The Silent Guardian: All About Sump Pumps

This seemingly simple product is the key to a healthy and dry foundation: the sump pump. Let's dive into this essential appliance and understand how it safeguards your home.

What Is A Sump Pump?

Imagine a pit in your basement or crawl space, usually lined with concrete or plastic. That's the sump. Nestled inside is the real hero, the sump pump – a submersible appliance that waits patiently to activate when needed.

A sump pump's job is simple: to eliminate excess water from your basement or crawl space. When water levels rise in the sump pit, a built-in sensor triggers the pump. The pump then whisks the water away through a discharge pipe, typically directed away from your house.

Basements and crawl spaces can be magnets for water, thanks to heavy rain, melting snow, or even just outside moisture seeping in. Left unattended, this water can wreak havoc, damaging your foundation and belongings, and even creating a breeding ground for mold. A sump pump acts as a defense system, keeping your basement or crawl space dry and healthy.

There are a few factors to consider. If your basement or crawl space is prone to flooding, especially after heavy rain, a sump pump is a wise investment. Homes in low-lying areas or with poor drainage are also good candidates. Homes with crawl spaces are especially prone to excess moisture issues which causes pooling water on the floor, then evaporates into the ceiling and soaks into the insulation causing dripping and mold growth. 

Keeping Your Basement and Crawl Space Dry: A Proactive Approach

A sump pump is a crucial line of defense for your basement or crawl space. By understanding its purpose and function, you can ensure your home stays dry and protected. For more information on sump pumps and specific installation details, check this page out.

Our advanced sump pump systems offer additional features, like:

• Water Alarms: These can alert you if water is present even if the pump hasn't been activated yet, useful for detecting indoor plumbing leaks.
• Airtight Lids: These prevent collected water from evaporating back into the crawl space and stop debris from falling into the pump.
• Battery Backups: These provide protection in case of power outages, ensuring your basement stays dry even if the lights go out.

A sump pump is a crucial line of defense for your basement or crawl space. By understanding its purpose and function, you can ensure your home's lower levels stay dry and protected.  

At Frontier Foundation & Crawl Space Repair, we install patented sump pump systems that have been developed by Basement Systems®, Inc. since 1987. They include the best cast-iron sump pumps and the longest-lasting battery backup pumps in the industry.

When you have a perimeter drainage system installed in your home, your sump pump is your main line of defense against a basement flood. If you can't count on your sump system to be powerful or reliable enough, then you can't count on a dry basement or crawl space. And what good is the space if it gets wet?

Our Sump Pump Systems

Our sump pump systems include the following features:

• WaterWatch® Alarm: Sounds off to let you know if water has risen past the point where the pumps should have turned on.
• SuperLiner Sump Liner: Large enough to keep your sump pump working properly without turning on and off repeatedly, but not so large that your liner goes too deep, making your sump pump wear out prematurely as it pumps out unnecessary water.
• Airtight Sump Lid: An airtight lid keeps odors and humidity out while protecting your sump from debris from the basement floor. Rubber grommets around all pipes and wires help maintain the airtight lid and also help to keep all PVC pipes steady and quiet.
• CleanPump Stands: These sump pump stands are installed to raise the pumps off of the bottom of the liner. Any silt or sediment that settles on the bottom of your sump pit will be kept away from your pump. These stands also allow for height adjustment of the pump if necessary.

Our most reliable sump pump system, the TripleSafe™ Sump Pump System, provides three levels of protection for your basement and your peace of mind.

For normal functioning, the TripleSafe™ has a powerful, cast-iron Zoeller® 1/3 horsepower sump pump set at the lowest level. For heavy volumes of water or in case of primary pump failure, a second, more powerful Zoeller® 1/2 hp pump set a bit higher in the liner will take over.

In case of a power outage, our UltraSump® battery backup sump pump, set at the highest level, will pump 11,500 gallons or more on a fully charged battery!

We also offer our IceGuard® anti-freeze device as an additional feature you can add on to your sump pump system:

• IceGuard® Discharge Line Protection: Many sump pump discharge lines are susceptible to freezing during the cold winter months. Our IceGuard® discharge line protection prevents this from happening, with no need for the homeowner to do anything! This specifically designed grated adapter is located outside where the discharge line exits the house. If the pipe underground freezes in the winter, water can still be pumped out without the worry of backups into your basement!

Frontier Can Help!

In the same way that you wouldn't hire a basement waterproofer to fix your bathtub, you wouldn't hire a plumber to jackhammer your basement and install a drainage system. With our experts, you can count on the most experienced and knowledgeable waterproofers, who install sump pumps and basement waterproofing systems every day. Contact us for a free, no-obligation inspection and quote today!