How to Drain a Basement

The most common cause of flooded basements is a heavy amount of rainfall in a short period of time. The soil surrounding your home cannot absorb the water fast enough, so it starts leaking into holes and cracks in your home's foundation. You want to remove the water as soon as possible. However, it is best to wait until the water outside your home has drained away. You should take pictures of your basement before you begin draining it in order to demonstrate the damage to your insurance company.

Portable pump
Extension cord
Garden hose
Tape measure
Marker

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off all electricity in the basement. Place a portable submersible electric water pump on the floor in the basement. Plug it into an extension cord leading to the upper level of your home. The water pump can be completely submerged, but make sure the plug stays dry.
- 2
  Connect a garden hose to the pump and put the other end of the hose outside through a door or window. You may need to put two or three hoses together so that you can drain the water a good distance from your home.
- 3
  Turn on the water pump and allow it to pump away the water. If you have a few feet of water in your basement, stop pumping after the level has dropped 1 foot. Mark this new water level, and wait 24 hours.
- 4
  Pump out another foot of water if the water level has risen above the mark you made the previous day. Make another mark and wait 24 hours more. If the water does not again rise above your mark, it's safe to pump out the rest of the water.
- 5
  Check the second mark you made if the water level has continued rising. Normally, by day three you should be able to pump the remaining water from your basement. Once all the water is out, you can begin the cleanup process.

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