Assessing Conditions

Symptoms:

• Obvious flooding
• Wetness near flood and wall area during or after passing storms

Potential causes:

• Foundation cracks

Basic repair and prevention:

• Interior epoxy repair
• Exterior rubber membrane repair

Symptoms:

• Floor cracks seep during and after heavy storms
• Puddles develop at low points of basement floor or water along perimeter of floors
• Obvious flooding

Potential causes:

• Poor deteriorated drain tile
• Collapsed or crumbled drain tile or no present tile system
• Aggressive high water table

Basic repair and prevention:

• Interior drain tile installation
• New pit basin installation to absorb water table

Symptoms:

• Window wells fill with water and overflow into basement causing water damage
• Large amounts of water always settle around the perimeter of home after storms

Potential causes:

• Clogged window well drain or no present well drain
• Collapsed or clogged exterior drain tile system
• Poor property grading around home

Basic repair and prevention:

• Clear existing window well drain
• Establish new drain into drain tile system
• Exterior drain tile system installation
• Install larger window wells
• Re-grade property
• Yard pipe/parcel pipe system installation

Symptoms:

• Water settles at low points in yard or in pockets along side the home, or in various spots in the yard

Potential causes:

• Poor property grading
• Garden beds restrict water travel
• Adjacent properties are elevated higher

Basic repair and prevention:

• Parcel pipe/yard pope system installation
• Pump lift station

Symptoms:

• Basement floods due to power outage
• Floor cracks seep
• Water gathers at low sections of floor
• Pumps cannot handle water conditions

Potential causes:

• No battery backup sump pump system
• Poor or defective pump system
• Dead battery
• Poor pump conditions
• Restricted or breached discharge pipe
• Aggressive high water table
• Inadequate put basin conditions

Basic repair and prevention:

• Install adequate battery backup system
• Replace or repair defective parts to ensure proper operation
• Install dedicated discharge line for backup pump
• Install updated pit basin and/or interior drain tile installation

Symptoms:

• Basement floods
• Sump pump basin is full or overflowing
• Water near or around sump pump equipment

Potential causes:

• Blown electrical outlet
• Defective sump pump
• Faulty or poor sump pump switch
• Clogged or restricted discharge line
• Defective check valve
• Restricted storm line systems
• Foundation cracks

Basic repair and prevention:

• Ensure electrical power at wall outlet location
• Replace defective parts: pump, sump pump switch, and check valve
• Establish clear discharge line to proper location and/or automatic relief pipe
• Epoxy repair foundation crack

Symptoms:

• Floor drain backs up when bathroom is used
• Toilet won’t flush properly
• Shower/tub back-up

Potential causes:

• Poor pump switch
• Defective sewer ejector pump

Basic repair and prevention:

• Replace defective parts: pump switch, sewage ejector pump, check valve

Symptoms:

• Sump pump does not turn off
• Sump pump cycles excessively or very often during storms
• Sump pump is very active all seasons throughout the year
• Primary and backup sump pumps run together at all times

Potential causes:

• Poor or defective switch
• Defective check valve
• High water table
• Insufficient put basin conditions
• Not enough pumping power
• Interconnected discharge lines

Basic repair and prevention:

• Replace defective parts: sump pump switch, check valve
• Updated put basin installation
• Additional secondary sump pump installed
• Dedicated discharge pipe and/or automatic relief pipe