HELP please!! Basement flooding (groundwater seepage) -- need advice!

[agnes!]

It doesn't sound like there are inches and inches of water in the OP's parents' basement, a bottom-draw pump will operate with a very small amount of water and suck the water from close to the hard-surface. The regular kind of sump-pumps have their openings 3" or so above the hard surface and by the time 3" has accumulated, the stuff in that basement might be (soggy) toast. Also I think the regular pumps can burn out if you leave them on and try to use them in a 'pooling' situation.

agnes!

I don't know what kind of sump pump you have but that does not describe our sump pumps.

They are below surface and you can alter the level you want it to go off.

We have had ground seepage and put in drain tile with a sump pump on our first house.

Hopefully OP has gotten some better equipment to help her parents out with their issue in the interim.

Perhaps I did not explain it very well, but this is the type I was trying to refer to:

, where the intake is on the bottom of the pump itself. It's been my understanding that there are different kinds of sump pumps, I was just attempting to describe what a bottom-draw sump pump was. According to this website http://www.sumppumphelp.com/How_Does_a_Sump_Pump_Work.html, the different kinds of sump pumps are "pedestal" and "submersible". A submersible pump

does not have a connecting pipe that draws the water out, instead the water is filtered right through the bottom of the sump pump.

So perhaps the "bottom-draw" sump pump can also be known as a "submersible sump pump"?

OP - You could maybe try out one of the smaller Little Genie pool/pond pumps to at least pump the water out on an interim basis, just make sure you don't walk away, you'll probably need to tend the pump so it doesn't burn out trying to pump air when the water has been gotten rid of.

agnes!

 

[kpm76]

While they will probably be able to give you a referral they won't "supply" you with anything because flooding is not covered under a homeowner's policy.

I agree about the sump pump. Go buy one, FAST, before they are all gone. Hook it up to a hose (you can buy them too) and run the hose out the basement window and into the street.

You can try a restoration company but they will be expensive and they can't really be there 24 hours/day.

I agree. We are survivors of the massive floods that hit RI in March. We had 2.5 feet of water in our basement and we used several sump pumps and drained water out for a week. Homeowners does not cover ground water damage......

OP, certainly not minimizing your issue, but it does not sound like you even have inches in your basement so you probably can control it with a pump or even just a wet vac. Calling a restoration company is probably useless and a waste of money. They are for people with significant damage and with it only "seeping" I am sure there is not much real damage. My brother had 7 feet of septic water back up in his basement and had no choice but to call Servpro and it's cost them $5,000 for the clean-up......

After this experience, we are hiring a contractor to put in a below grade sump pump so perhaps your parents could consider this option.....

Unfortunately, when it is a ground water issue, you really have no choice but to wait for the water table to recede......good luck!

 

[sunshine girl]

I can't tell you all how helpful this has been. I literally just read this entire thread out loud to my mom. We definitely do not have it as bad as some of you have had, especially you RI flood victims. I'm so sorry you had to experience those floods!

The bottom-draw sump pump may be a good idea, though the concept of the pumps is a little confusing. Where would I get one? Home Depot? I'm clueless but maybe my parents are more knowledgeable.

We have it under control right now (we're taking shifts scooping out water to keep our main basement "lake" at bay) but more rains are expected tomorrow night, so we want to be prepared for the inevitable. We are adding to our downspouts tomorrow.

The entire basement did not flood, but probably would have been much worse if we hadn't put so much effort into trying to control it. We have several seeping "rivers" from random corners and one large "spring"/lake bubbling up from the middle of the room. 3 inches at max, I estimate. The rivers have mostly dried up but the spring is bubbling away...

Honestly everyone, I can't thank you enough for your help. Any and all additional help or comments are greatly appreciated!!

 

[JoiseyMom]

We have been in our house for 11 years...and have a sump pump in the basement. This year was the first year we have had any problems. Our french drains had too much and we flooded in the front of the house only. We callled our insurance company, they sent out a company to move stuff, ripped up and threw out the padding for the carpet (we have a finished basement), left fans to dry carpet. Our insurane company called it a failure of the sump pump, and we were covered up to 10k. It was the first claim we have ever made in our 11 years..and of course it is a new insurance company... they were great though.

Good luck!

 

[formill]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs..._mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D26X-_-100212272

Home Depot does sell them- Lowes, Harbour Freight Tools. We use one regularly for taking water off pool cover, get water from our pond for watering flowerbeds too. Easy Easy to hook up -plugs into regular outlet- attach garden hose and you are good to go.