| |
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 ?
horsepower, 1/3 horsepower and ? 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 ? horsepower sump pumps that
can pump 3,000 gallons per hour and you will also see
other ? 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 ?¡±threaded connection for
PVC pipe. Get an adapter that converts it to 1 ?¡±
schedule 40 pipe. 1 ?¡± 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.
ARTICLE REPRINT PERMISSION
You may reprint the above article in your electronic or
print newsletter; however, please include my byline and
bio and keep the article intact. I retain all copyrights.
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.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/8541.html
| If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/8541.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked. |
| Some other articles by Robert Clarke | |
| |
|
|
|
