Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default dam around sump pit

During last rain storm we had water backed into our basement through
the sump pit.......it was caused by the pump not working for over four
hours due to loss of power. We had significant damage that was also not
covered by our insurance. We certainly don't want to repeat this
incidence. Besides having some type of a back-up power supply, what
other inexpensive options do I have? One that comes to mind is may be
building a safety dam around the sump pit (say 3 ft X 3 ft X 1ft tall)
that would contain the water for a brief period of time in case of
extended power loss....does any one of you have any creative / simple
ideas?

  #2   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 229
Default dam around sump pit

wrote:
During last rain storm we had water backed into our basement through
the sump pit.......it was caused by the pump not working for over four
hours due to loss of power. We had significant damage that was also
not covered by our insurance. We certainly don't want to repeat this
incidence. Besides having some type of a back-up power supply, what
other inexpensive options do I have? One that comes to mind is may be
building a safety dam around the sump pit (say 3 ft X 3 ft X 1ft tall)
that would contain the water for a brief period of time in case of
extended power loss....does any one of you have any creative / simple
ideas?


Bad idea. What would happen is you would have one foot of water filling
your basement BEFORE the sump pump could start getting rid of it.

Some sort of backup is what you want and maybe some sort of work outside
to make sure no water from the roof or from somewhere up hill from your home
ends up close to your foundation. Get the water away from your home before
it gets to the sump pump.

You have a choice of manual (not a very good choice unless you have a
high school football team to power it.) Or battery (the likely choice for
most people, or water powered. If you have city water, it can actually be
used to pump water. Of course if you are on a domestic well, that would not
be a good choice. Then there are generators. They can sever many uses. A
little time on the pump, some time on the frig and freezer and maybe a
little time two watch TV and see the news reports of the power outage and
flooding.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit



  #6   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 408
Default dam around sump pit


If the water is filling faster than you can bail, your
pump probably wouldn't keep up either and you have other problems.


that is NOT true...

my pump easily keeps up, but when the power goes out, its a run up a
flight of stairs and out the door with a bucket full of water every few
minutes,,, its not that easy to do for hours at a time...

after doing that twice, I got a big inverter and a car battery for
short term and a small generator for long term outages......... so now
since I am ready, I have never needed them...

BTW ..... DO NOT EVER run a generator indoors... EVER...

Mark

  #7   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 259
Default dam around sump pit


wrote:
During last rain storm we had water backed into our basement through
the sump pit.......it was caused by the pump not working for over four
hours due to loss of power. We had significant damage that was also not
covered by our insurance. We certainly don't want to repeat this
incidence. Besides having some type of a back-up power supply, what
other inexpensive options do I have? One that comes to mind is may be
building a safety dam around the sump pit (say 3 ft X 3 ft X 1ft tall)
that would contain the water for a brief period of time in case of
extended power loss....does any one of you have any creative / simple
ideas?


The dam idea could work in theory if your basement is otherwise
completely watertight. People sometimes install such a device on a
floor drain to prevent water coming in via sewer backup - called a
standpipe. But those rely on the integrity of the sewer pipe to contain
the water. In your case, if the water table is a foot (or an inch)
above your basement floor, almost certainly it will seep in somewhere,
like at a seam between the basement floor and wall. Also, as others
have mentioned, the dam would mean the sump pump would not help you
when there is an internal source of water, such as a burst washing
machine hose. In your case it would seem the expense of a battery
powered backup ('ace in the hole' type gizmo) would be well justified.
If there is an extended outage and you are there, you can recharge it
with your car.

  #8   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,746
Default dam around sump pit

Mark wrote:

If the water is filling faster than you can bail, your
pump probably wouldn't keep up either and you have other problems.


that is NOT true...

my pump easily keeps up, but when the power goes out, its a run up a
flight of stairs and out the door with a bucket full of water every few
minutes,,, its not that easy to do for hours at a time...

after doing that twice, I got a big inverter and a car battery for
short term and a small generator for long term outages......... so now
since I am ready, I have never needed them...

BTW ..... DO NOT EVER run a generator indoors... EVER...

Mark


Bigger bucket. Good exercise. What else do you have to do in the dark
anyway?

Pete C.
  #9   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 554
Default dam around sump pit

If you have city water look at www.basepump.com or www.zoeler.com if
you are on a well get a battery powered unit, but they pump less than
city water powered units. or get a generator or gas powered pump

  #10   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,617
Default dam around sump pit


wrote in message
ups.com...
During last rain storm we had water backed into our basement through
the sump pit.......it was caused by the pump not working for over four
hours due to loss of power. We had significant damage that was also not
covered by our insurance. We certainly don't want to repeat this
incidence. Besides having some type of a back-up power supply, what
other inexpensive options do I have? One that comes to mind is may be
building a safety dam around the sump pit (say 3 ft X 3 ft X 1ft tall)
that would contain the water for a brief period of time in case of
extended power loss....does any one of you have any creative / simple
ideas?

Why not just fill the sump in with concrete? No way it can overflow then!

I am thinking about doing that with mine. (of course, I haven't had any
water in it in the 13 years I have own the house. YMOV.)




  #11   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default dam around sump pit

Does the OP have a place anywhere on their property thats lower than
thjeir basement floor?

if so dig a drain line so that a over filled sump spills or drains the
water to a low place well away from the outside of your home.

its a permanent no energy let gravity do the job solution/

  #12   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,617
Default dam around sump pit


wrote in message
oups.com...
Does the OP have a place anywhere on their property thats lower than
thjeir basement floor?

if so dig a drain line so that a over filled sump spills or drains the
water to a low place well away from the outside of your home.

its a permanent no energy let gravity do the job solution/

Don't know, but it is unusual to get that much water if there is a lower
place around to drain it to.

15 years ago the creek behind my house flooded during a week long power
outage; I had 4' of water in my basement. My mother recommeneded I use a
garden hose as a siphon to empty it. Thanks Mom...


  #13   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
mm mm is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7,824
Default dam around sump pit

On Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:15:30 GMT, "Pete C."
wrote:


If you're home sitting in the dark watching the sump pit fill up, you're
being negligent. If you're there, bail the silly thing out with a
bucket. Four or five hours of periodic bailing is nothing compared to
uninsured losses. If the water is filling faster than you can bail, your
pump probably wouldn't keep up either and you have other problems.


My bucket wouldn't fit in my sump.

But if one is considering doing that, a hand pump with a large hose to
the basement sink might be a good idea. I've only seen pumps that fit
garden hoses, but they must make them with bigger hoses and 14"
cranks.
  #14   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,044
Default dam around sump pit


mm wrote:
On Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:15:30 GMT, "Pete C."
wrote:


If you're home sitting in the dark watching the sump pit fill up, you're
being negligent. If you're there, bail the silly thing out with a
bucket. Four or five hours of periodic bailing is nothing compared to
uninsured losses. If the water is filling faster than you can bail, your
pump probably wouldn't keep up either and you have other problems.


My bucket wouldn't fit in my sump.

But if one is considering doing that, a hand pump with a large hose to
the basement sink might be a good idea. I've only seen pumps that fit
garden hoses, but they must make them with bigger hoses and 14"
cranks.


Wouldn't work for me...oh, the pump would but putting in the sink
wouldn't. Old house and the sink drain runs to the sump pump. Would
get my weeks worth of exercise though .

Harry K

  #15   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,313
Default dam around sump pit

On Tue, 07 Nov 2006 23:26:15 -0500, mm
wrote:

On Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:15:30 GMT, "Pete C."
wrote:


If you're home sitting in the dark watching the sump pit fill up, you're
being negligent. If you're there, bail the silly thing out with a
bucket. Four or five hours of periodic bailing is nothing compared to
uninsured losses. If the water is filling faster than you can bail, your
pump probably wouldn't keep up either and you have other problems.


My bucket wouldn't fit in my sump.

But if one is considering doing that, a hand pump with a large hose to
the basement sink might be a good idea. I've only seen pumps that fit
garden hoses, but they must make them with bigger hoses and 14"
cranks.


Boating stores, find a manual bilge pump.
Or get a regular crank-pump from lehmans.

They've got a rotary transfer pump,
but I think for a long-duration pump-out,
I'd go with the lightweight cistern
pump instead, because the body mechanics
work better.


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
sump pump running continuously [email protected] Home Ownership 1 February 21st 05 06:02 PM
sump pump drain pipe size M. Laymon Home Repair 2 December 9th 03 01:38 PM
Advice needed on new basement - sump hole higher than rest of basement Doug Swetland Home Ownership 1 September 24th 03 07:09 PM
Advice needed on new basement - sump hole higher than rest ofbasement Mark Leininger Home Repair 0 September 23rd 03 08:34 PM
Advice needed on new basement - sump hole higher than rest ofbasement Mark Leininger Home Ownership 0 September 23rd 03 08:34 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:18 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"