In horror flicks and thrillers, the basement is always the scariest place in the house--a dark, cold place full of unknown frights. In reality, there can be completely different types of terror in your basement that you’ll have to deal with as a homeowner. Flooding. Sewer backup. Water damage. Mold. Excess groundwater that threatens your home’s very foundation.
By equipping your home with a sump pump, you’re providing it with a first line of defense against these common issues. To explain in a nutshell, a sump pump removes water from your basement to a location that’s a safe distance from your home.
If you’re on the fence about installing one, here are some factors you’ll want to consider.
1. Basement flooding can occur for multiple reasons.
Basements can flood because of numerous problems, ranging from plumbing issues to excess water in the soil around your home. These are the most common reasons why basements flood:
A broken or clogged sewer line
A broken water supply line
Water heater leaks
Poor drainage in your foundation
Heavy rainfall
Rapid snowmelt
Sewage backflow from an overwhelmed city sewer system
Groundwater seepage
Because a sump pump is installed in a pit at the lowest point of your basement, it can help protect that area of your home (as well as the foundation) both from sudden, dramatic flooding and slower, less noticeable issues, groundwater seepage.
2. You’ll have some help and extra peace of mind when emergencies happen.
Most of the time, we have very little control over when emergencies occur. During heavy rains, the local sewer system can become so overwhelmed that sewage will flow backward into your home--up through drains in your basement. Sewage backflow can also happen if there’s a huge drop in pressure in the local water line. For example, this might occur when lots of water is drawn from a fire hydrant.
If your home has a sump pump, you can take comfort in knowing that even if you’re not home, if your basement starts filling up with water, you have something in place that will:
reduce the amount of water damage;
help you clear out the mess much faster than you could on your own.
Keep your basement dry with a high-quality sump pump installation from our experts at The Rooter Works Plumbing and Drains. Contact us online or give us a call at: (614) 412-3324.