I live in Baltimore, and though I have had many leaks over the 22
years,** this is the fist time my sump pump woudn't handle it.

The original one rusted out, and I replace it with iirc the only one
they sold, but at least it was basically an identical pump which I
knew would go in simply. The new one has plastic pipe and won't rust
out. I should have looked for a bigger one.

So I agree that this was a very unusual rain, and you might well go as
many years as you did before without another wet basement.

Still, one sump pump might be a good idea. Now mine works so well
because there is perforated, corrugated, plastic pipe (black) a little
below and along the base of my basement walls, outside, and the pipes,
one from the front, and one from the side and rear, go under the
basement floor and into the sump. So there issn't much water
pressing on the cinder block walls trying to get in***

***(Waterproof basement paint works well if it is leaking through the
walls. It worked well in 1962 and I'm sure it has been improved by
now.)

** from burst humidifier tubing, burst washing machine hoses, leaking
water heater, burst temporary hose in the kitchen sink, water coming
out of the basement sink (I live next to a stream and the water can
overflow the manholes of the sewer that runs parallel to the stream,
water overflowing the sink when I forgot the sink was plugged to stop
the previous water and I did my laundry anyhow, AC drain didn't work
for some strange reason until rerouted to make it drop 3 feet first
and then go to the side instead of dropping 2 inches and going to the
side and then going down.

I've yet to have my pipes freeze and break. That must be coming next.


On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 04:53:30 GMT, "Susan"
wrote:

some of us here in the northeast have been having water problems. we've
lived in this house 15 yrs with a dry basement which is now flooded. it
seems like water is coming in 3 different points but we are not sure how. it
began fri 10/14 after a week of heavy rain and has continued, weather's been
dry since fri late night but water is still coming in at this point (sun
nite 10/16). we've got 3 pumps running and my husband shopvac-ed for hours
and got it pretty dry only to have it fill up again. now we know the water
table is high but it just seems odd. our plumber and landscaper have both
been here and suggest sump pump. we're fine w this but we think it may need
2-3 for all the areas. so any suggestions are helpful
thanks
Susan--

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harrimanhike/



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