How to buy a right Sump Pump?
Sump pits are commonly built in the basements of buildings to collect the water that accumulate from the drainages or from underground seepage and basements contain a network of PVC pipes to drain the groundwater into the sump. In order to prevent flooding due to heavy rains and avoid the ground water to seep into the foundation, the accumulated water in the sump pit is drained using sump pumps. This method ensures reduction of dampness in the foundation by lowering the water table underground.If you are planning to buy a sump pump for your building, read this.
Basement flooding or accumulated drainage in the basement is a major pain in the many large buildings and apartments. This results in seepage of collected groundwater up into the floor and walls. Therefore,a sump pump is a must-have for apartments and big houses to solve this issue.
Types of Sump Pumps
There are mainly two types of sump pumps: automatic and manual. Sump pumps can move up to 20 to 40 gallons of water so when you are looking for a pump that would suit your drainage needs, you should keep in mind the type of pump that would be useful.
Automatic sump pumps are, like their name implies, fully automatic in their function. When the water in the pit reaches a certain height, then a switch on the pump is activated to drain the water and it turns off once the water is drained. Manual pumps need to be turned on and off manually. Having a battery backup for the pumps is a good idea to ensure uninterrupted operation.
Selecting a Sump Pump
Shopping for a sump pump depends on how it will be used. In order to select the right one, you need to consider the following factors:
- Choose whether you want an automatic or manual sump pump. Automatic pumps have features like pressure switches, low level pressure switches and float switches
- The amount of horsepower that you will be needing. Normally, the horsepower of a sump pump ranges from ¼ horsepower to multiple horsepower.
- Calculate the head pressure required. Head pressure is the maximum height that the pump will move water.
- Decide the power cord length of the sump pump.
- Sump pumps are available in single and three phase and voltages include 115, 230 and 4660 Volts. Decide which phase and voltage would suit your requirement and take care not to cause overloading of your circuit.
Sump Pump Installation
- Following the manufacturer’s instructions on how to install the pump is a good idea.
- The sump pit should be large enough to house the pump as well as a control like a vertical float switch or tethered float switches.
- The electric chord should be capable of reaching the electrical outlet comfortably.
- For a standard submersible sump pump that have a three-pronged, grounded plug and a 115-volt, 60 cycles, single-phase motor with overload protection, a three-wire grounded receptacle should be installed above the floor near the sump.
- Installing a check valve would ensure that the discharged water do not flow back into the sump pit.
- Alarms can help alert pump or electrical failures.
- A back-up system will provide security in case the pump fails or a power outage occurs or if an obstruction block the flow in the pit.
DIY tips for Sump Pump replacement
First disconnect the pump from its power source and then proceed to handle and clean it. Most pumps come with a manufacturer’s tag that provides information on horsepower and model number. Check this tag and match the horsepower with the previous model; HP is determined by how high and how fast you want the pump to move the water. Decide on the size of the discharge pipe size. Check the length of the power cord and decide whether you need to change it.
