If you’re having issues with leaking, moistness or flooding in your basement, you may want to consider installing a sump pump. Many new houses with basements have already got a sump pump installed by the contractor, but older houses don’t always have them.

Installing it on your own should cost around $200 and your time and energy.

That water can come in if the basement is below the water table line in your neighborhood, or if there is a flood, or if you simply get too much rain. Regardless of why they are needed, sump pumps can save thousands of dollars in damage caused by basement flooding. Installing a sump pump starts with buying the pump. Here, you have many features to choose between. Sump pumps come with plastic housings, thin metal homes, thicker metal and even solid iron housings. So try to match your expenditure to the frequency of flooding in your basement.
The size of sump pump you want shouldn’t depend on your home size. Instead, choose it on how far under the water table your place is, how much rain and flooding your area gets, and how good your gutter and lawn grading is.

When buying a sump pump, be certain to get the best switch and float system you can afford. You could also need to consider buying a sump pump which has in-built battery backup power, so the pump can still work if your principal source of electricity goes out.

And thinking about electricity, sump pumps require big quantities of power so it’s recommended that you use a dedicated circuit for them. If you are not comfortable setting up your own electrical circuits for the sump pump though, have a pro electrician do it for you.

When you have chosen your sump and pump, you must then pick a basin to use as the sump pit.
additional to the above, you’ll have to buy enough PVC pipe to form a disposal line.

First, dig the sump pit. This is the hole where water will collect.

Put your sump pit container into the hole, making it flush with the encircling floor area, then seal it with concrete. While that is’s drying, prepare your sump pump by wrapping teflon tape round the threads of the pipe connector, then hand tighten it. Following is the step by step system for installation of your sump pump

Installing Your Sump Pump

• Check for level and use plastic shims if needed.
• Measure and cut PVC pipe to attach to the discharge pipe installed through your wall and run back to the discharge pipe of the pump.
• Support the pipe runs by attaching to the walls or rafters.
• On the outside, caulk and seal round the discharge pipe and attach a pipe to run the water at last six feet from your foundation. Employ a diverter to direct the water well away from your home.
• Adjust the float valve ( as per manufacturer directions ), plug in the pump and pour in 5 or ten gallons of water to test the pumps operation.