Do I Need a Sump Pump?
Problem answer

Do I Need a Sump Pump?

If water enters your basement after storms, or your home has interior drain tile, yes. The sump pump is what moves collected water out of the house before it reaches the floor. If your basement has always been dry and your grading and gutters work well, you may not need one.

Short answer

If water enters your basement after storms, or your home has interior drain tile, yes. The sump pump is what moves collected water out of the house before it reaches the floor. If your basement has always been dry and your grading and gutters work well, you may not need one.

What a Sump Pump Actually Does

Drainage systems collect water; the sump pump removes it. Water from interior drain tile flows to a pit in the floor, and the pump discharges it through a line that exits well away from the foundation. Without the pump, the collected water has nowhere to go.

Signs Your Current Pump Is Not Enough

A pump that runs constantly during rain, cycles on and off rapidly, makes grinding noises, or is simply old is living on borrowed time. Water marks above the pit rim mean it has already fallen behind at least once.

The Case for a Backup

The storms that deliver the most water are the same storms that knock out power. A battery backup pump keeps water moving during an outage, which is exactly when a finished basement is most at risk.

When to get help

If you get water after storms, if your pump is aging or overworked, or if a power outage would flood your basement, have the system evaluated before the next storm season.

Related service: Sump Pump Installation in Kansas City, KS

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