Who needs one
Many houses built in Richmond Hill since the 1980s have a sump pit tied into the weeping tile. Homes on the Oak Ridges Moraine slopes and near the creeks of the Rouge and Don headwaters can see high groundwater each spring. Older homes may have weeping tile draining to the sewer, which is no longer the preferred approach in many municipalities.
What a good installation includes
- A properly sized pump with a cast or thermoplastic body
- A vertical float switch that will not catch on the side of the pit
- A inspect valve so water does not fall back following each cycle
- Discharge piped outside and away from the foundation
- A sealed, gasketed lid to keep out debris and radon
The job
- Inspect the pit, liner and inflow pipes.
- Remove the old pump and clean out silt and gravel.
- Seat the replacement pump on a firm base, then hook up the discharge and check valve.
- Fill the pit with a hose till the pump begins and confirm it empties fully.
Backup protection
Storms that cut power are the same downpours that fill the pit. Add a battery backup sump pump, test it each spring with our sump pump spring check, and consider a backwater valve for sewer-side protection.
The short version
Tell-tale signs
- White chalky lines and damp along the foundation
- Float stuck against the side of the liner
- Pump cycling over and over through a dry spell
- Pump hums but the pit level never drops
Kit on the van
- Rotary hammer for opening the slab
- Cast-iron submersible pump and a check valve
- Battery backup unit with its own float
- Backwater valve body with a clear lid
How we go about it
- Free the float and wire up the high-water alarm
- Pour in a pail and watch it kick on and shut off
- Unplug and lift the old pump out of the crock
- Scoop silt and gravel from the bottom of the pit
Your questions, answered plainly
What is the working life of a sump pump?
Often seven to ten years, depending on how hard they work. Check yours every spring.
May sump water go into the sanitary sewer?
Generally not; check with the City, as rules discourage it.