Sump Pump Installation in Ajax

Telltales that call for sump pump installation

• The old pump is noisy, slow or has failed.
• You are finishing a basement that has never had a sump.
• The pit floods faster than the pump keeps up during a thaw.
• Rust, corrosion or a cracked switch housing on the old unit.

How we do the work

We look at the pit first: its depth, width and what feeds it. A narrow pit can make a float switch hang up against the wall. Then we choose the pump: horsepower to suit the inflow and the height it must lift water to get outside, and a switch type (vertical, tethered or electronic) that fits the pit.

• A new check valve, so the pipe's column of water stays put between cycles.
• Union fittings so the next replacement is simpler.
• A weep hole drilled below the check valve where the maker requires it.
• Discharge carried outdoors to soak in well clear of the walls, never piped to the sewer.
• A test fill with a hose to watch two or three full cycles.

On Ajax streets

Much of Ajax sits on low, gentle land rolling down to Lake Ontario, and the water table rises sharply in spring. Many subdivisions built from the 1980s on were fitted with sumps from the start. Owners who finish the basement often realise the sump will now protect thousands of dollars of drywall and flooring, which is a good time to add a battery backup.

Price swings on

The pump chosen, the pit condition, and the discharge route to outside.

Worth asking the plumber

• Is my pit big enough?
• Where does the water go once it leaves the house?
• Should I add a backup?