All houses gain moisture over time; it is inevitable. Few examples of moisture retention are as devastating as a flooded basement. Only someone who has come home to an unexpected swimming pool on their lowest level can understand the pain and cost it takes to resolve that particular dilemma, even when the insurance covers repairs. To prevent this potential issue, many basements in areas that have a high water table contain a sump pump. Sump pump installation in Cleveland is something in which Roto-Rooter specializes.
A typical basement sump system. Photo credit: Steam-Boilers.org
A sump pump is essentially a pump to remove the water from a hole in the ground (the sump) which has gathered there because of gravitational flow. Water enters though peripheral drains and is exited through the pump and out through a series of connected tubes to a place twenty feet or more away from your home. The sump pump is activated by a float that checks the level of water and starts the pump when the level gets too high. Your toilet works on the same principle but in reverse, halting the flow of water at a certain level.
At the mention of a sump pump, many people envision a dark hole in the ground filled with dark, stinky water that is developing a rancid batch of mold. This may have been the case in days gone by, but today’s pumps are far cleaner and more sophisticated. Many of the pumps installed today are sealed so that they are air tight, disallowing the growth of mold and other bacteria. In addition to this, many pumps come with a built in alarm system. This alarm will sound if water reaches a certain level in the sump, warning the homeowner of a potential problem.
Sump pumps are fully automatic, working in the background and allowing you to have worry-free flood protection of your basement and its furnishings. In fact, the only time you have to worry about the pump is when it fails, as all things do eventually. Checking the pump every few months can help prevent the kind of failure that has you filling out a batch of papers for an insurance claim.
It’s pretty easy to check a pump. Simply pour in a gallon of water and see if the pump activates. If it doesn’t, then there is a problem – one you have discovered at a convenient time rather than in an emergency. The issue might be as simple as the pump being unplugged. Electric cords running up a wall can be an inviting climbing rope to an imaginative child. Discovering this now might be a potential life saver.
If the problem is more serious, then a quick phone call to your local Roto-Rooter will get your Cleveland sump pump installation and repair experts out to your house in no time to quickly and effectively get your sump pump back on duty, protecting both your home and family.
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The fall is quickly approaching and is a great time to prep for the winter. Each and every Cleveland plumber would agree that just a few simple preparations now can prevent costly repairs that commonly occur in the winter.
