Detroit Real Estate

Just what is a sump pumps and why they are needed in Novi Michigan homes.   A sump pump is a "newer" building technique.  Most older homes in Detroit don't have them.  If a house is built in an area without a sandy soil they now usually put in a sump pump.

When it rains water travels down the sides of the basement walls.  The rain water builds up pressure and looks for cracks or holes to come into the house.  The water is simply looking for the path of least resistance.  Just somewhere to go.  A sump pump is set up as a place for the water to go.

Now when they build houses they put a water proofing material on the outside walls.  Then they put a drainage pipe around the base of the basement walls and fill it up with pea gravel.  Then they back fill the basement walls.

Under the basement floor is more pea gravel.  A sump is really a big plastic bucket where some of this rainfall ends up.  The sump bucket is about 2 foot wide and about 2 1/2 foot deep.  The top of it is the level with the basement floor.  So it sets down below the basement floor.  The "sump"  bucket is located in one corner of the basement.  Then a pump is stuck in the plastic bucket with an automatic float valve.  So when ever water runs into the sump and gets to a certain level the sump pump kicks on.

The sump pumps sucks the water up and out of the sump (basement) and out away from the house.  Relieving the water pressure on the walls and keeping water out of the basement.

So basically the explanation of a sump pump is a large bucket that sits in the basement floor that water runs into from outside the basement then is pumped out away from the basement walls.  Many homes in Novi Michigan have sump pumps.

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"Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought."
- Henri-Louis Bergson