What Are Submersible Sump Pumps?

A fully submersible sump pump is the most common type of pump used in houses across North America. As we mentioned in the introduction, this type of sump pump is located in a small basin, or sump pit dug in a strategic part of the basement. During new home construction, builders will generally try to slope the basement floors slightly so that any flooding or excess water will automatically accumulate at this low point. Most of these submersible sump pumps today come with sensors and valves that detect rising water levels. These sump pumps are located in the sump hole, at a lower point than your regular basement floor. So, they can pump out the accumulating water before it reaches the flooring, drywall, and other elements of your finished basement that could get damaged by flooding.

What Are Pedestal Sump Pumps?

Pedestal sump pumps are similarly placed in a sump basin. However, these types of pumps do not have motors that are submergeable in water. With a pedestal pump, the motor is positioned with the pump motor out of the water, located directly above the sump basin. These pumps are usually chosen when the basin is small and does not have enough space or depth for a submersible sump pump.

What Are Battery Back-Up Sump Pumps?

Both submersible sump pumps and pedestal sump pumps can also come with battery backup power. This feature gives homeowners an added sense of assurance that their basement will be protected from flooding even if the electricity goes out for an extended period. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), when Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston, Texas area in 2017, more than 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity generating capacity experienced forced outages. The massive amounts of rain also led to the flooding of thousands of homes. Many of those homes might have been able to avoid the worst flooding effects had they installed a battery backup system for their sump pump.

How Much Energy Does a Sump Pump Use?

Water pumping technology is relatively energy efficient. As a general rule of thumb, each horsepower (HP) of pumping strength uses about 2,000 watts of power or 2 kilowatt-hours. Unless you have a massive basement, most homeowners can get by with a 1/3 HP or ½ HP sump pump. For a ½ HP sump pump, you can expect to add about 1 kWh to your energy bill for every hour the pump is running. With the average electricity price standing around $0.13 per kWh, this might seem like a negligible expense. Moreover, these pumps will only use energy when they are turned on and running.

However, some experts believe that during extremely wet spring weather, some homeowners might end up spending upwards of $30 per month on running their sump pump. Is your basement leaking and accumulating large amounts of water during wet weather? If so, there are other things you can do to reduce the energy consumption of continuously running your sump pump. Proper sloping around your home's foundation can help move water away from your home. You might consider extending your downspout another 5 to 10 feet to move the rainwater away from the basement.

Do Sump Pumps Improve Your Home's Health?

An accumulation of water in your basement is the best recipe for mold growth. About 10 to 20 percent of the world's population is highly allergic to mold spores, and mold in your basement is one of the most common causes of unhealthy indoor air quality. The International Center for Toxicology and Medicine report finds that an estimated 70 percent of homes suffer from extensive mold growth. A sump pump is a great way to limit the risk of mold in the basement, thus protecting your indoor air quality. You can read more about how to improve your home's indoor air quality here.

How Long Does a Sump Pump Last?

Like every appliance in your home, a sump pump will not last forever. Its lifespan will most likely depend on how often it operates. A sump pump installed in a house that only needs to run for a couple of days a year during unexpected rains will most likely last much longer than one used every month. In general, however, you should expect your sump pump to last for around ten years. If you have battery backup for your sump pump, you will most likely need to change the batteries every 4-5 years.

Most homeowners will not notice that their sump pump is broken or inoperable until it no longer automatically turns on after heavy rain. For sump pumps that are seven years or older, you should periodically manually turn them on throughout the year to make sure they are still working.

How to Install a Sump Pump?

In most cases, you install sump pumps during initial basement construction. This timing ensures the basement floor and foundation have the proper sloping to direct accumulated water towards the sump basin. However, it is possible to install a sump pump after the basement finishing is complete. You will need to locate the lowest point in the basement flooring to do this yourself. From there, you will need to dig a small pit or basin and install the pump. Most sump pumps are designed for cycling on and off automatically via a floating device on the pump. So the installation will also require the proper setup of this floating device. For a detailed video on sump pump installation, check out this video.