There are many different names
given by many different companies to the Sump Pump Basin.
The simple fact is that it is the object that holds the sump
pump under your basement floor.
Specially designed holes along
a few sides will allow water into the basin. This helps to
remove water under the floor slab and keep the pump actively
touching moist soil. It's your first line of defense against
water rising from under your basement floor.
The sump pump basin is also
the center of the system. All drainage pipes and tiles will
be connected to this area. It is the final stop for the
water before being removed through the sump pump discharge
line that runs out of your home.
Things to be aware of about
your sump pump basin:
1.) The total height of the
basin cannot be dug further than 2 Feet under your basement
floor. This is because digging further can interrupt and
remove soil that supports the foundation called the Zone of
Influence. Installing a basin this deep can cause water to
carry with it the dirt needed in this area for support as
well as to physically interrupt the soil.
2.) There should only be
drain holes built into the basin on the inward facing sides
of the basin. This, again, is to limit the amount of soil
that gets moved from underneath your foundation. It also
helps to specifically target any water seepage or build up
under your basement floor that might have been causing floor
cracks.
3.) The basin should have a
sealed solid lid. This is a simple request, but many designs
do not have this in mind. It closes off the unit, quiets the
sump pump, limits the amount of water that can evaporate
into your basement, and makes the unit safe to have. Having
a cover keeps people from falling in, objects in your
basement from falling and logging your pump, hurting
children and if the pump ever has a cord issue,
electrocution.
4.) There should be options
to where and how to connect the drain system to the sump
pump basin. This allows you to have more options on how and
in what directions to pitch the drain to allow for the best
water flow through the pipes.
5.) The pump stand which
supports the sump pump should be built into the basin. If
there is an option to get a stand installed into the basin
it means 2 things: A.) They're trying to sell you something
else, and B.) The basin is too deep in the first place to be
installed in the foundation. Newly designed sump pump basins
will have the pump stand built into the unit.
