Sump pump installation and replacement in northern Utah

Your house needs a sump pump when ground water rises to the level of the basement floor. The signs show up at the edges first:

• Water or a damp line where the basement floor meets the wall.
• Wet carpet along outside walls in spring.
• White, chalky mineral streaks on concrete walls or floors.
• A pit the builder left in the floor with no pump in it and water standing in it.
• A musty smell that comes back every spring.

Soil matters too. The Utah Geological Survey describes expansive soil as soil with high clay content that swells when wet and shrinks when dried. If water only shows up after the sprinklers run, or after rain hits one corner of the house, the fix may be grading, downspouts, or a drain instead of a pump. We check that before we cut any concrete.

A new sump pump installation has six steps:

1. We find the lowest spot in the basement and plan where the water will go once it leaves the house.
2. We cut the concrete, dig the pit, and set the basin in gravel.
3. We set the pump on a solid base so it does not sit in silt, and we make sure the float switch swings free.
4. We install a check valve, which keeps pumped water from falling back into the pit.
5. We run the discharge pipe through the wall to a spot outside that drains away from the foundation.
6. We patch the concrete, fill the pit with water, and watch the pump run through full cycles.

The pump needs a grounded outlet near the pit. If there is none, an electrician adds one. Replacing a pump in an existing pit skips the first two steps.

Replacing a worn pump in an existing pit is usually done in one visit. The old pump comes out, the new pump and check valve go in, and we test it before we leave.

A first-time installation takes longer because it includes cutting concrete, digging the pit, and running a new discharge line through the wall. These things add time:

• A finished basement, where flooring or drywall has to be protected or opened.
• A long discharge run to reach a spot that drains away from the house.
• No outlet near the pit.
• Adding a battery backup pump in the same job.

We give you the schedule with your free estimate, before work starts. If you want the pump in before spring runoff, book in fall or winter. Every plumber is busier once basements are already wet.

We give free estimates and do not post prices, because two basements are rarely the same job. These are the things that change the cost of a sump pump installation:

• New pit or existing pit. Cutting concrete and digging a pit is the biggest difference between jobs.
• Pump type and capacity. A pump that has to move more water, or lift it higher, costs more.
• Discharge line. A longer run, or one that has to be buried, adds labor and pipe.
• Backup. A battery backup pump and an alarm add parts.
• Electrical. A new outlet near the pit is electrician's work.
• Finishes. Flooring, drywall, or built-ins around the pit take time to protect or open.

Financing is available for larger jobs. Ask about it when we write your estimate.

Most homes with a standard pit do well with a submersible sump pump. A submersible pump sits at the bottom of the pit, under water. The water muffles the motor, and the pit can take a tight lid that keeps out debris, moisture, and toys.

A pedestal pump has its motor on a post above the pit, with only the intake at the bottom. It fits narrow or shallow pits where a submersible will not. The motor is easy to reach for service. It is louder, the pit is harder to cover, and the motor has to stay dry.

Either type keeps a basement dry when it is sized for the water coming in. We measure the pit and ask how often it fills before we recommend one. The table below compares the two.

Sump pump water should go outside to a spot where it drains away from the foundation, not into the sewer. Each city sets its own rule, so we check yours before we run the line. The Town of Mantua, for one, tells residents that it is illegal to empty a sump pump into the sewer system and that the water must go to a spot away from the foundation, such as a dry well, creek, pond, or neighborhood drain.

A good discharge line also:

• Slopes downhill, so water does not sit in the pipe and freeze.
• Ends far enough from the house that water does not run back to the foundation.
• Stays off sidewalks and driveways, where the water turns to ice in winter.
• Stays on your lot instead of draining onto a neighbor's.

If your lot has no good spot, a dry well or a buried line to a drain can solve it.

Test your sump pump before spring runoff, not during it. At the U.S. Geological Survey gauge on the Weber River near Oakley, in Summit County, the long-term average daily flow is highest in the first week of June. Salt Lake County Flood Control runs a Runoff Ready program to help residents prepare for snowmelt. Put the pump test on the same list.

• Pour water into the pit until the float rises. The pump should start, empty the pit, and shut off.
• Walk outside and make sure water comes out of the discharge pipe. Clear snow, ice, and leaves from the end of it.
• Keep the lid on the pit so gravel and debris stay out.
• Listen. Grinding, rattling, or a pump that starts and stops every few seconds means it needs service.

If the pump protects a finished basement, add a battery backup. The storms that fill the pit can also cut the power.