Types of Sump Pumps

 Sump pumps are simply pumps that pump away water that accumulates at lower levels in your home. Homes located in lower landscape settings or poorly drained areas are very dependant on dependable sump pump activity. Sump pump installations usually consist mainly of a water collection crock or reservoir and a pump. The water drains into the reservoir and the pump will then move it to a storm drain or weeping bed.

The sump pump is set up for automatic operation. A float is linked to interact with a switch at the sump pump motor. As water levels rise in the sump pump water collection reservoir, a switch is activated and the sump pump automatically turns on. It then will pump water to a storm drain or weeping bed and continues to pump until the float level returns to a point where it switches the sump pump motor off again. In this manner, it assures that water levels will not exceed a predetermined level. In this manner water never rises high enough to damage the lower levels of your home.

Some sump pumps are completely submersible. They present a very nice compact and trouble free pump. The motor is water proof and the switch is usually a simple self contained and water proof assembly that is activated by the tipping action of rising water. The basic design is very simple, low maintenance and trouble free. The initial cost might be slightly higher than older, traditional upright sump pump installations. In most older style pumps, the pump motor is mounted on a vertical shaft at the top level of the reservoir. It must never be submerged. occasionally the mechanical linkage systems on this type of installation becomes dirty and corroded, The pump motor will fail to turn on during rising water and disaster strikes. These are still a proven and efficient sump pump systems but require a little more attention to maintenance.

A reliable system based on your active house water system - the Water Powered Sump Pump - has been placed on the market in recent years. It is primarily considered a backup up system for the electrically operated pumping systems.