What kind of water pump do I need to buy?

[ERD50]

QUESTION: Does the window well have a drain in it at all? All our window wells have drains that connect into the drain for the sump pump for the basement. If that's the case, then maybe that drain is clogged?

Although, it sounds like you don't have a sump at all? That seems odd in an area where you can get water in the basement.

 

[disneysteve]

QUESTION: Does the window well have a drain in it at all? All our window wells have drains that connect into the drain for the sump pump for the basement. If that's the case, then maybe that drain is clogged?

Although, it sounds like you don't have a sump at all? That seems odd in an area where you can get water in the basement.

No drain. No sump pump. I’m sure all newer houses are built with them but back in the 60s and before it apparently never occurred to them that digging a basement when you’re already at sea level was a bad idea. Any kid who has ever been to the beach knows that when you dig down a foot or so you hit water.

Retrofitting an old house means destroying the basement to dig a trench along the perimeter. Lots of people do it. We just haven’t.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Consider adding a continuous sheet of Visqueen 6 mil or thicker (poly sheeting) that extends > 4 feet past the soffit on a pitch away from the walls and then cover it with soil or landscape rock, enhancing the pitch at the same time. Certainly use those window well covers as suggest previously.

 

[Golden Mean]

Retrofitting an old house means destroying the basement to dig a trench along the perimeter. Lots of people do it. We just haven’t.

I'm confused by this statement. A trench for drainage (ie french drain) would be on the outside of the house.

My suggestion would be to talk to an expert, and not one that sells pumps, but one that will pick the best solution in an unbiased way.

I've seen a number of shows dealing with issues like this (a backyard that slopes uphill away from the house), and with modern perforated tubing (and trenches and stone and fancy matting) they can route water from the back of the house, all the way to the sewer if need be.

 

[disneysteve]

I'm confused by this statement. A trench for drainage (ie french drain) would be on the outside of the house.

A French drain is a trench dug around the inside perimeter of the basement walls to capture water that enters and direct it into the sump pump. That's pretty standard in these parts.

We did have a company come out once that wanted to excavate around the exterior but we have an attached family room on a slab (part of the original design, not an addition) and they wanted to destroy that so that they could access that wall of the basement. No thanks.

 

[Jerry1]

Yeah, when it's not done from the beginning, it's very problematic. I'd consider a sup pump type system in the well as mentioned. I'd want something that worked automatically and did not require you to deal with the window every timer there's a big storm.

 

[latexman]

A French drain is a trench dug around the inside perimeter of the basement walls to capture water that enters and direct it into the sump pump. That's pretty standard in these parts.

That’s what my NJ house had. Isn’t it also called something like a floating pad basement? I could be wrong on that, we left that house about 40 years ago.

 

[old medic]

Sailboat bilge pump....

 

[SnowballCamper]

A French drain is a trench dug around the inside perimeter of the basement walls to capture water that enters and direct it into the sump pump. That's pretty standard in these parts.

We did have a company come out once that wanted to excavate around the exterior but we have an attached family room on a slab (part of the original design, not an addition) and they wanted to destroy that so that they could access that wall of the basement. No thanks.

That's not what a French drain is. The sensible location for the French drain is on the OUTSIDE of the foundation. I think what you really need is a sump pump, which might work, until the heavy rains coincide with a power outage, then you'll need backup power. You might still need a French drain, but the water has to go somewhere where it won't drain back to the house. Good luck.

 

[disneysteve]

That's not what a French drain is.

Apparently French drains can be installed outside or inside. I've only ever heard of them being installed inside. So we are both correct.

 

[SnowballCamper]

Apparently French drains can be installed outside or inside. I've only ever heard of them being installed inside. So we are both correct.

But how does it help the problem of getting the water out, if it's inside? Seems kinda pointless to me... Doesn't it make more sense to have the drain outside to keep the water away in the first place?

 

[Al18]

The soil in south Jersey is pretty unusual - 3 inches of top soil and deeper is all sand. I don’t have a basement, but a sump pump in the outside window well along with the window cover gets my vote.

FYI North Jersey has gotten a LOT of rain the past 2 days. The roof collapsed at a BJ’s in north Jersey (Monmouth County) yesterday - it made national news. Nobody was injured or killed, because of few people in the store. A lot of the surrounding roads were flooded.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

But how does it help the problem of getting the water out, if it's inside? Seems kinda pointless to me... Doesn't it make more sense to have the drain outside to keep the water away in the first place?

Those drains will lead to a sump, and a sump pump will pump it outside.

Frankly, I think Disneysteve may need to bit the bullet and install such a system.

 

[disneysteve]

But how does it help the problem of getting the water out, if it's inside? Seems kinda pointless to me... Doesn't it make more sense to have the drain outside to keep the water away in the first place?

The interior French drain feeds to a sump pump at the low point of the trench.

A surface drain outside is fine too but that won’t prevent ground water intrusion or seepage through the walls. The interior French drain also relieves hydrostatic pressure on the walls to reduce the risk of foundation damage.

When properties are at or near sea level whatever you do near the surface only addresses a part of the problem.

 

[SnowballCamper]

The interior French drain feeds to a sump pump at the low point of the trench.

A surface drain outside is fine too but that won’t prevent ground water intrusion or seepage through the walls. The interior French drain also relieves hydrostatic pressure on the walls to reduce the risk of foundation damage.

When properties are at or near sea level whatever you do near the surface only addresses a part of the problem.

It seems to me that pumping water from the inside when that water is being pushed in from the outside would increase the pressure, from the outside, on the walls. It just seems nonsense to decide not to prevent the water from coming in, and only pump it from an interior French drain. If it was mine, I'd have a French drain all around the house at the level of the foundation footer. Then have it drain to the storm drain. And yes, that is the setup at my house, where the wetland is a mere 20 feet from the back door. I don't have a full basement, so I don't need the sump pump. Good luck man.

 

[Jerry1]

When I built my house, they ran drain pipe inside and outside at the footer and directed everything to the sump. Being in a high water table, my sump ran a lot, not constantly, but a lot. Steve's problem, as mentioned, is that his basement is at least partially finished and retro fitting that system in now will be a nightmare, causing him to have to rebuild some/all of whatever finish he has in his basement.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

Living in my PA house for over 30 years, I've constantly battled getting "nuisance" water in the basement, and I have a sump pump and perimeter drain. The water just percolates up through the floor in certain spots, where the builder didn't grade the floor correctly.

It typically happens when we get a deluge rain after a dry spell, and the dry clay soil can't absorb the water quick enough, until the clay eventually gets saturated and absorbs the water better.

What has improved the situation recently was I reroof'd the house but at the same time upgraded to larger 6k gutters and added additional downspouts. I had noticed that before the upgrade, in heavy rains a lot of water was going over the top of the gutters, as they filled too quickly before they emptied via the downspouts.

I'm now kicking myself that I didn't do this years ago. It's something for the OP to investigate in a heavy rain whether the gutters are overwhelmed.

With basements, the best approach is to find a solution that keeps the water outside (via grading, drains, etc.). It's always better to attack the problem from the outside, instead of the inside (sump pumps, inside waterproofing, etc) since there's a lot of hydrostatic pressure on the foundation walls if water is penetrating them.

 

[GoBirds]

+1 on supersizing the gutters and downspouts. I did this on the rear of my home. Don’t forget the leaf guards

 

[Flyfish1]

@disneysteve
Sorry to be late to the party. We lived in NJ for 28 yrs. Some in high ground, mostly not. Our major home did not have a sump pump which freaked me out, especially when our friend SANDY visited, but we stayed dry. Later we moved and "downsized" and we completely flooded in the old section of the house. That was crazy. Several people perished in the area during that storm, it was not good. NJ seems calm but it is flat as can be and can be threatening at times...although they do have the best tomatoes in the US. Fact.

OK , OK back to your actual question. Our downsized home built in the 1830's came with a submersible pump and a 30 or 40 ft hose. I was hoping to never use it but when that brutal storm hit in I think it was 2022 we had a major problem. The old pump lying in the cistern ...yes a cistern in a 1830's field stone basement, fired up and went to work and cleared 3 ft of standing water overnight. So if I ever wanted a pump to protect my family and my home I would want a serious submersible pump with a long hose. I'm sorry I don't have a product name for you but they obviously do exist. Saved my a** and protected my loved ones.

Best

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

One time, in a heavy rainstorm, the power also went out. Which meant the sump pump wouldn't be running.

I spent the whole night sitting next to the sump pump pit with a flashlight, bailing water with a small pail, and questioning some of my life decisions.

I know, I know they make battery operated backup sump pumps, but that's one more thing to maintain, and constantly test to make sure the battery isn't dead. Plus, I would have had to enlarge the pit as it isn't large enough for both a primary and backup pump. I know they also make pumps that run off of the water pressure. Not sure how well they work or if they have gotchas.

 

[jazz4cash]

We've never seriously explored putting in a sump pump and drain because that requires digging a trench around the perimeter of the basement. Doing so would require ripping out all of the built in shelving and closets.

Plus, none of that would solve the problem of water coming in around the windows and flowing down the walls, though it would save me from sucking it up with my shop vac when it does.

I agree a more comprehensive solution is required vs dropping a trash pump in the window well. There is potentially unseen damage below the level of the window well. Is foundation concrete block, stone, poured concrete, or ?? I think you need a pro to assess your situation. Our window wells have corrugated tube drains that go down to a foundation drain that runs the full perimeter outside of the foundation. We have a sloped lot so it drains naturally from the low point. There is also drainage under the basement floor that leads to a sump pump.

 

[Jerry1]

I agree a more comprehensive solution is required.

I agree, but personally, I'd think about moving to higher ground, especially if this wasn't fully intended to be my forever home.

 

[disneysteve]

I agree a more comprehensive solution is required

For sure. No argument here. We've just procrastinated going the "nuclear" route for 32 years now.

 

[jazz4cash]

I agree, but personally, I'd think about moving to higher ground, especially if this wasn't fully intended to be my forever home.

A family member did that because they could not travel in fear of a flooded basement if they lost power in a storm. Way back then there were automatic backup generators but the systems were piecemeal, not packaged. They didn't consider my suggestion but they wanted a new house anyway. After a bit they added a whole house Generac backup at the new home which they've never needed!