How To Install A Sump Pump

November 9, 2019October 28, 2020 Editor

So, you want to install a sump pump system, you thought about calling a professional but the feeling of getting things done yourself is priceless. However, you have no idea how to do it, so you decided to seek help, that’s why I’m here, let’s get this done.

The process of installing a sump pump consists of; choosing a location, digging a hole for the basin, choosing a discharge point, installing the discharge lines, and at last, installing the pump itself. You need to plan this ahead and do it step by step in order to avoid further issues.

Now, I will explain all the steps thoroughly but before that, I want to explain how sump pumps work and why are you getting water under the foundation of the house.

Why do you have water under the foundation of your house?

A wet foundation is a serious problem, you need to treat it as soon as possible, otherwise, your basement will suffer and after that, the rest of your house.

Usually, water occurs in the basement of the house but the basement isn’t the problem, the ground around and under your house isn’t draining the water properly and that is the problem.

Of course, water doesn’t appear out of anywhere, there must be a source, usually, that source is rain or a nearby river. Sometimes the neighbors don’t treat water properly and pass the problem to you.

Now, you may be asking yourself why is the water under the foundation when only the yard is wet. Well, that’s the problem, the foundation is where that water collects.

Either way, you must deal with that excess water and you must do it fast, a sump pump is the best solution to your problem.

Just let me explain how sump pumps work and we will get started with the problem you came for.

How do sump pumps work?

The reason why I want to explain this is just to put things in perspective for you, after this, you will know why you will be digging a hole, installing a basin, etc.

A sump pump is placed in a basin that collects the water under the foundation. After the water in

the basin reaches a certain level, the pump is activated by a float switch and starts pumping the water.

It sucks the water with something called an inlet and pumps the water through the discharge lines, the water flows through the lines and is emptied at a certain safe point.

Now you see, the hole is for the basin, the basin is for the pump, the discharge lines are a channel for the water and the discharge point is a way to get rid of that water.

I think that’s about it, we can start with the step-by-step guide on how to install a sump pump.

How to choose the right location for your sump pump basin?

If you want your sump pump to be effective, the basin needs to be placed exactly where water forms in your basement, looking for that spot is an easy process.

After heavy rain, go into your basement and look for the place where water collects, to be sure, go outside and see if the ground near the wall is especially wet or formed a pond.

Now, that place is where you will be digging the hole, make sure there is a ground fault interrupter outlet on the wall near the place where you will dig.

If you don’t have that kind of outlet, I recommend calling an electrician to install that before installing the sump pump.

So, you chose the location and now is the time to dig, let’s move on to that.

How to dig the hole for the sump basin?

In order for this to work, I highly recommend buying a basin before digging the hole, it’s way easier to design around the basin instead of the other way around.

Now, digging the hole requires an electrical jackhammer which I’m sure most of you already have or maybe a friend of yours could lend you one, you can go buy one too.

The hole will need to be at least 6 inches longer and 10 inches wider than the basin’s dimensions, also, the hole needs to be at least 8-10 inches away from nearby walls.

When you get everything ready, you can start tearing apart the concrete floor, after that, dig the hole until you reach the desired depth.

Before you put the basin in, you need to from three inches of gravel at the bottom of the hole, with this you are done with digging and can move on to the basin.

As you can see, this isn’t anything complicated, it’s just a lot of work. I think it’s time for the basin now.

How to install the basin?

Now, you can place the basin in the hole, keep in mind that the top of the basin needs to be even with the floor’s surface.

After you have placed the basin, you need to fill the gaps around it, you can do this with adding gravel around the basin, don’t fill it to the top though.

At last, you need to close the hole, this is best done by pouring concrete on it. Add concrete over the gravel until the surface and the basin’s cover are even, use a trowel for a smooth surface.

The last step you need to do is wait, wait for the concrete to set up, I recommend a period of 24 hours. After this, you can start installing the sump pump.

Before I start with the sump pump, I want to make everything clear about the discharge point and lines.

How to choose a discharge point?

As I said, a discharge point is where that sump water ends up, the discharge point needs to be a safe place where water won’t be a problem for anyone anymore.

The discharge point needs to be approved by your town and every town has different regulations, that’s why it’s best to consult your local government before installing the sump pump.

Now, a discharge point can be your storm sewer system or you can get creative and build a rain garden, you have countless possibilities and it’s always to plan ahead.

If you want ideas for a discharge point, we have a great article about that where the building process is also explained, be sure to visit it.

Well, once you decided on a discharge point, you can go and install the sump pump

How to install the sump pump itself?

Installing the pump is the easiest step, just place the pump at the bottom of the basin and read the manufacturer’s instructions just to make sure that you are doing it properly.

However, placing the pump in the basin is not enough, there are still the discharge lines to deal with, that’s the last part of this process.

I explained how to install the pump first because you need a pump to know what kind of discharge pipes you will need.

So, let’s see how to install the discharge lines.

How to install the discharge lines?

Now, this needs to be planned ahead, otherwise, you will make a mess and the discharge lines will be useless.

Start by installing a PVC male adapter in the pump’s port, usually located at the bottom of the pump, make sure that it’s tight. You can take out the pump while doing this.

Then, take short a short pipe and glue it with a PVC cement to the male adapter, make sure the pipe is long enough just to be a little above the pump’s cover.

I recommend making a weep hole on the short pipe for allowing water to flow back in the pump when it’s turned off, use a drill and make a 0.25-inch hole approximately 6 inches above the pump.

Before installing the rest of the discharge lines, install a check valve with the arrow pointing up on the short pipe mentioned above. The check valve will prevent water from flowing back into the pump.

You can now put the cover of the basin back; you will not need it anymore. If your basin doesn’t have a cover, we have an article on how to make a cover yourself, be sure to check it out.

Now, install a 45 degrees PVC elbow to the vertical pipe in order to direct the pipes close to the wall, connect another short pipe to the elbow and add another elbow at the end of that pipe.

Continue with adding another vertical pipe connected to the elbow, this pipe needs to extend as high as the basement ceiling, leave place for the PVC elbow to fit.

You are done with the vertical lines, now we need to go horizontal. Before installing pipes horizontally, add a 90-degree PVC elbow to the last vertical pipe.

The horizontal pipe will need to go through the wall, so use a hole saw to drill a hole in the wall, the next pipe will exit outside through that hole.

Then, connect as many as needed horizontal pipes until you reach the outside of the house,

using caulk seal around the pipe in the hole’s entrance and exit.

In the end, you need to direct the pipes to your discharge point, the pipes outside of your house need to be placed on a slight slope to prevent clogging.

Well, folks, that’s it but don’t go just yet, tips on how to make your sump pump system flawless follows next.

How to make your sump pump system flawless?

Just installing the pump will keep your basement safe but for how long? Without added protection, the pump will eventually fail and leave your basement open to flooding.

Some of the unfortunate things that may happen are; frozen discharge lines, clogged discharge lines, pump dying out from corrosion, power outage, etc.

There are ways to prevent these kinds of situations, that’s why I thought it would be good to suggest to you some ideas on how to protect your sump pump system.

So, without further ado, here are some tips on how to protect your sump pump.

Designing around your pump

Designing around your pump means first buying a sump pump and then building the whole system around the pump’s dimensions and performance abilities.

Going the other way, which is first installing a basin and then buying a pump for that basin could lead to many complications, also, your sump pump options are limited by the basin’s dimensions.

However, if you choose to design around your pump, your system will be easier to execute and will function way better. Most manufacturers recommend doing this, in fact, they have special basins for some pumps.

This was the first and most important tip I thought I could give you, let’s see what’s next.

Having a battery backup pump

Now, I wouldn’t say that a battery backup is something optional, I think a battery backup is a necessity for your basement, even if you don’t feel like you need one, believe me, you do.

Battery backups will start working when there is a power outage, the primary pump failed or when the primary pump needs help with handling the water in the basin.

The most common battery backup option is a battery-powered pump that is installed slightly above the existing pump, however, there are other options that you can consider.

My favorite backup option is a sump pump combination system that consists of a pre-assembled primary and battery backup pump, there are some really good models you can find online.

Another backup option is having a generator nearby, the generator will serve as a power source for your pump while the power is out. You should know that with a generator, you need to start the pump, it’s not done automatically.

Also, you can go with a water-powered sump pump, this is not a battery backup but it is the most reliable backup option you can find, however, not every homeowner can use this kind of pump.

That’s all about backup pumps, I hope you will listen to me when I say a backup is a necessity.

Installing the discharge lines on a slope, underground

As I said, discharge lines are prone to freezing in winter and can get clogged if they are placed too horizontally. Let’s see how you can prevent this.

Now, there is no way to prevent freezing except installing the lines below the ground’s freezing level, just adding insulation won’t do, ice sucked in from the basin could clog the pipes.

I highly recommend installing the discharge line below the frost line which differs from state to state, you can find probably find your town’s frost line online.

However, installing the pipes underground is just not enough, why let your pump work more when gravity can do the job for you?

Placing your discharge lines on a slight slope creates a vacuum that will help the water in the pipes move faster and makes it easier for debris to get through.

Of course, this is purely optional but keep in mind that responsible homeowners take every precaution needed to keep their home safe.

Well, enough about the discharge lines, the last tip follows.

Performing regular maintenance

Like any appliance in your home, the sump pump also needs regular maintenance, this extends the life of the pump and makes it more efficient.

Most homeowners are ignorant about this fact and expect their pump to work for 5 years without maintenance. If you don’t want to change pumps every 2 years, maintenance is the way to go.

Maintenance means putting oil in oil-filled pumps, removing the pump and thoroughly cleaning it, cleaning the discharge lines and testing the efficiency of the pump every 6 months.

If you are kind of lazy, you can buy a low-maintenance pump but they will also need maintenance once in a while, you won’t have to do it that often though.

We have reached the end, I hope this guide helped you with your sump pump troubles, good luck.