Sump Pump Installation for Do-It-Yourselfers
By: Robert Clarke
| According to recent surveys, over 85% of all homes
with basements will experience some form of wet basement problems in
their lifetime. Installing a sump pump in the basement can be a
great benefit, even if it’s only to keep the water from getting deep
or to act as a floor drain. |
|
What To Buy
Sump pumps are generally sold according to the horsepower rating of
the pump motor. You will see ¼ horsepower, 1/3 horsepower and ½
horsepower pumps available. Although the horsepower of the pump is a
good “yardstick” to use in judging which size pump to buy, a more
accurate way is to look at the GPH or, Gallons Per Hour that the
unit is capable of pumping. For instance, you will find ½ horsepower
sump pumps that can pump 3,000 gallons per hour and you will also
see other ½ horsepower pumps that are capable of pumping over 7,500
gallons per hour. As you can see, horsepower ratings are not very
accurate in judging which size pump to buy. Generally, I like to buy
a larger pump than necessary because it will usually last a lot
longer because it doesn’t have to work so hard.
Choose a pump with a reliable switch. The switch is very important
because it tells the pump when to turn on and when to turn off.
There are several types of switches available on pumps. Some of the
different types of switches you will find are called “2 pole
switch”, “mercury switch” and “diaphragm switch”. I only buy pumps
that have a 2 pole switch. They have proven to be the most reliable
over time. After all, what good is a sump pump if it won’t turn on?
Sump Wells
A sump well is the container below floor level in which the pump is
installed. You will be able to buy a 20 gallon to 30 gallon sump
well at you local home improvement store, in the plumbing section.
Many people opt for a smaller 5 gallon bucket don’t do it! Your pump
will burn out very quickly because it is turning on and off too
much, because it can only pump out small quantities of water each
time it runs.
Installation
You will need to rent an electric jackhammer to break a hole in your
basement concrete floor. Ask for a shovel bit when you rent the
jackhammer. The shovel bit will make quick work of digging out the
hole in which you will install your sump well. The lip of the well
that holds the sump well lid should be installed slightly lower than
the basement floor surface. This will allow your sump well and pump
to act as a very good floor drain in case of a broken water pipe,
leaky hot water tank, etc. You will need to buy a bag of sand mix
cement to re-cement the floor area around the sump well and the
broken concrete.
Most pumps come with a 1 ¼”threaded connection for PVC pipe. Get an
adapter that converts it to 1 ½” schedule 40 pipe. 1 ½” schedule 40
pipe is more universal and a lot easier to find fittings for. Next,
you’ll want to attach a check valve to your piping. The check valve
prevents water already pumped up through the plumbing from draining
back down into the sump well when the pump shuts off. These are
easily attached with a rubber boots and a screw driver.
Make sure to use pipe cleaner before gluing your pipe fittings
together. The pipe cleaner actually softens the plastic and allows
the pipe glue to bond better. Check with the instructions on the
glue can about how long to wait before pumping water through the
newly glued connections.
Plug your sump pump directly into a grounded electrical outlet.
Don’t use an extension cord because it will shorten the life of your
pump. The electrical outlet should be on a breaker which is the
proper size for your pump. Your electrical outlet should also be on
it’s own dedicated circuit breaker to prevent other electrical
connections from overloading your breaker.
Summary
Installation of a sump pump can be a pretty easy do-it-yourself
project with some great benefits. By doing it yourself, you can save
a lot of money and provide some great protection for your basement
and its contents.
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About The Author
Robert Clarke owns B-Dry System NEPA, a basement waterproofing
company. Visit
http://b-drybasementswaterproofingnepennsylvania.com/sump-pump-installation.html
for more information. He has also served as President of the B-Dry
Owners Association, a nationally recognized group of basement
waterproofing contractors. Visit http://www.b-dry.com/ for details.
http://www.b-drybasementswaterproofingnepennsylvania.com -- ©
Copyright 2005 - B-Dry System NEPA |
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