If you own a home in Austin, water drainage is an especially critical part of maintaining the integrity of your home’s foundation. After all, nothing’s worse than discovering you have a flooded home. Taking steps to keep water out rather than in is a sure way to avoid one.In areas that get frequent rainfall or that have high water tables, proper drainage is even more important. In these areas—some parts of central Texas being one of them—a specialized device known as a sump pump may be recommended to drain water from the inside to the outside of your home.In this informative post, learn more about sump pumps and what they do, and find out if you can benefit from a sump pump installation in Austin.
A sump pump is a specialized pump that transfers water from a low-lying area, to a higher area where it can safely drain that water away. Why would you need one? It’s simple. If you have a room in your home that accumulates an unusual amount of standing water, you can easily experience a flood on any rainy day. A sump pump is designed to remove water that’s accumulated in a water-collecting basin by quickly shuttling that water outside of your home.
A “sump,” is a man-made water basin or pit, typically carved below the surface of your main floor, that collects rain-water. A sump pump is installed inside the sump, and is equipped with valves that sense when the water rises. If the water level rises, or its pressure increases by a certain degree, the pump is activated, and automatically starts pumping the water out of the drain via a discharge line. This then moves the water to a designated drainage area, safely away from both the inside of your home and your home’s foundation.
For Austin homes that are prone to flooding, sump pumps can be a highly effective preventative measure to help keep your home free from the effects of flooding. After all, a flood, however small, can be disastrous—costing you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in repairs, and even posing a danger to your health. What’s more, even if your home doesn’t flood, moisture and standing water can produce mold, increasing your risk of respiratory infections, allergic reactions, and other complications.
If you have rooms in your home that were built below your water table, or simply live in an area that has above-average rainfall, it can be wise to talk to an Austin plumber who can assess your situation and determine if you need a sump-pump. Doing so can save you a lot of money in the long run, and safeguard you and your family’s health.Contact Stan’s today to schedule an in-home plumbing consultation to find out if you can benefit from sump pump installation in Austin, or check out our sump pump installations page to learn about the different kinds of pumps we offer.