Sump Pumps: Last Line Of Defense For Spring Flooding

Spring is the time of the year when there is the most number of incidents of flooding in homes. That’s because as the snow melts and rainfall increases, the large volumes of runoff created and rising groundwater often overwhelm the flood prevention system in homes.

The result is that more homes experience flooding in spring than at any other time of the year. But the TrustArt Realty Team advises there are steps homeowners can take to protect their houses from spring flooding. These measures include a range of steps that can be taken inside or outside the home:

Sealing cracks and leaks in walls, floors and foundations to prevent water infiltration.
Keeping gutters and downspouts free of debris.
Ensuring downspouts are draining at a proper distance from the foundation.
Proper grading of the soil around the home to make sure it slopes away from the building.
Ensuring that swales, French drains and catch basins are well-maintained.
Keeping the main sewer line clog-free to prevent backflow of wastewater into the home.

These steps should be your home’s first line of defense against flooding. They drastically reduce the home’s exposure to the risk of spring flooding. But they do not eliminate the risk. If there is a severe storm or a river overflows, it is still possible that your home will get flooded.

This is why your home needs a failsafe system to serve as its last line of defense against spring flooding. This system should automatically kick in when all your other safeguards fail. For most homes, the measure that has proven the most effective in this regard is a sump pump.

Sump pumps; how they work and why your home needs one

Unlike the other flood-protection methods listed above – all of which try to keep water out of your home – a sump pump operates on a different idea – it works to get water out of your home. While the other methods are preventative, the sump pump is corrective.

Sump pumps ensure that if runoff or groundwater ever finds its way into your home, the water is removed before it can do any harm. Sump pumps operate in a worst-case scenario; they assume that flooding will happen in your home at some point, and they work to protect the home.

How do sump pumps work? Sump pumps are made of several components which work together to keep a flooding incident inside your home’s basement from becoming a disaster. The main elements of the sump pump system are:

A sump basin; usually 2 feet deep and 18 inches wide.
A submersible or pedestal pump with a motor that can come in a range of sizes.
A float switch which automatically turns the pump on when it detects water.
A check valve to prevent backflow and short cycling.
A strainer basket to catch debris and keep it from entering the motor.

When the water inside the sump basin rises to a predetermined level, the float switch activates the pump. The water is pumped out of the basement and carried to a safe location, away from the house. When the water inside the pit is sufficiently low, the float switch will turn off the pump.

How to make sure your sump pump never fails

Sump pumps are not a system you can set and forget. If you don’t understand this, you may wake up one day to the sad sight of a flood inside your basement. To help the sump pump play its role as your home’s last line of defense against spring flooding, you should do the following:

Test the sump pump

Periodically test the sump pump to ensure its automatic function is working. Testing a sump pump is as simple as pouring water into the sump pit until the float rises and the motor kicks in. Watch to see if the sump pump turns off after the water is pumped out.

Install a sump pump alarm system

There are different types of sump pump alarm systems. Some alarm systems make a loud noise to warn you of problems, while others send emails and text messages. Some alarm systems only monitor water levels in the pit, but others are more advanced.

Install a battery backup pump system

Because it is connected to your home’s electricity supply, the sump pump will not work if there is a power outage. Blackouts often happen when you need the sump pump most – during storms. A battery-powered backup system can save you in these situations.

Replace your sump pump

Sump pumps should be replaced every 7-10 years. But this also depends on how much maintenance the pump gets and the volume of water it handles. If you maintain the sump pump on a schedule, it will be easy to detect signs of impending failure before it happens.

Lastly, you want to have proper flood insurance. Weather patterns around the world are changing because of climate change. Even if you think your home is not at risk of flooding, adequate flood insurance will give you peace of mind in case the unexpected happens.

How to prevent spring floods you ask? Flooding from natural events is currently rated as the most dangerous natural disaster in the USA. Although most people tend to associate flooding with events like hurricanes, most floods result from everyday things like rain and snowmelt.

Even in the absence of extreme weather, there’s a flooding event in one part of the USA at least 8 out of 10 days every year. Many of these are flash floods, most of which happen in Spring. A third of US states face an increased risk of flooding with the onset of Spring.

Why is there a higher rate of flooding during Spring?

It is due to the following reasons: rapid snowmelt caused by quickly rising spring temperatures, saturated soils that are unable to absorb the amount of runoff from spring rains, and increasing volumes of rainfall across the entire USA over the last century.

Keyrenter Boise warns, these factors multiply the possibility that most American homes will suffer the ravages of flooding at least once a decade. How do Spring floods affect your home, why are they so dangerous, and how can you protect yourself?

Why Spring floods are so dangerous

Most Spring flooding falls under the category of flash floods. This is flooding that happens unexpectedly as a result of heavy precipitation, usually a short spell of intense rainfall. The average timeframe it takes a flash flood to develop is less than six hours.

Each year, Spring floods cause billions of dollars worth of damage. More than 40% of businesses and 20% of homes affected by them never fully recover. That is why they are viewed as the most destructive natural disaster and the number one cause of death due to weather events.

The primary danger of Spring floods lies in their sudden and violent nature. Also:

They are highly unpredictable, and the water current is unusually strong.
They are very deceptive; often faster flowing and deeper than they appear.
They carry tons of debris that exponentially increase their power to do damage.
They can wash away topsoil, heavy vehicles, roads, train tracks or even bridges.
Flash floods will easily expose your home’s foundation, as well as damage its interior.

Is there a way to protect yourself and your home from Spring flooding?

How to prevent Spring flooding

Make your home ready before Spring arrives

Don’t wait until the first rains before you remove the debris lying in your yard or hiding in gutters. As soon as temperatures start to go up, it is time to start taking steps to make sure your home is not vulnerable to Spring floods.

Grade your landscaping

Water always flows from high to low ground; even flash floods follow this simple law of physics. Grading the landscaping around your home can help keep floodwaters away from the house.

Install sump pumps and maintain them

Sump pumps protect your home and below-grade portions of the house from flooding. They do this even when you are asleep. Test your sump pump at the beginning of Spring and install a battery backup sump pump system, just in case there is a power outage.

Grow a lush lawn that can absorb water

A lawn populated by plants with deep and robust root systems will help to protect your home from flooding. That is because the soil acts like a sponge, quickly soaking up water that falls on it and transporting it away from the surface.

Install a rain garden

Rain gardens are surface systems for holding water. They collect runoff from heavy rainfall and give the soil time to slowly soak up the excess water. They not only save your home from flooding but also beautify the property.

Grow trees to stop flooding

By catching raindrops on their leaves and branches, trees reduce the amount of rainwater that gets to the soil. In the event of flooding, tree trunks also help to slow floodwaters and reduce the damage they cause. Tree roots also increase the rate at which soils absorb water.

Give the water somewhere to go

It can be as simple as removing debris from the yard, so it doesn’t end up inside the drains. It can mean not doing things that cause blockages inside storm water drains and your home’s main sewer line.

Get the right insurance coverage

Homeowner’s insurance typically does not include damage by Spring floods. Several homeowners don’t know this until after their home is devastated by a flood. Buying flood insurance will protect your home and give you peace of mind.

It is a good idea to thoroughly assess the building and determine its vulnerabilities if you want to make your home completely safe from flooding. A plumber with experience in flood control can reduce your home’s exposure to spring flooding by identifying the building’s weaknesses and recommending the right solutions for the problem.

If you live in an area where the homes are at a higher risk of flooding or your house has been flooded in the past, a French drain system installation can help you avert future flooding incidents by designing a comprehensive flood-protection solution for your property.

Category Archives: spring flooding