Depending upon where the water is entering the basement, different solutions
would be required. If it's coming through walls, proper grading and footing
drains will be required. If the water table is rising and it's coming
through the floor, sump pumps can prevent it from reaching the level of the
floor, if they pump faster then it comes in. Don't concern yourself with HP
of the pump but rather GPM or gallons per minute, which will vary depending
upon the height of the discharge pipe. What you may want to do is enlarge
the diameter of your pump pit. Don't make it to deep, as the ground water to
far below the floor line doesn't need to be pumped, and add a second pump at
a slightly higher elevation. This way if the lower pump, or primary pump
can't handle the load, the water level will rise until the second pump kicks
in. Keep in mind, unless you have a back up electrical system, this is all
moot in a power failure.



wrote in message
ups.com...
My question is about minor rain related floods. I know some of you
have had
experience with floods large and small. Mine thankfully have been
small. 3
times in the last year my Sump has not been able to keep up with the
rain water
that has been falling. I replaced the old one with a 1/3hp pedestal
one and it
happened again.

I lost the carpet and a foot of drywall to this flood luckily my
furniture is
fine with no major damage. No i am faced with redoing my basement
again. I am
not doing it until I have figured out the root cause which my theory
is the
grading of the lot and get a industrial sump pump.

What is a good sump pump that handles a highly active well? How many
Hp would
you recommend?

When regrading the lawn what is the best soil to use?

When I refinish the basement what flooring is most resistant to flood
damage?
Vinyl, laminate, Hardwood, Tile or carpet?