5 Signs You Need A Sump Pump

Getting water in your basement is something no homeowner wants to deal with. It can lead to chronic problems such as water damage, mold and mildew growth, structural issues, unexpected expenses, and more. Whether you’ve considered getting a sump pump installed as an option, there are some key signs that you need one!

1. Your home is surrounded by clay

Clay and even silt retain water a lot more easily than sandier soils do. Soil types that contain a lot of clay and/or silt will prevent water from moving away from your house efficiently. When water is able to collect around your home, then it’s more likely to leak into it.

2. Your yard slopes toward your home

Does water move toward your foundation or away from it? Which way the slope of your yard is angled will determine whether water will run away from your house or collect around it. Like clay soil, water that’s able to collect around your home will likely find a way inside, too.

3. You live somewhere that gets a lot of rain or snow

Here in the northland, snow can definitely be a problem, specifically once it starts to melt. Those that already have a sump pump installed can attest to how often they hear it kick on throughout spring and even early summer. While a lot of precipitation isn’t necessarily a determining factor, having a lot of clay in your soil or a yard that slopes toward your foundation will really make it an issue.

4. Your house is on a low point

Live near the bottom of a hill or on a plot of sunken land? Then there’s a really good chance that you’ll need a sump pump system in place. As we’ve said already, if water is able to collect, there will be an increased chance that it will be able to get inside.

5. You’ve already had water damage in your basement

Unless it was because of a bursted pipe or a cracked foundation, water likely got into your home because you didn’t have a sump pump system in place. And if it happened once, it can happen again.