had a sump pump put in years ago.
never had to work until this storm.
we've had at least 6" of water.

In any case, when the pump and well were put in, someone got lazy and the rim of the well is about 1" higher than the lowest part of the basement floor (this was a dig out basement from the 50s when a heating system and electricity was added).

Anyone have a brilliant idea how to get that water up hill into the well, capillary action or something? That doesn't involve notching the concrete. Right now it's the broom method.

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!#$@@$#!

If you find a way for the water to go uphill, you solved the energy problem



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2021 10:40AM by space-time.

Wet/dry shop vac?

Hmmm. Normally a sump pump gets its water from drain pipes placed under the floor and surrounding the foundation, that spill into the sump and is then pumped out of the house and away from the foundation. If you're seeing upflow in your floor then you have a blockage problem OR the area that is seeping isn't covered by the sump system at all. Your only long term solution may be to install another sump in that area.

If you're seeing weeping in the basement walls then you've got a separate problem, the footer drains are blocked or don't even exist.

Damp protection in a basement is a multi-faceted thing. Old school used to be to make the basement 'sealed' by 'waterproofing' the floor and walls. The basement becomes a boat, floating on the water table outside. Later ideas worked more on keeping the water away from the outside of the basement - under the floor and outside the walls.

Our old house did not have a sump pump system. We learned from neighbors that all the houses in the area actually 'floated' during an epic storm in the 1980's, and the basement floors cracked under the strain.

Just drill a hole at floor level through the rim on the floor's lowest side.

Quote
space-time
If you find a way for the water to go uphill, you solved the energy problem

Damn, space. You made me almost spit out my coffee.

Maybe I don’t understand the problem, but if the rim of the well stands above the level of the floor, why wouldn’t you cut it down to allow the standing water to flow into the well?

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Where is there dignity unless there is also honesty? - Cicero

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. —Wendy Mass

this is just a barrel that was cut into the original concrete dig out and a pump placed within, before we had grading and stonework done.

No footers in this old house, 1920s and added to in 2 separate jobs (or more) after the '50s. It's an old summer colony that never had water, electric, insulation or phones until the 50s.

I did make the water go uphill, but it did involve a broom.

The water is overflow into the basement stairwell drain that drains no longer and leaps the basement door threshold.

I guess since this is the first time we've had this much water, an inch or so, I'm not gonna worry this one.

I was hoping that one of you were extra terrestrial willing to share your intergalactic science.

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!#$@@$#!

the floor is concave which is why the rim is above the center of the floor.
I suppose I could add a layer of concrete and slope it toward the bucket.

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!#$@@$#!

Ammo's idea seems most straightforward, depending on the material(s) involved. Or, similar to neophyte's suggestion, could you just cut some slots around the rim of the bucket?

If you are saying the water puddles at a distance from the rim (and thus my hole drilling suggestion would be useless), then capillary action might work, albeit slowly. Take a cotton rope and lay it in the puddle until it is throughly wet, then leave one end in the puddle and put the other end over the rim and down into the well, the deeper the better but not touching the water in the well. The rope will drip water into the well from the puddle. It will be slow, but probably faster than a dehumidifier.

cool idea, I'll try that.

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my understanding is the Sump Pump well was not installed correctly. Whoever did this job, failed in a very miserable way.

indeed they did. I wish I'd been here for it.
it's a drag that one has to watch every contractor that comes.

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!#$@@$#!

.....most guys as they get up there.....will have issues with their sump pump flowing.......usually due to prostate.......

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Since it is a dug out basement and the sump was put in after the basement floor. the sump construction person screwed up.

The sump rim is too high.

The floor has no drain tiles.

Your choices:

1. continue with the broom method and then do it again for the next flood.
2. cut down the rim of the sump hole
3. use a tile cutting blade to notch a hole in the sump rim and a narrow drain channel in the floor (perhaps more than one)
4. bust up the floor enough to put in a drain channel or a floor drain to the sump.

Quote
Fritz
had a sump pump put in years ago.
never had to work until this storm.
we've had at least 6" of water.

In any case, when the pump and well were put in, someone got lazy and the rim of the well is about 1" higher than the lowest part of the basement floor (this was a dig out basement from the 50s when a heating system and electricity was added).

Anyone have a brilliant idea how to get that water up hill into the well, capillary action or something? That doesn't involve notching the concrete. Right now it's the broom method.

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Ed (modelamac)

I think I will just put an OUT OF ORDER
sticker on my head and call it a day.

From your description, it sounds like you don't actually have a sump system, you merely have a big hole in your basement floor.

I don't know of a good solution short of breaking up and redoing the entire basement floor--along with the addition of drainage tiles, i.e. a real sump system.

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modelamac's #3 sounds like the best combination of easiest and cheapest.

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The police have no duty to respond. See Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005) or Warren v. District of Columbia[1] (444 A.2d. 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981)

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