If you’re buying, building or renovating a home, you may be asking yourself whether you need a sump pump. How does it work? How do you know if you need one? Is it something you can install yourself?
What is a Sump Pump?
According to national studies, about six in 10 homes in America have some type of moisture in the basement or crawl space. If you don’t do something to keep those areas dry, you have a significant risk of developing mold, which can negatively affect your health.
A sump pump is designed to keep basement and crawl space floors dry by pumping out any collected water or moisture. The sump pump is typically installed at the lowest point in the basement or crawl space, in a specially constructed pit below the surface of the floor. Any collected water drains into the pit, which has a pump in it. There’s usually a flotation device attached to the pump as well, so that when the water reaches a certain level (somewhere below the level of the basement floor, the pump is activated and empties all the water from the pit through a hose that takes it outside the house.
Do You Need a Sump Pump?
Whether or not you need a sump pump can depend on a variety of factors. How much rain do you get in your part of the country? Where does your house sit—high on a hill or down in a valley? How deep is the water table? When was your house constructed?
A sump pump is not a tremendously expensive item. If you are building in an area where you might be susceptible to water in the basement or crawl space—near a body of water, in a low area, somewhere where you can expect a lot of rain—it’s probably good sense to simply have one installed. Once installed, it won’t cost much…only the electricity to run it. But if you don’t put one in, you could face significant expense of you develop mold or have a flood in the basement.
At Public Service Plumbers, we will take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can send our technicians to your home or business anytime, day or night. Our plumbers are all factory-trained and factory-certified.
To schedule an appointment, call (214) 753-4633.
Public Service Plumbers
5610 Dyer Street
Dallas, Texas 75206
