Should the Sump Pump be placed in the low spot?

The answer is yes but it is more involved than that. Let me explain about the sump. A sump is a low space that collects any liquids such as water. Most times we dig a pit in the floor to create a sump. We would then put in a liner or sleeve and then install the pump in the sump. So by digging the hole in the basement, the sump is the lowest point in the basement because it is sub-floor.

A sump pump is a pump used to remove water that has accumulated in water collecting sump pit, commonly found in the basement of homes. In a boat this low place to collect the liquids is called the bilge, and the pump used is a bilge pump. You get the idea; it’s a pump that stays in the sump so it’s called a sump pump.

Each sump pit should have two pumps.

What we are talking about is having a plan “B” in place, having a primary pump and a backup pump.

1.      The Primary Pump is powered by electricity and is low in operational cost because electricity is inexpensive. The primary pump has the most pumping capacity over a prolonged time because the AC electric motor is also the most efficient. Your sump pump will quit; it’s just a matter of when. The sump pump usually dies with full electrical power in the house. (If the pump died during a power outage how would you know?)

2.      The Secondary or Backup Pump is powered by something other than AC electricity so when the power goes out, you can still evacuate your sump pit and prevent flooding from occurring. The backup pump is your contingency plan for when there is no electricity. If your primary electrically powered sump pump fails you want to have a secondary pump in place to be able to evacuate the sump pit with or without electricity. The A-1 Basement Solutions 7 Day Battery Backup Sump Pump System will pump 35 Gallons Per Minute (GPM) when fully charged and average 20 GPM over the 7 Days.

Sump pump used with a French Drain

The sump pump should be one part of a complete waterproofing system. A sump pump alone is not effective to lower the water table under the house and prevent water infiltration. Having a sump pump without a delivery system (such as a complete waterproofing system) can be likened to having a heart without arteries and veins; it's just not going to work right.

Sump pump used without a French drain

The sump pump will take whatever water is right there and pump it out. The sump pump is usually placed in the lowest part of the basement so when the water comes in, it will flow across the floor to the sump pit, so the sump pump can then pump it out. The sump pump provides an automatic way to get the water out of the basement as opposed to using a Shop-Vac and having to dump it out manually. If you get water and you don’t want to vacuum it up then get a sump pump and put it the lowest spot of the basement.

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