Drain Tile (tube with holes)
Where it goes (that’s the outside of a basement wall)
Where it drains to
Since the time when men first decided that underground living space was a viable option to living above ground, how to deal with groundwater has been a problem. Water will naturally try to fill any void we create below grade. A basement or crawl space is just that, an empty void underground. To eliminate this problem, we install motorized pumps to evacuate any accumulation of water in the sump. A dictionary definition of ‘sump’ is a pit or hollow in which liquid collects. Hence the pump we install is called a sump pump. Typically, a sump pump will run off household electricity and has an automatic switching mechanism that turns the pump on and off as the sump pit is filled or emptied of water. Most often this sump system is tied into a series of pipes that collect water from under or around your basement walls and floor. Of course there also needs to be a discharge line. A part of this line will include a check valve to prevent ejected water from flowing back into the sump through the pump and needing to be pumped again. In principle, the system appears simple. There are however many problems that can arise and cause your sump system to fail and your basement to flood.