wall water but remember if things can get in they can also get out. These open backed systems allow water vapor and radon an easy path to your living space. Closed or sealed systems prevent this phenomenon from happening by their very nature of being sealed from living spaces.

Open backed systems have another primary fault and that is the fact that they are laid on top of the footing. Concrete footings are poured flat so that the basement walls can be poured or laid upon a flat surface. Any drainage system that is laid on top of the footing cannot be pitched to drain the water that they collect. The water sits in these systems promoting mold and bacteria growth which can cause clogging and health concerns. Also, if you place drainage pipe, along with a bed of clean gravel, next to the footing you will gather the water before it comes in contact with the basement floor. By doing this you can prevent floor heaving and cracking. Open backed systems that sit on top of footings must have the water rise above the bottom of the concrete floor before they can accept any water. Closed systems allow water to enter much earlier and since they are next to the footing they can be pitched toward a sump pit for collection and discharge.

Before you contract any waterproofing company to solve your basement moisture problem keep the above items in mind and demand that the proper techniques are used. Now that you know what must be included with your new basement drainage system, ask questions and do not be fooled by their slick answers.

 

 

 

With the winter weather that most of the country is now experiencing many homeowners are finding out the hard way that sump pump discharge lines can freeze, especially in the northern regions. With snow and ice building up outside of homes, sump pumps cannot run effectively unless they are designed correctly. When sump pump systems freeze, your basement and everything in it can be in jeopardy.

Sump pump discharge lines can become covered with snow and ice in the winter, causing frozen pipes and backed up sump pump systems.  Frozen sump pump discharge lines can spell disaster for your basement and the belongings that you store.

Professional waterproofing experts prevent sump pump freezing with the ECP Sump Pump Freeze Guard. The freeze guard system allows water to escape from your sump pump discharge line if the underground discharge pipe freezes or becomes blocked for any reason. No matter if the pipe outlet is buried under a foot of ice and snow, the water can escape, allowing your sump pump to keep your basement safe from flooding. When the discharge pipe thaws, the water will automatically run through the buried discharge line. The system is simple and very effective in protecting your basement from frozen sump pump systems.

The Correct Way vs. The Easy Way

 

As the economy slowly starts to come back to life, a trend is emerging in the manufacturing and service industries.  That trend is higher quality goods and services, giving your end user more for their money.  That trend is everywhere, and needs to be discussed how it relates to the basement waterproofing business.   Are you offering the best products and systems, or just an easy way to get a job done?  It’s no longer 2007.  The blow-and-go, do whatever it takes to get to the next job attitude has to change as well. 

Let’s look at interior basement waterproofing.  There are many companies out there offering many different waterproofing systems.  A lot of these companies are offering an interior drainage system that sits on top of the footing.  Is a drainage system that sits on top of the footing the correct way to waterproof a basement, or just the easiest?  Simply, it’s the easiest way, not the correct way.  There are too many problems with top of the footing drainage systems.  For example: footings are level, placing a drain system on a flat surface doesn’t allow for proper drainage, hydrostatic pressure build-up under the basement slab will reach the bottom of the slab before a top of footing systems will work causing unnecessary pressure on the floor, top of the footing systems also leave a very thin layer of concrete over the top of the track when the installation is complete, usually less than 2”.  Top of the footing drainage systems only benefit the contractor.

The correct placement of an interior drainage system is next to the footing.  Placed there, you can put the proper amount of fall in your pipe.  The pipe is 4”-6” below the slab, eliminating hydrostatic pressure build-up before it gets to the slab and when the system is installed correctly, concrete can be poured back at the full slab depth.  And most importantly, this type of system is building code approved.  This is the proper placement of a drainage system to give the most benefit to the customer.

Top of the footing track systems look good, but do they function well?  Likely, not well enough.  What are you giving your customer?