Sump Pump Doesn’t Get All the Water Out FAIL

Most interior sump pump drainage systems are installed on the inside of the footing. There are different locations for the drain tile. Some companies install drain tile system on the top of the footing in the hopes of catching water as it comes off the wall. This type of drain tile system is the least effective and leaves the most water at the footing. This is because it's elevation is too high.

Others install the drain tile at the bottom of the footing. This system still leaves water around the footing. The reason is that when water leaks into the basement of a house, the lowest point in the wall and foundation is the bottom of the footing. Interior sump pump drainage systems must have elevated drain tile to allow water to flow towards the sump pump pit in order to be pumped out. As the drain tile flows towards the pump, it starts at the highest point and flows over to the lowest point. This leaves a substantial amount of water below the pipe sitting along the footing. The industry standard for slope is 1’ per 96’. This is less than a 1% slope!, but we feel this is way to flat to be effective.

For either of these locations, damage can still be occurring to the footing due to water stagnating or being missed by the drain tile.

Also, musty smells can still be released into the basement. So, to prevent this, these companies will often sell you on a wall encapsulation system that not only adds cost to the construction but simply hides the water behind it, in an out of sight out of mind fashion.

There are other sump pump failures we see regularly while investigating water leaks in basements. Please review our articles on sump pump failures and myths before getting an expensive and unnecessary sump pump system. We suggest you instead focus own waterproofing your basement right by fixing the ground surface where water drainage occurs. If you're not sure how water is getting through the surface of the ground around your house, please contact the Leak Detective for a free phone consultation. We can explain the advantages of using the Leak Detective.