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(780) 628-1734
We're In Your Neighborhood!
Same Day Service
Since 1992
Call The Gentleman Pros Now!
(780) 628-1734
Are you worried about flooding in your basement? A sump pump in good working order can alleviate those worries. The City of Edmonton estimates over 60,000 sump pumps in the Edmonton region will need to be replaced in the next five years. Is yours one of them?
According to numbers from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, a flooded basement costs on average $43,000 to repair and remediate. This doesn’t take into account the time it will take to deal with insurance, contractors, etc. and the stress it will cause.
Our expert technicians know sump pumps. If your pump is giving you a headache, we can fix it. If you need a new sump installed, we can do that.
No matter your sump pump needs, repair or install, we can help. Call us at (780) 701-9965 and we can ease your basement flooding worries.
A sump pump is an important part in your home’s foundation drainage system that collects water and moves it away from the foundation and basement. It helps protect your basement from flooding and water seepage.
And we all want to keep unwanted water out of our basements. We keep a lot of stuff in our basement. Often things we don’t use very often but has a lot of sentimental value and it can be devastating to lose it all. Not to mention all the damage to furniture and your home’s structure the water can cause.
A sump pump is a pump that sits in a basin (the sump) in the lowest part of your basement or crawl space. Its job is to automatically pump water to the outside when it rises above a certain level in the basin. When the pump detects the water has risen above a certain point in the basin, it automatically kicks in and starts pumping.
A common device to determine when the water is too high is a float sensor similar to the float in a toilet. The float hangs at the bottom of the float rod into the basin and when the float is lifted to a certain point on the rising water, it signals the motor to start.
The water is pumped out through the discharge pipe which has a check valve. A check valve ensures the water only travels in one direction — to the outside and not back into your basement. It is basically a one-way valve.
You need to make sure that once the water is outside, it is deposited far enough away from your foundation so it doesn’t end up back in your foundation drainage system and in your basement.
Most municipalities have regulations and recommendations regarding sump pumps and how and where you can discharge the water. Please check with your local government for more information.
The City of Edmonton has considerable information about sump pumps on its website, including recommendations and requirements.
The City of Edmonton’s Sump Page Discharge page, the Foundation Drain Discharge Collection System Guidelines, and the Homeowner’s Guide to Lot Grading and Drainage have good information.
Sump pumps have been a part of the City of Edmonton’s building requirements since 1988. Please contact the City directly to find out the exact requirements.
Below is a summary of some of the information and is provided for informational purposes only. Please contact your local government directly for recommendations and requirements in your area.
A quality pump should last about 10 years, but that is dependent on how dirty and acidic the water is and how well it is maintained.
There are significant risks associated with sump pump failure. And failure can happen for different reasons, including the pump malfunctioning or because it isn’t being powered.
To minimize the risks of failure, proper and regular maintenance needs to be done. You can also minimize the risk by using a back up pump (there are battery operated sump pumps), a backup power source, or a sump pump alarm. A sump pump alarm will notify you when the water level in the sump basin is too high.
Please check your pump manufacturer for specifics on maintaining your pump but the City of Edmonton recommends doing this 3 step test with all sump pumps:
Step 1 – Make sure your sump pump has power.
Step 2 – Pour enough water into the sump basin to engage the pump.
Step 3 – Check the discharge pipe where it exits your house to make sure the pump is actually removing water and not just running.
The City also recommends you check your pump during a storm to make sure it is still plugged in, the breaker hasn’t flipped, and the pump is working properly. Contact us today to learn more about sump pump installation and repair service.
