Sump Pump Installation across Vaughan

Does your house have one?

Many Vaughan subdivisions from the 1990s onward were constructed with sump pits, especially where the foundation drains could not run by gravity to the storm sewer. Older homes may have weeping tiles tied straight into the sanitary or storm sewer, which the City has encouraged homeowners to disconnect in some areas; check the City's current programs. Look for a round plastic or concrete pit with a lid, usually in the mechanical room or under the basement stairs.

Installing or replacing a pump

1. Pull the aging pump and scoop the silt and stones out of the pit.
2. Set the new pump on a firm base so it will not suck up debris.
3. Fit a new check valve so water in the discharge pipe does not fall back into the pit.
4. Drill a weep hole between pump and check valve where the maker calls for it, to prevent air lock.
5. Route the discharge out through the rim joist and away from the foundation.
6. Fill the pit with a garden hose and watch it through at least two full cycles.

Battery backup

Storms that bring the heaviest rain also bring power cuts. A battery standby pump sits above the main pump in the same pit and runs on a deep-cycle battery when the power goes. A water-powered backup is another option in some homes. Either one is cheap compared with a finished-basement flood.

Picking a pump

Cast iron housings dissipate heat and outlast plastic. A vertical float switch suits narrow pits. Size the pump for how high it must lift the water and how much your pit fills during a storm. We look at the pit during or after rain if we can, because how fast it fills tells us more than any rule of thumb.

If the pump runs but the pit keeps rising, see sump pump repair. Our sump pump testing guide shows how to check yours before spring.