When a new installation makes sense
- Foundation drainage currently runs into the sanitary sewer
- Water seeps through floor cracks after heavy rain or snowmelt
- The existing pit is shallow, cracked or has no lid
- You are finishing a basement and need dependable protection
How we do the work
- Site the pit where the weeping tile can be connected and where discharge can exit easily.
- Excavate and set a liner with a sealed, gasketed lid.
- Install the pump on a stable base with a vertical float clear of the walls.
- Fit a check valve and a union, which lets the pump come out for service.
- Run the discharge through the wall to an outlet well away from the foundation.
- Test with water and record the cycle time.
Mississauga homes and this job
Many homes built before the 1980s had foundation drains tied into the sanitary or storm lateral. Separating them and pumping to grade relieves the public sewers when storms arrive. The outlet may not send water toward a neighbour or across a sidewalk, where it would ice over. The plan for an outlet should also take your grading and downspouts into account.
What affects the cost
- Excavating a new pit versus replacing a pump in an existing pit
- The route and length of the discharge line
- Backup pump and alarm options
- Floor finishes to be removed and restored
An existing pump that is noisy or cycling oddly may simply need attention; see sump pump repair. Owners planning a new electric water heater sometimes coordinate both jobs, as both sit in the utility room.
The job, tool by tool
Tools on the truck for sump and backwater work
- Submersible sump pump, check valve
- Moving water out of the pit and away
- Concrete saw and jackhammer
- Opening the floor for a backwater valve
- Bucket and garden hose
- Float tests in the pit
- Battery backup unit
- Keeping the pit pumping in a power cut
On every job
- Drop cloths down before any tool comes out
- Water or fuel shut and tagged while we work
- Every joint we made checked dry before we pack up
- Old parts shown to you, then hauled away
A call-out, start to finish
- 1Call and describe the fixture, floor and symptom
- 2We arrive, lay drop cloths and shut the water where needed
- 3Trap pulled, line cabled or camera run to find the cause
- 4Fix explained, then cut, joined or replaced
- 5Water run through, joints checked, written note left
Answers our Mississauga crew gives most
Where ought the outlet to empty?
Onto a splash block or soakaway some metres out, on ground falling away from the walls.
What service life does a sump pump offer?
Expect roughly seven to ten years, fewer if it runs constantly.
Is a permit needed?
Some related work may require one. We confirm the requirements before starting.
