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GREENWICH - Speaking in the wake of last month's sewer main break in Cos Cob, one Greenwich woman said she and her family are still recovering from a backup that filled the basement of their home with raw sewage almost two years ago. "It's a ...

Greenwich resident blames town negligence for raw sewage backup - Stamford Advocate

Bricks, mortar and concrete can handle 25 years of use rather easily, Logan County Water Pollution Control District’s General Manager Garis Pugh observed Monday while walking about the Indian Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant in Russells Point. But ...

Treatment plant looks to meet future demands - Bellefontaine Examiner

CAPITAL REGION — It was nothing like the devastating mid-December ice storm, but wind-driven power outages and sub-zero wind chills last week gave emergency responders yet another reminder of the need to plan for those times nature plays havoc with ...

Officials take lessons from ice storm - Daily Gazette

Open Question: How do I make sure my finished basement stays dry?

I have a sump pump with a battery backup. However during one overnight period recently, the sump pump died, the battery backup worked for a few hours and then it died, and by the following day the basement was flooded. The battery backup was beeping but we didn't hear it upstairs. Short of digging a second well for another sump pump, what can I do to really minimize the chance this happens again? more

Resolved Question: Sewer backup in my basement?

The water main is clogged somewhere in my house and it is backing up in the basement. I can't afford a plumber or other service. Right now, I have a sump pump going to keep the water under control, but how do I unclog it and where do I look for the problem. The other lines such as my sinks, tub, toilets, etc., are not backing up. It's the waters main line in the basement. Help please!!!! The water is coming out of the drains in the basement. I have a pump in a pit and the water is also coming out from the pit. As soon as I use water such as washing hands, shower, toilet, etc., it will start to rise in the main drains in the basement. I just bought a small pump. I never had to have one in there before. Yes I have a bathroom in the basement. It's near the pit I was talking about. I noticed about a month ago that the drain in the laundry room would over flow every so often and then go back down. So I assume that this has been building up for about a month or so. I just purchased this pump yesterday and have never had a pump in this pit before. The areas that are backing up are the drain in the laundry room, which is approximately 110 ft. from the bathroom and pit. So the laundry room drain and the pit in the bathroom is what is backing up. I can't see that there is a float in the pit because when it was empty, as it always has been, there was never anything there. I removed the toilet in the basement and put a snake down it, but nothing happened; however, I did notice toilet paper and other waste coming up into the pit. The pump that I recently purchased is doing an excellent job in maintaining the water. Also.... the pump has been running all night long and water has been consistent in coming out, so I'm assuming water is coming in from somewhere else in addition to the backing up. I'm a single mom and can't afford a plumber but am pretty handy. I most certainly appreciate your help.. Hope what I've explained might be of assistance. Pls keep in mind that I did state that I noticed the drain in the laundry back up about a month ago so I don't know if water run off would matter or is relevant??????? Thank you so much for all of your time. I am more than grateful and appreciate everything you've tried to do for me. God Bless you..... more

Resolved Question: Is there any insurance that covers your house from a flood from rainfall due to clogged storm drains ?

Last year the bottom floor of my house got flooded because the storm drain on our block was clogged with leaves and debris and it rained very hard. I'm scared it will happen again and looked for insurance to cover it. However, national flood insurance does not (I think it has to be from a bodily water not just rainfall), a sewer backup does not cover it, and any other insurance riders that would cover it requires a sump pump which we do not have. I would love to pay a couple of hundred bucks a year to an insurance company for piece of mind that I am covered from property damage and house damage if there is another flood but I can't find such coverage. Any help would be greatly appreciated. more

Resolved Question: Need advice about a noisy sump pump?

I recently had a battery sump pump installed as a backup to my existing sump pump. Prior to this my first pump was quiet. Now I hear a sucking sound and it lasts for about 3 or 4 seconds. There are 2 check valves. One for each pump. The first check valve is higher up on the tubing and the second is down close to the pumps. Installer says I need to either dig up my yard and re-install the drainage pipes outside or remove the battery backup pump. Does anyone have any other advice? Thanks! more

Resolved Question: just bought a house, water in the basement?

I just bought a house 2 weeks ago. It's an older house and I noticed what appeared to be old water stains on the walls in the basement, along the floor. We asked the sellers about them, they said it was the result of a previous backup from the drain (they said the washing machine, in the past, would cause the drain to backup into the basement but with once monthly vinegar and baking soda down the drain the problem was a thing of the past). They said explicitly that they had not had any water come into the basement from outside in the 15 years they had lived there. They have no sump pump, and they had carpeting (not installed, just a large rug) on the floor and appeared to use the space as living space. We asked them at least twice about the water, both times getting the same answer. Well, we've had about 6 inches of rain over the past 2 weeks (a result of the hurricanes, even though I'm in the Midwest) and I've had seepage into my basement along the east and west walls pretty consistently for days. Yesterday, however, I got running/standing water for the first time. It ran from both the east and west wall about 5 feet in toward the middle of the basement. Obviously, I'm not pleased. The deal's done on the house...but my question is do I have any sort of recourse against the sellers for essentially lying about the water in the basement? I've had water down there for a nearly 2 weeks straight, and now running water. There's no way they didn't know about it or just...I don't know forgot to say "oh, yes." If anybody has any information let me know. My thought it so invest in a sump pump and waterproofing system but it runs about $6000 on the low end (I had an estimate last week). Is there any way they are legally responsible for any portion of the cost? Thanks! Oh, I guess I should metion I'm in Illinois because these sorts of laws can probably vary by state. As per the first answer... I was hoping at least to gain some info. before contacting legal help...I really don't want to be going down this road with these people. Yes, 6 inches IS alot of rain. My point is, I had water down there the 2nd day it started. And the $6000 is for a sump pump AND basement dewatering system such as BDry. more

Resolved Question: How do I backup my existing sump pump?

I have a new sump pump that did not come with a battery backup. What is the best way to backup this sump pump without replacing the ENTIRE unit? Can I just buy a battery backup attachment? more

Resolved Question: Plumber left me high and dry...?

I hired a plumber to do a lot of work at my house (replace a tub, tile a shower, replace lots of pipes and install backup sump pump). This plumber was a friend of mine and I used him successfully on several other jobs and so has my family. About 3/4 of the way through, he stopped and I never saw him again. He was already paid in full because I was not going to be in town when he was supposed to finish, $2300. I'm well aware that it was pretty stupid to pay him ahead of time but what are my options for pursuing this matter in court to either get him to finish or to reclaim the money? I'm in New York State, county of Erie. When I said, "I don't know where he is", I didn't mean physically. He's not missing and I have spoken to his wife plenty of times. I meant he is not at my house doing his work, he's somewhere else! jc, Good suggestion but how do you do that? I tried Googling but no dice... more

Resolved Question: HELP!! Horrible sewage smell in downstairs dedroom. what is the cause??!?!?!?!?

We have a septic tank (obviously underground) that sits about 20 feet from our back bedroom. Our back bedroom smells horribly!! What could the problem be? We have a B-Dry sump pump underneath the house and the verizon people have hit the drainage pump to the system and therefore probably causing the sump pump to backup. We had the septic company come out and they felt like everything was ok with the septic tank. The sump pump is still working but the drainage pipe drains into the hole that we dug to discover the break in the drainage line. We have just gotten a ton of rain and the hole that was dug is full of 2 feet of water. So, the water in the hole drains back into the sump pump system, and when the sump pump flushes, the water under the house gets drained into the hole. By the way, this whole is also 5 feet from this back bedroom. WHAT COULD THE PROBLEM BE?????? 10 points! by the way no smell under house and no smell in other bathrooms more

Resolved Question: Question about general contractor / flooded basement?

In 2/ 08, our basement flooded. We didn’t have a waterproof system, so everything was torn out. The contractor put in a baseboard, trench, and sump pump (with battery and backup pump). He verbally warranted his work for life and said it would be in writing when he is paid in full. Last week, the pump stopped working. We called the contractor and a new pump was installed. Tonight, we went downstairs and there was an inch of water on the floor. We immediately called the contractor. He told us that the pump had failed and went to get a new one. He told us that he had originally installed a 1/3 pump and it couldn’t handle the workload. To “hopefully fix it,” he installed a 1.5 horsepower pump and said we may need to get a ¾ pump. My question is: should the contractor be responsible for knowing that a smaller sump pump will not work in a high water area (HE mentioned it was an area that has a lot of water)? My furniture and new walls are ruined… what are my options? He did not say there would be a charge for the pump replacement. Considering his previous (lack of) work ethic, I would assume he will send a bill. He actually suggested that we go and buy another sump pump so that we have a spare if this happens again. We've called our insurance company as they cover sump pump failure. Should we try and settle through his insurance? My final question... sorry this is so long.... Should he be reported? more

Resolved Question: Question about a general contractor's waterproofing/basement work?

In 2/ 08, our basement flooded. We didn’t have a waterproof system, so everything was torn out. The contractor put in a baseboard, trench, and sump pump (with battery and backup pump). He verbally warranted his work for life and said it would be in writing when he is paid in full. Last week, the pump stopped working. We called the contractor and a new pump was installed. Tonight, we went downstairs and there was an inch of water on the floor. We immediately called the contractor. He told us that the pump had failed and went to get a new one. He told us that he had originally installed a 1/3 pump and it couldn’t handle the workload. To “hopefully fix it,” he installed a 1.5 horsepower pump and said we may need to get a ¾ pump. My question is: should the contractor be responsible for knowing that a smaller sump pump will not work in a high water area (which HE mentioned)? My furniture and new walls are ruined… what are my options? He did not say there would be a charge for the pump replacement. Considering his (lack of) work ethic, I would assume he will send a bill. He did suggest that we go and buy another sump pump so that we have a spare if this happens again. My final question... sorry this is so long.... Should he be reported? more

Resolved Question: Odd plumbing? I have a sump pump that is connected to my sewer line! why would anyone do that?

If you follow the pipes, they eventually hook into the main sewer pipe. It appears to be leaking. Can I just seal it off at the main pipe. Any logical reason this backup pipeline exists? This was set up to empty a washer into the municipal sanitary system. It leaks a little because it is not plugged in, and probably catches a little backup now and then. The other sump pump properly drains out to the local ditch. I rigged my washer to directly empty into the sump hole, and out to the ditch. Is that legal? more

Resolved Question: Can I run my Dehumidifier drain to my sump basin?

I have a dehumidifier in my basement and during the summer I have to empty the bucket atleast once a day sometimes more. Would there be any problems running a drain from the dehumidifer to my sump pump baisin? I imagine that the sump would operate much more frequently doing this. Is it common practice? The sump does have a battery backup so there is no worries about it overflowing during a power outage. I was mostly just nervous about the pump running more often than perhaps it was designed for. more

Resolved Question: can I put a heat pump in my cellar?

I am putting in a new heating system into a house I am buying and wainted to use a Heat pump with LP backup. My question is can I put the compresor unit in the celar as it is constant temp as apossed to outside, I live in upstate NY. drainage is not a prob. due to sump pump already in place for any ground water leakage ( very minamal). more

Resolved Question: What could be cause of water from utility sink to drain through side wall of sump pump pit?

Recently, I snaked main drain to alleviate backup problem. At first, everything seemed fine. Within a short time, we started picking up a foul odor and also noticed that whenever we turned on water to utility tub, we could see a stream of water coming through the side wall, near the top, of the sump pump pit. Normally, water flow into the sump pump pit, comes through a large pipe down near the bottom. Sump pump pit is approximately 3 feet to the left of main drain access port. Immediately (inches) next to main port is line coming down from bathroom from main floor above. Three feet to right of main drain port is utility sink with drain going down through floor. Also, as mentioned above, we can smell sewage coming from utility sink drain, kitchen drain on main floor above and sump pump pit. Anyone ever have something like this happen? Any ideas? more

Resolved Question: Does anyone know who makes a orange colored sump pump?

I have an orange colored sump pump in my basement and I would love to buy a backup of the same brand for the future but I have no way of finding out what brand it is because it's currently in the sump. My builder installed it and I have no documentation on it. Thanks. more

Resolved Question: Basement Flooding and Options?

I am tryng to figure out how resolve our basement flooding problem. I have contacted several people on the situation, but it seems each one thinks that their service is the best way to solve the problem. I was hoping to get advice from some good knowledgable people online. Problem: I have had basement flooding 5 times in 2 years whenever we get a heavy rain. It comes up through the utility sink drain on the floor. However, the first time it was gushing out of the toilet too. Option 1: A Backflow Valve to prevent sewage backup into the house. Estimate: 600.00 Option 2: One of those Basement waterproofing companies. We had a "free" estimate done. It started at $12,000.00, but if you sign today they'll slash 3000.00 off the price. They were so high pressure, I had to practically kick them out. Option 3: Bigger Sump Pump - Can it really be such a simple solution?? Option 4: Is the city in anyway responsible for stormline overflow? Thanks in advance for any advice! more

Resolved Question: I have a sump pump which failed. Does anyone know of suppliers of sump pump backup systems in Australia?

Resolved Question: Our Sump Pump is making a droning sound. How do we fix it ?

the Basement Sentry by Zoeller, 12 Volt DC Battery Backup Pump in our storage rroom is making a horrible droining sound, for the past 1 hour. any ideas on how to fix it? or and other ideas at all? more

Resolved Question: Why does a sump pump backup?

If its clogged, from what? Do I need a plumber? more

Resolved Question: What is the best battery backup sump pump system for your home and why?

After a catastrophic flood, I need to purchase a backup system. Please only respond if you know what you are talking about.......a contractor or plumbing professional.....Thanks! more

Resolved Question: Backup sump pump recommendations?

I am looking for a battery powered backup sump pump. Due to the small sump pit in my house (I only have 5 to 6 inches of space for the backup), I am considering the the Hydropump RH1400 backup sump by Basepump. The pump itself is located outside the sump pit, requiring only the installation of a small float switch and suction pipe in the pit itself. Does anyone have any experience or feedback regarding this pump? more

Resolved Question: What are some brands of Sump Pumps that are recommended?

Recently one of my friend's basement flooded due to a bad sump pump, so it made me think that I need a backup plan in case mine were ever to break. I have looked online and cannot really find a good website that compares consumer experiences with specific brands of sump pumps. Does anyone have any recommendations or websites to do some research on this? This is for a residential ranch house, about 1200 square feet with a full basement. Thanks for any help. more

Resolved Question: What is the process for using a sump pump to drain my pool?

Can anyone provide me with an overview of the process that I need to use to drain my pool using a sump pump? Is the sump pump actually placed into the pool (i.e., it is waterproof), or does it have connected hoses that feed into the pool? I have no doubt that I will receive instructions on how to use the sump pump to drain my pool when I either rent or purchase one, but I thought backup from people with experience would be helpful. With regard to why I do not just drain using my standard equipment, my DE Filter unfortunately has only backwash and filter as an option. I cannot simply rinse or bypass the filter and drain the pool. Also, I have purchased a Wayne 1/2 HP 2,400 GPH Submersible Utility Water Pump #VIP50. The cost of the pump equalled two days of rental. more

Resolved Question: SUMP PUMP...need help!?

our backup sump pump started a constant beeping. i don't know when but i found out this afternoon. it's happened before when it ran low on water or something. but this time when we looked at the panel of stuff and lights, theres a red light by "PUMP: This pump has been activated. Please check the main pump for failure." we know where the main pump is (i think) but we have no idea how to check for failure. i mean, all i see is two pipes coming out of the ground. what should we do?? it's just my mom and me right now so we have no idea. is there a way to fix it ourselves or should we call like some person...if so, who? a sump pump guy or something??? please help. beeping is very annoying. but whats more is that we don't want anything to go wrong and get our basement flooded or something....well, we don't know much so please help! more

Resolved Question: How important is a battery back up sump pump?

One plumber says it is unnecessary, another says he can install one for $1,200. Is that fair? Are there any other options that I am unaware of? Our current sump pump in the basement does not have a battery backup. more

Resolved Question: What type of battery should I use for a backup sump pump?

Yes, I believe it is a 12V pump. Where are the deep cycle batteries sold? I checked with Home Depot and they don't carry them. more

Resolved Question: I'm looking for infro on sump pump backup system that uses city water supply and doesn't require battery?

I've recently heard of a system installed by professional plumbers that can back-up my sump pump system that uses my cities water supply and does not require a battery. more

Resolved Question: How much would it cost to install a battery backup sump pump?

Resolved Question: Where does the water entering my sump come from if it is not raining?

My sump is constantly filling with clear water from one of the drain tiles (interior or exterior of footing), causing my sump to run every 5 minutes or so. It did not do this for the first year or two when we bought the house. It now fills constantly, even if it hasnt rained in weeks.(eliminates grading questions) The pump and check valve have been replaced (as the old pump burned out). Is it possible that our city water mains leak? could a test for flouride in the water determine that? I would like to finish my basement, but fear a pump failure. I am planning on a backup pump install, but would really like to know where the water is coming from and if possible stop it. None of our nearby neighbors (less than 10 ft away) have problems, but there homes are older and may not have sump pits. Our house is 6 years old, and sits up higher on the gradual slope than others. We are closer to the water main, but that too was just replaced. I am at a loss. more

Resolved Question: Does anyone have experience with a water-powered sump pump?

Due to 9" of rain falling in 4 hrs., my sump pump and backup failed. I am looking for 'insurance' that it won't happen again. I think the backup pump discharge outside. Has anyone used a water-powered backup pump in severe conditions? If not, what kind of "regular" backup pump do you recommend? more

Resolved Question: Battery backup for sump pump (sp?) or just get a generator ?

Recently, due to a bad storm, our power went out for 18 hrs and we ended up getting a lot of water in the basement cause our pump wasn't powered. I've had some suggest having a battery backup pump...and some say "just get a generator". I've received estimates of $1,500.00 for the battery backup system......is that high ? more

Resolved Question: How big of a UPS battery backup device do I need to power a sump pump?

I've been looking at APC brand UPS (uniterruptable power supply) and need to figure out what the minimum size ups needed (700,1400, etc) to power the sump pump is... more

Resolved Question: Landlord tenant liability basement flooded, my insurance wont cover loss?

per my insurance floods due to sewer backup or sump pump failure are not cover by my home owners insurance. Do I have any legal recorse againts my landlord.he says his home owners policy does not cover content. more