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Sump Pump Installation FAQ

As a drainage contractor in the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington area, we have to deal with a lot of rain invading homes.  Sometimes that rain finds its way into your crawlspace and you are left with harmful standing water.  Many times, in these situations, our company will recommend a sump pump installation.  Listed below are some of the common questions that customers ask us before deciding on moving forward with a sump pump installation.

Why do I need a sump pump?

Sump pumps are needed when standing water accumulates in your crawlspace and there is no way for it to drain naturally.  Many homes have a low point drain that will allow water to move out of the crawlspace, but some homes either don’t have one or have it installed in an area that is not actually the lowest point of the crawlspace.  By installing a sump pump at the lowest point of the crawlspace (along with trenching) water will make its way to the pump and be discharged from the space.

What does a sump pump installation include?

A typical sump pump installation starts with digging a large hole at the lowest point of the crawlspace that is usually between 2 to 3 feet deep.  Next, the whole will be filled with a couple inches of drain rock and sump basin will be installed that is approximately 18 X 22 inches.  Surrounding the basin will be a layer of drain.  Next a pump will be plumbed in (with a backflow valve) to the discharge point that will take the water out of the crawlspace.

How much does it cost to install a sump pump?

Depending on the style of pump and the complexity of the situation, pricing usually falls in the range of $1000 to $1500.  There will usually be other factors that will affect the price as well depending on the situation.  For example, you may have to have a french drain installed to allow water to flow towards the pump, vapor barrier might need to be replaced, an electrician will likely need to install an outlet, etc.  New Leaf will provide a free crawlspace inspection and estimate to help you understand the full scope of work that we recommend.

 

Where do sump pumps discharge the water to?

Once water flows to the sump basin, the pump will discharge it out of the crawl space.  Most commonly, we would want to connect the discharge pipe to your underground downspout drains if you have them.  If underground downspout drains are not present on your property, we only have a couple of options and it will depend on how your home is situated.  This may include installing a dry well on your property or something similar to that.

 

How reliable are sump pumps?

A sump pump is like any appliance that you have in your home.  Eventually it will break and need to be replaced.  There are a variety of reasons why sump pumps fail, but all of our pumps come with a 5 year warranty.  The most common cause for sump pump failure is when the discharge point (typically your storm drains) are clogged and causing the pump to overwork itself.  We do recommend having a sump pump alarm installed so that if the pump fails, you will be alerted to possible flooding before damages take place.

 

This covers the most commonly asked questions regarding our sump pump installations, but please feel free to contact us if we can answer any more questions.

Posted on by New Leaf Crawl Space
Sump Pump Installation FAQ

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