Sump Pump Pits: A Primer

Summary:  When installing sump pumps, they must be installed inside sump pump pits.  Read on to learn more about the sump pump pit installation process.

Anybody who has a basement that has suffered water damage knows the financial and emotional strain that such a problem can cause. What makes matters worse is knowing how easy such problems are to avoid by the simple installation of a sump pump. Sump pumps can be found for less than two hundred dollars and even the most inexpensive ones can last over five years when treated with respect. Before you go out and buy a sump pump, however, you'll need to have a sump pump pit to put the pump in. Installing sump pump pits can be a bit more expensive and unwieldy than dealing with a sump pump but, luckily, installing a sump pump pit should be a one-time deal.

If you've recently bought a new house with a basement you may be in luck since most houses that have been built recently already have sump pump pits installed in them. If you aren't so fortunate, there are at least a few options at your disposal. If you're a handy person, you may wish to install a sump pump pit on your own. This is not recommended for anybody who doesn't have experience with sump pump pits, however, and a neophyte can cause irreversible damage to his or her foundation with just a minor slip-up. You'll need to remove large amounts of concrete and install gravel and drain tiles while getting rid of excess soil. Needless to say, this is taxing on both the mind and the body.

Hiring a professional who is experienced with sump pump pits is a far easier task to do but, unfortunately, many of us don't have the means to pay such a professional. A sump pump pit installation can cost upwards of five thousand dollars in many cases and this is a hard pill to swallow for somebody who has likely just bought the house that is causing such woe and calamity.

If your flooding is localized and seems to only occur in a certain part of your basement, you may be able to remedy the problem for only a couple hundred dollars by installing an isolated sump pump pit and surrounding it with gravel. You'll need to buy the gravel, cement, pump, fittings, and pipes, but it will most definitely be easier and cheaper than redoing the entire basement. On the other hand, you can hire a professional to do this job and often get away with paying less than five hundred dollars. Again, if you're doing the job by yourself you should acquaint yourself with sump pumps and sump pump pits before taking on the task. The likelihood that you'll ruin your basement is far less likely with this isolated pit than with redoing the whole thing but if you're doing a job you should at least do it right. If you have the slightest doubts about your talents, however, you should simply pay a professional as you will only save a couple hundred bucks after buying the equipment yourself.