Flooding /water Damage 7/2013

[2talltim]

I didn't get any YET, but this is the most water i have seen at my house since i built it in 2001. While it was dumpin for about 3 hours tonight i heard my sump pump running non stop so i go to the basment to check it out. The pit was full and about 1 in from overflowing. Now i run a 3/4HP 5000 gallon per hout pump down there, and it ran for 2 hour strait before it gotto the point where it would kick on and off again. I thought maybe it had clogged pick up screen so i went to reach my hand down in there to check and it shocked the hell out of me, so im thinking its time for a new pump, If i loose that pump im screwed because half my basment is finished. And its still running 50% of the time now. Plus i had a 10ft wide river running though my front yard which i have never seen.

Any who does any one else have strories or pictures?

Edited July 10, 2013 by 2talltim

[RVTPilot]

I lost my basement carpet two weeks ago with the first round of storms. Couch, some baseboards. I'll have some work to do when I get home from vacation. Luckily the toys down there are safe. (TV, pool table, Foosball) My sump was running the whole time. The problem is our neighborhood's storm drainage empties into a tributary of the Black River here in Lorain county. Well, when it swells near its banks, guess there isn't much room for our water to go. It just poured into the basement until it was about 3-4 inches deep in most places. But life could be worse.

[madcat6183]

I've always been curious about this topic, my sump is 15 years old, was thinking of upgrading to a really nice one but wasn't sure if it was worth it or not.  Even with the rain it wasn't running, and I rarely, hear/see it run, but was still thinking it would be a good investment.

 

What is the life of one that doesn't run a ton?  I'd rather not find out the hardway.

[mojocho]

a well running sump pump is cheap insurance.  Consider having a spare/back up in case your motor quits.  They are not meant to run constantly forever.  I'd suggest you upgrade and keep the old one as an emergency back up.

 

Also consider a pump that runs on batteries.  When the power fails, it'll be a good investment.  otherwise it acts as a second pump in the case the water levels rise too much on the AC powered on.

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Basement-Watchdog-Emergency-Battery-Backup-Sump-Pump-BWE/100055241#.Ud2WpzvVC_k

[madcat6183]

Yeah I planned to pick one of those up, may go with the battery backup first, then go to the new normal pump.  Like I said, I think it runs maybe a few minutes a day at most.  Guess that is one thing they did right when they build the house.... 

[Tpoppa]

I installed this just before Hurricane Sandy.  Glad I did.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Basement-Watchdog-1-2-HP-Big-Combination-Sump-Pump-System-BW4000/202042663

 

After the battery and everything it was about $500.  IMO, this is the best setup you can get.  It has several redundant backups..2 pumps and 4 switches.  On most pumps the switch fails before the pump.  It also has alarms for every failure scenario.  It comes prebuilt so the install is simple.

 

Money well spent.

[flounder]

double post.

Edited July 10, 2013 by flounder

[flounder]

If you get one with a battery back up, youre wasting your money to buy a watchdog battery for it. Just go to Wal-Mart and pick up the largest deep cell battery you can find for a fraction of the cost and you'll get more runtime out of it as well. Thats what I did. 

[madcat6183]

If you get one with a battery back up, youre wasting your money to buy a watchdog battery for it. Just go to Wal-Mart and pick up the largest deep cell battery you can find for a fraction of the cost and you'll get more runtime out of it as well. Thats what I did. 

That is what I was thinking too, I was like WTF, it's a battery, grab a deep cycle at Menards for 70 bux for the monster size and be done.  Had to get one for the TH this year and can't be happier with the one I got.

[2talltim]

Top I have one of these set ups too with a cheap deep cycle I bought at a garage sale. It has saved me several times when my pump has malfunctioned but in the case of last night it would never kept up.

And it is kind of funny I have spent good money on a rigid lifetime warranty pump which has failed on me twice I currently have a cheapo Harbor Freight pump which is been in there for several years without fail. I realey bought it used to be able to have a pump as a bank up while I sent my rigid out for repair and I just never went back to the rigid.

[Tpoppa]

^{If you get one with a battery back up, youre wasting your money to buy a watchdog battery for it. Just go to Wal-Mart and pick up the largest deep cell battery you can find for a fraction of the cost and you'll get more runtime out of it as well. Thats what I did.} 

 

^{You sure about that?} 

^{If you don't use the BWD battery you will lose some of the failure alarm features, at least on mine.}

 

[Tpoppa]

ohhh...and when I else fails I bought a generator.

 

I am never going to deal with a wet basement again  

[2talltim]

^{You sure about that?}

^{If you don't use the BWD battery you will lose some of the failure alarm features, at least on mine.}

My alarms work just fine but I have a older system Edited July 10, 2013 by 2talltim

[2talltim]

ohhh...and when I else fails I bought a generator.

I am never going to deal with a wet basement again

This!

[c7fx]

ohhh...and when I else fails I bought a generator.

 

I am never going to deal with a wet basement again

And buy a water powered back up. Pumps 2 gallons for every gallon and city water usually never goes out in a thunderstorm

[Tpoppa]

Depending on how big your opening is, you can get pretty creative with sump pumps.

 

I've considered 2 main pumps, one mounted about 12 inches above the other.  The top would kick on if the bottom fails.  Both would run if one couldn't keep up.  All you need is a 'Y' pipe and a check valve.

[2talltim]

And buy a water powered back up. Pumps 2 gallons for every gallon and city water usually never goes out in a thunderstorm

Lift might be a problem with those. Low volume pumps lose a lot of their capacity due to the lift getting it up the wall and out of the basement.

[Tpoppa]

And buy a water powered back up. Pumps 2 gallons for every gallon and city water usually never goes out in a thunderstorm

I've never used one of these myself, but my neighbor just ripped his out and replaced with a battery backup. 

 

He said the water backup couldn't move enough water to keep up.

[2talltim]

Like with my scenario last night yes its a 5000 gallon per hour pump more like three 3000 gallons with the setup I have and lift. That's about 50 gallons per minute I was pumping last night no type of back up would even come close to sniffing that, so genny FTW!

[Tpoppa]

Good timing for this thread.  We are getting pounded by rain, and my power just went out.

 

I still think the battery backup is the best way to go.  It's ready the second the power goes out.  It will give 12 hours of run time, which could last a day or two depending on how often it's actually running.  In extreme cases it won't keep up, but it will keep up 95% of the time when the power goes out.

 

Generators are great too, but you need to be home and awake and get it running/connected before the 'sump' overflows. 

[2talltim]

Yeah last night was the worst case scenario I have never seen that before probably be a long time before I see it again.

[madcat6183]

Im getting a genny hookup to the house before winter, just gotta buy the setup from HD then have my inlaw's family wire it in.  Going to hit the main fridge, sump pump, heater(gas heat with electric blower), and a few general plugs for lamps etc.  Gas water heater so no biggy there either.

 

Still think the battery backup plus normal(like link posted) would be best just in case. 

[bowdog]

Im getting a genny hookup to the house before winter, just gotta buy the setup from HD then have my inlaw's family wire it in.  Going to hit the main fridge, sump pump, heater(gas heat with electric blower), and a few general plugs for lamps etc.  Gas water heater so no biggy there either.

 

Still think the battery backup plus normal(like link posted) would be best just in case. 

good idea! If power goes out before hand you can always TURN OFF breaker and back feed the house with two male ends. I am sure you know what I mean but if you don't then give me a call.

[grapesmuggler27]

Im getting a genny hookup to the house before winter, just gotta buy the setup from HD then have my inlaw's family wire it in.  Going to hit the main fridge, sump pump, heater(gas heat with electric blower), and a few general plugs for lamps etc.  Gas water heater so no biggy there either.

 

Still think the battery backup plus normal(like link posted) would be best just in case.

Let me know what genny your getting before you buy one. We can get whole house gennys at a decent cost that run on natural gas and I can help you hook it up

[madcat6183]

Bow- yeah, I could still make it work as is, BUT not real sure I'd wanna try that lol, I have extension cords until then.  

 

Grape- just running my normal Champion 3500W, nothing fancy or whole house.  That will be next house, when we go for a full house, propane or natural gas, not worth spending that coin on this one.  BUT I will remember that for future for sure.