Rainy Days = Sump Pump Installation

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Flickr CC by rayb777It’s hard to believe that I’ve lived in my current home for five and a half years already.  The move was prompted by a ‘money-pit’ house that had major problems when we had heavy rains.  A flooded basement is not a fun thing to deal with.

The first couple of times it happened we always had a ‘theory’ of why it occurred.  The first time the electrician that was working on our basement had turned off the main electricity breaker and so their was no power to the sump pump.  The second time it happened we thought it was because the outdoor pipe underground that pumped the excess water to the street was still frozen, as it was spring.  But the third time it happened, well we just realized that we had a foundation that was below the water table, and we had to come up with a better solution to keep the water out of our basement.

So…we proceeded with a SECOND sump pump installation.  Yes we had some one come out and dig another sump pit that connected to the first sump pit so that when the first pump got overwhelmed the second pump could help out.  And then we put a third sump pump in the second pit.  And then we bought a gas powered generator so that if the power went out – the pumps would still run.

Overkill?  Perhaps.  But the one time we flooded there was over $6000 worth of damage, and so much stress and inconvenience when the basement had to be gutted and basically re-built.  Plus the thought of mold just creeps me out. 

But our real long term fix was this….sell the house and move into a condominium without a basement.  It’s worked well, I’ve slept soundly now for 5 1/2 years, although admittedly I use to wake up during the night and listen to see if the sump pump was going off before I realized I didn’t have to worry about that anymore!

Have you ever had a flooded basement?  Share your stories with me….I’ll sympathize!

I am participating in a blogger campaign for Bucks2Blog about plumbing repair and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.