Crawl space and basement
Sump pump installation in Murfreesboro
A sump pump collects the water that reaches the low point under your house and pushes it outside. Call to be connected with an independent local company that installs pumps in crawl spaces and basements.
What is in the pit
How the pieces work together
The basin is a perforated plastic tub set into the ground at the spot where water gathers. In a basement it sits below the slab. In a crawl space it sits below the liner or the soil. Drains under the floor or along the walls lead to it.
When the water in the basin rises, a float switch turns the pump on. The pump sends the water up a pipe and out through the wall. A check valve on that pipe closes when the pump stops, so the water in the pipe does not fall back and start the cycle again.
Why the battery backup matters
The storms that fill a sump basin are the same storms that knock out electricity. A pump with no power is a tub of rising water. A backup is a second, smaller pump in the same basin, run from a battery that stays on charge. Most have an alarm that sounds when the backup takes over or the water gets too high.
Ask how long the battery is expected to run the pump, how you will know when the battery needs replacing, and whether the alarm can reach your phone. Test the system a couple of times a year by unplugging the main pump and pouring a bucket of water into the basin.
Where the water goes, and the wiring
The discharge pipe should end where the water runs away from the house and stays on your own lot. Water dumped beside the foundation comes straight back to the basin. Ask the company where the pipe will end, how it is kept from clogging with leaves, and whether your city or the county has a say about that spot.
A pump needs its own outlet nearby. If one has to be added inside Murfreesboro city limits, the city's Building and Codes office says the electrical permit must be obtained by a licensed electrical contractor, not by the homeowner. Ask who is arranging that part.
Six things to ask before a pump goes in
- Why is the basin going in that spot?
- What size is the pump, and what is it made of?
- Is a check valve fitted, and can the pump be lifted out for service without cutting pipe?
- Is the backup a separate pump with its own switch?
- Is the basin lid sealed? In a crawl space or a finished basement an open pit adds moisture to the air.
- Where does the discharge end, and how far is that from the foundation?
Sump pump questions
My pump runs all the time. Is that normal?
Not in dry weather. A float stuck in the on position, a missing or failed check valve, or a discharge that empties too close to the house can each keep a pump cycling. Constant running in wet weather can mean the pump is too small or that water is arriving faster than it should.
Do crawl spaces need sump pumps?
Only where liquid water collects. A crawl space that is merely humid needs a liner and dry air, not a pump. One that floods after rain needs somewhere for that water to go.
How long does a sump pump last?
It varies with how often it runs and how gritty the water is. Rather than trust a number, test it before each wet season and replace it when it becomes noisy, slow or unreliable.
Ask about a sump pump
Say what you have noticed under the house or in the basement. A short description is enough to get the conversation started.
Call from Murfreesboro or nearby
You will be put through to an independent local company that does this kind of work.
Call (615) 555-0113Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure to see how this service is paid for.