How to Choose a Sump Pump

One of the biggest and most potent weathering forces at work in the world is water. It seeps into foundations, floods basements and works as a silent destructive force. A basement flooded with water is a breeding ground for mold, creating unhygienic conditions.

Seeping water also weakens the house foundation, which makes it all the more important that this water problem be dealt with as soon as possible. If your house is built near a water source like a river or a lake in a geographical depression, you are bound to face the problem of water flooding in.

The most effective way of dealing with it, besides sealing your basement is to install a sump pump, which can carry all the water away and drain it elsewhere.

For those of you who are installing one for the first time, it would be instructive to know how sump pumps work. It will make it easier for you to choose the right pump for your house. All pumps are installed in or near sump pits which are dug at the low altitude points of a basement. They are installed with the purpose of driving out accumulated water from the sump pit to an external location where it can be easily drained away.

Central to operation of this device is the pumping technology used to drive water upwards from the pit, by overcoming gravity. In most pumps, the technology used is based upon the use of centrifugal force to create a pressure difference, which drives water upwards.

An electrically driven rotating disk with fins (impellers), creates a pressure gradient in the pump, which drives the water accumulated in the pit to be forced inside and out through the outlet pipe, towards an external destination. So the pump is connected with a pipeline constructed to transport the water outside.

The pump action is initiated by a sensor which is activated when large amount of water accumulates inside the pit, increasing the overall exerted pressure. Pumps that are activated in this way, work automatically, when water level rises. There are manual pumps which do not have a sensor mechanism and need to be switched on to drain out water.

The distance up to which the sump pump can transport water and the speed of transport is entirely dependent on its pumping power and the maximum head pressure it can generate.

There are many things that need to be looked into when choosing a sump pump, that would be appropriate for your house basement. Here are the most important points of consideration.

There are two prime types of sump pumps which you could choose from. One type is the submersible pump which is waterproof and works under water. Installed in the pit, it is activated by sensors whenever the water level rises substantially.

Another type is the pedestal pump, which operates from outside the pit and draws water through a pipe, before transporting it out of the pit. One of the advantages of opting for submersible pumps is that they are silent compared to pedestal pumps which can be really loud.

The most important parameter of consideration, when choosing a sump pump is its water drawing power measured in horsepower. You may choose from a wide range of pumps with power varying from 1/3 horse power to more than a horsepower. Unless you live in an area subject to frequent floods, mid power range pumps should serve you well.

You will need to decide whether a manual or automatic sump would be an ideal choice for your requirements. Manual pumps are cheaper but automatic pumps liberate you from the job of monitoring the water logging situation.

Another important parameter that you need to check out while buying a sump pump is its head pressure. It is a value in feet or meters, which specifies the highest altitude till which a pump can life water against gravity.

Check out the voltage requirements and the power cord length of the pump. The cord length needs to be checked out, as you need to ensure that the pump is close to the GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet, which will supply it with power. In case you need to operate the pump 24x7, look for battery backup facility which lets the pump operate uninterrupted, even in case of power failures.

Thus the prime factors to be taken into consideration while choosing a sump pump are its power, type (submersible or pedestal) and head pressure. Its assembly is best installed by professionals as it involves several tiny details that need to be taken care of. With a sump pump installed and functioning smoothly, you no longer need to worry about basement water logging problems.