Spring flooding of basements is very common and most times can be easily avoided.Why basements flood in the first place is pretty easy to answer – it’s a hole in the ground and the ground is wet! Basements are sometimes below the water table to begin with, but water tables rise during the spring snow melt, and without proper basement drainage (French drains or weeping tiles at foundation footings) you could have a big problem as water forces it's way in.
Also, if your basement has the hot water tank with a drain underneath, or a sink or washing machine drain or shower tray at low level, you should also check carefully if these have non-return flap or ball operated check valves fitted inline to prevent excessive rain or melt water in outside drains backing up into the basement. These are also called backwater valves. Seethe backflow prevention drain grid for basements that Mike Holmes recommends here．
Even worse, if there's a toilet in your basement and this was plumbed into an older system or was done DIY, if the waste water drains ever had an issue, the water table only has to get above the height of the lip of the bowl and then the sewage will backfeed and fill the basement.
我们有没有说过，我们不是地下室的超级粉丝，原因有很多?This is one of them - so while up-to-date code in certain areas insists on flap-operated sewer check or backwater valves as standard in afinishedbasement, as a decent quality one is a few dollars we often see unscrupulous builders conveniently forgetting to fit them when building or finishing an unfinished basement which may not have them already unless specifically requested.
Find and compare Sewer Check and Backwater valves online here
This is definitely one of the essential things to know if you are considering buying a home with either a finished or unfinished basement or even when building a new one - insist upon, and double check that these backwater valves are fitted on drains, and fitted correctly. And yes, they are 'one-way', and we have dug them out in the past when 'malfunctioning' only to discover they had been installed backwards!
The most important thing to remember when building, renovating and finishing basements - they are not, and cannot be made, completely waterproof. So the smart money would be betting that at some point, water will win and your basement will flood to at least some small degree.
I once heard an amusing anectdote from building science basement expert Professor John Straube of Waterloo University, who described the 11 billion dollars worth of engineering brilliance that goes into building a nuclear submarine, including doing an MRI of ever stainless steel bolt that goes into it. And in the end, they install a pump because they assume it's going to leak! So if the American military can't build something waterproof, best to run with the assumption that we can't either.
在弹性设计和绿色家居建设的许多领域，我们经常提到“腰带和吊带”的方法，也就是有一个备用计划，这样你就不会把裤子套在脚踝上了。水沿着阻力最小的路径前进，在它和地下室之间无休止的斗争中，记住——水永远不会错从一个地方到另一个地方的最简单的路径，但我们经常错。
How to prevent basements from flooding
Best practices for new home basement construction should always include foundation drainage, sump pumps, exterior foundation waterproof membranes and interior walls that can dry．All of these solutions can be applied when doing a full basement renovation that includes excavating to apply foundation waterproofing and insulation (see our pages onhow to renovate basements so they don’t turn moldyandbest practices for insulating new basements in cold climates)
这也是一个好主意，检查地下室的门和窗井，以确保排水渠是存在的和清洁的-因为这些经常被秋天的树叶，或简单的东西，如塑料袋吹过网格-以及落水管雨水排水渠，经常被树叶，松针和网球或冰球堵塞!
在设计花园或改变设计时，一定要确保土地尽可能远离房屋，远离楼梯和窗井，土壤水平或覆盖物不要爬高，盖过地下室墙壁上凹陷的膜——直接将湿度引入混凝土或CMU。
It's always a great idea also tochoose permeable pavers and hard surfacesin gardens to avoid creating small rivers from runoff every time it rains or thaws. Capillary action in masonry generally means walls will be damp up to 36"' above the level of water ingress - so the first step to preventing basement floods is directing excess water safely away from your house. Make sure your eavestroughs and landscaping are part of the solution, not the problem. Make certain that all that snow melting off your roof, lawn and driveway is directedawayfrom your basement, nottowardsit.
Having checked all that, and having prevented sudden and excess spring thaw water from arriving in your man-cave, the easiest and cheapest way to prevent basement floods is with acorrectly specified and operational sump pump．
What is a sump pump and how does a sump pump work?
A sump pump is installed in a sump pit, which is usually in an out of the way place in a basement, like the mechanical room. In the sump pit is a basin approximately 2 feet in diameter with holes on the sides. As the water table rises, water drains into the sump pit and is pumped out and drained far from the foundation.
泵本身有一个浮子，类似于厕所后面的浮子。随着水位的上升，浮子也随之上升，最终触发开关并激活水泵。一旦水位下降，浮子也随之下降，水泵就会关闭。
The sump pump in some homes where water tables are high, or those that may be built in proximity to natural springs, will run regularly throughout the year, whereas in other homes in drier locations it may only run during extreme weather events, and some not even during a regular spring melt. The details matter when fitting sump pumps - be sure to have a functioning non-return valve on the outlet pipe to prevent water running into the basement through this line, and better still, make sure that the outlet pipe enters exterior drains away from the house, below the frost line if in a cold climate, but as high as possible in the system so the exit remains clear for pumping the water out of.
Even if you feel you are in a location where you aren’t at risk of flooding, if you have a basement, you should probably have a sump pump. Especially given the increase in extreme weather events due to climate change; and quite frankly, it’s unlikely many homeowners have ever said “I sure wish Ididn’tinstall a sump pump”.
They really aren’t expensive when you consider the security they bring to a home and the peace of mind they bring to having expensive finishings, furniture and possessions in the basement that may be lost or damaged by the basement flooding. An insurance claim may give you market value for your couch and flat screen TV, but it won't come close to the true value of damaged family memorabilia or your Fleetwood Mac album signed by Mick himself.
Compare and price Sump Pumps online here
How to test a sump pump is operating properly
Sump pumps can on occasion suck up debris that can plug the intake or block the impeller, or the switch can malfunction, so they should be checked regularlyto make sure they are operating properly.
To see if your pump is working properly, either slowly pour water into the sump pit until the float activates the switch and the pump empties the basin, or you can raise the water level with a hose. Either way, the objective is to introduce waterwithout hitting the float switch因为这可能会损坏它或引起故障。
We always prefer using water than simply manually operating the switch as sometimes swiches can get sticky unless they are used regularly and we would rather find out sooner rather than later...
The golden rules when checking any pumps, including the pump in a sump basin, are as follows:
- Always have a buddy present - electric, water and drains are a risky combination - safety first!
- Always wear the appropriate protective gear especially gloves and goggles
- If kneeling, use pads or a cushion
- Don't smoke - basements, sumps and drains can contain explosive gases
- If the pump doesn't operate ALWAYS disconnect the electric before trying to work out why
Need a new sump pump?Compare and price Sump Pumps online here
Which brings us onto high water level alarms for sump pumps...
Should I get a sump pump high level alarm?
A sump pump alarm which alerts to high water level is a valuable and affordable addition that can alert you to a problem that you may be able to solve easily in time to possibly prevent a basement flood.市场上的许多智能家居自动化技术都非常注重便利性，但收到泄漏的智能手机通知是无价的，它可能会给你时间来纠正它，并避免昂贵的地下室防洪维修。我们建议的一件事是，在可能的情况下，使用知名品牌的主电源供电的高水位报警器，并配有电池备份-这样你就可以加倍确定，当你需要报警器来让你知道水位在上升时，它最有可能是可操作的。
Being woken from sleep to the sound of a sump pump alarm may not be appealing in the moment it happens, but it sure beats the alternative. Most people in our experience who have been unfortunate enough to have their basement flood, ended up installing a sump alarmafterthey've spent weeks pumping out, mopping up, doing repairs & paying their insurance deductible.
Find affordable sump pump Alarms & SMART Alarms here
Why does a sump pump stop working?
The most common reason sump pumps fail to pump is actually due to a power outage. The unfortunate reality is that you often need a sump pump during extreme weather events with heavy rainfall, which are also a common time to experience power outages.
Another cause can be that the plug is tripped and cuts off power, and on occasion it is simply that someone unplugged it and forgot to plug it in again.
除了缺乏动力操作外，泵组件确实会发生故障。有时电机可能会烧坏，有时电机可能运行良好，但由于堵塞或叶轮脱落而停止抽水(真实的故事)。
Sizing pumps properly for the load is important, if you have a regular steady flow of water, a pump that is too small, or a badly-regulated float switch, may cause pumps to run continuously and lead to early burnout. As long as your sump pump isn’t overworked, you could reasonably expect it to last about 10 years.
Should I buy a sump pump battery?
That depends primarily on your location, and how at-risk you are of flooding, it also depends on your budget, whether your basement is finished, and your comfort level.
If your basement isn’t finished, isn’t at great risk of flooding and your sump pump is rarely activated, a back up battery may not be something you want to invest in. If the water table is high where your home is and your sump pump runs regularly regardless of rain, that’s what we would call a high-risk situation worthy of a backup, a double pump setup, and an alarm just in case. Remember - belt AND suspenders for those at high risk of their pants falling down!
油底壳泵的电池在需要的时候会一直充电，而你可能永远都不需要它。但就像水池泵本身和可选的高水位警报一样，这是一种保险策略。如果你永远不需要使用它就更好了，但如果你需要电池却没有，你肯定会希望你有。
Find & compare sump pump battery backup systems here
If you have a show stopping man cave, with 1000's of dollars of home cinema and entertainment equipment, full wet bar stocked with rare whisky, slate bed pool table, ping pong table and foosball,
- Where's our invite? (For after "social distancing" of course)
- You should probably invest inthe ultimate basement sump pump, monitoring & battery backup system
How to size a sump pump battery
If you already have a sump pump in your home and you’re just considering a battery for some added peace of mind, then take the next opportunity to monitor how often it goes off.这可能发生在一场大风暴期间，也可能发生在积雪融化的温暖春日。跟踪泵启动频率的时间;有了这些信息以及泵本身的大小，你就会知道你的泵需要什么样的功率。泵的电气额定值也应该在制造商的信息规格表上。
There is no way to anticipate the heaviest rainfall or how long a power outage will last, so this is still all guess work at best. For true home durability and resilience, having a generator (or knowing who has one that you can borrow) is a great source of security. A small gas generator can be run intermittently to charge phones and computers, cool down refrigerators and freezers, but also to run a sump pump if necessary.
When you price compare sump pump battery backups online, the main difference between the low-priced and high-priced ones you need to choose from is battery life. It will be rated in GPH (gallons per hour) of how much water it can remove, and how many hours it can operate. You’ll pay more for a bigger battery with a better charger, which will increase the odds of it lasting through a power outage.
Find & compare sump pump battery backup systems here, for basicsump pumps & twin pump setups, see here, or foralarms and SMART basement monitoring systems, see here
Now you know more aboutwhy basements floodand how to prevent basement floodingincludinginstalling sump pumps and sump pump battery backups-Find morepages about home durability and how to build basements so they won't flood or develop mold in these pages:
Find more about green home constructionin the EcohomeGreen Building Guide pages- also, learn more aboutthe benefits of a free Ecohome Network Membership here． |
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