More than hope needed to keep finished basements reliably dry

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Not every home in Canada needs a basement sump pump, but thousands do. If you’ve got anything down there that’ll get damaged by water, then let me offer you a little philosophy that could save you a mountain of grief.

I have a theory about basement flood disasters and how to avoid them. The trick is to pay attention and prepare. You always get at least a little warning before you’re hit hard with a damaging deluge. It might be a small leak in one corner. Perhaps your sump pump seems to run a lot, even when the weather’s been dry. Maybe the person you bought the house from mentioned in passing that the basement gets a ‘little wet’ sometimes. Pay attention to quiet warnings like these. They’re absolutely crucial, especially if you’ve got a finished basement and rely on a sump pump to keep the floor, walls and furniture from getting ruined. You can hope that your basement sump pump keeps working, but when wet weather hits, you need more than just positive thinking. You need what I call ‘Plan B’ equipment. Here’s why.

Most sump pumps work in the same way. A 120-volt electric motor switches on when the water in a sunken area of the basement (that’s the ‘sump’) rises to a certain level. Water in the sump is then pumped up and out of your house, usually via a black plastic polyethylene pipe about as big around as a jam jar. The water exits the pipe outdoors, flowing away in a ditch or storm sewer. When the level of sump water falls below a certain level, the float switch drops, shutting the pump off.

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