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.
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.
1/4 HP Worry-Free Automatic Submersible Utility Pump
Amazing deals on this 1/4Hp Automatic Submersible Utility Pump at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com