Thursday, December 13, 2007

Winter Storms Can Cause Flooded Basements

Many people will say to me " Steve, I don't even get water in my basement". Winter storms will sometimes cause a basement to leak when it has never leaked before and this is why - Snow will come down on frozen ground, then rain and sleet comes when a warm front comes right behind. This scenario can cause a basement to flood very badly. It is IMPORTANT for every below ground space to have a basement sump pump along with a second pump which can operate when the power goes out. Power outages are very common when this "perfect storm" occurs - Snow/sleet/rain and ice on tree branches cause a lot of power outages in the winter months.
Don't ignore that your basement space is below ground, remember it isn't "if your basement leaks but rather when it will leak."

The best dual sump pump system I know of is the Deluxe Grate Sump Package. See it on www.grateproducts.com Homeowners can have a local Grate Products Authorized Contractor install this system.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Back Up Sump Pumps

Back Up Sump Pump Systems have come a long way in recent years. There are some great units out there today that can protect your basement from flooding. I like the PHCC Pro Series 2400 by Glentronics. It has a great controller that alerts pump failure and power failure while operating on DC power for 7.5 hours per battery. With a jumper cable you can link two batteries giving 15 hours of continuous pumping. Check out the unit at http://www.grateproducts.com/ under Grate Sumps

What To Do When Your Basement Is Flooded

There are some safety concerns when your basement is flooded.

1)Be sure all electricity to the house is off. Before walking across the basement floor - check and makes sure no power or appliance is on.

2)It is important to remove the water in the basement in stages. Water removed too fast from a basement may cause the foundation walls to collapse.

3) Make sure that the water you are pumping out of the basement is directed in a way that does not cause a safety hazard. For example, do not allow ground water to be pump into the street in winter months as it could freeze and cause a dangerous situation.