Flat surface sump pump saved my reef (and basement) from 8" of rain

Breadman03 · Sep 2, 2021

So, my basement has always gotten a small stream of water through it when it rains. It would be maybe 3-4" across and deep enough to drown an ant. It's about 110-120 years old with a stone foundation on the side of a hill, so I never worried about it. That all changed Christmas Eve 2020 when I got several inches of water and lost a bunch of stuff. Then again for Henri (maybe 4" of rain locally), when I had about 6-7" of water in my basement that almost trashed my furnace. A cobbled together Mag 18 and a scavenged discharge hose clamped to scrap wood allowed the pump to blast the water out of my basement doors in a grand arch...where it visibly just ran right back through my foundation. A large tarp was formed into a trough by rolling under the edges, forming the final piece of the puzzle to start actually removing the water.

It made for a long night. In fact, if a news crew had been nearby, I'd have been that hillbilly wearing knee high boots, gym shorts, a t-shirt, and a beer, leaning against the corner, nodding while saying, "Yep, that'll git 'er done!" If you'd like a simpler solution that easily dealt with 8" of rain, try the linked Drummond pump. It sits on the floor instead of needing to dig out a sump. While it couldn't quite keep pace with the rain, the water only got to be about 2.5" deep and was under 1/2" by morning. I had it plugged into a 3/4"x100' hose, but am going to hard plumb it with about 10' of 1" pipe soon, and I'm sure it will perform better with less outlet restriction.

I'm glad I found this solution before this possibly record rainfall and hope it helps someone else out. I didn't know that this style of pump existed because I'd never needed to look into it.

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rgulrich · Sep 2, 2021

I live in MD, and lower level/basement sumps and pumps are simply a fact of life here. I'd highly recommend talking to a contractor to at least 1.) install a sump with a sump pump and water exit line or 2.) install a basement drainage system with a sump/pump system. (Google some images if you're not familiar with them) The latter would be a permanent solution to the problem. Get a list of contractors to come out and provide you drawings and written proposals, then make your choice. The peace of mind might be worth it.

I say this as one of my neighbors had extensive renovations done to the house she purchased, and the prime contractor *didn't* install a sump and sump pump in a lower portion of the house...which just happened to be in the middle where all the rain water runoff from the front of the house drained. All it took was a heavy rainfall, and we spent the night with my spare sump pump (like the one you have pictured, but larger) and a couple wet/dry vacs pulling water up off the floor. She found a contractor to install and hasn't had a problem again since.
Just a recommendation, but it might make it easier to sleep on a rainy night. OH, and consider a battery backup for the sump pump as well (my dad had one for his basement in Michigan). If the storm is bad enough, it might knock off the power, too. I've a got generator, so I'm not too concerned in that regard.

Cheers and keep enjoying the hobby!
Ray