Drainage & Weeping in Sump Foundations

Causes

• Sump pumps protect against basement flooding by pumping water out after heavy rainfall. However, weeping tiles draining into the outside sump pit may deposit small amounts of debris and dirt into it, with a build-up clogging the pit. Weeping tiles may not consist of actual tile, but of plastic piping with small "weep holes" for drainage.

Sump Systems

• The sump drainage system includes the pump, pit and pipe. The sump pit, located in the basement's floor, draws water from the basement's weeping tiles. It pushes this water outdoors via the discharge pipe. The sump pump pumps water from the basement's lowest point, where water collects, before it reaches the floor level. As the level of water rises, it diverts into the sump pit. Upon reaching a certain critical level before flooding begins, the sump pump kicks in and pumps the water out by the discharge pipe, away from the building's foundation.

Maintenance

• To avoid the drainage issue in the sump pit, clean it annually. Water remaining in the sump pit becomes stagnant, causing a musty odor. Alleviate this problem by flushing out the pit with fresh water until the sump pumps out the stagnant water. Make sure no debris is left in the pit. Check the actual sump pump regularly. If no pumping occurs regularly due to lack of heavy rainfall, add water to the pit to force its operation.

Other Sump Items

• In addition to checking the pit, also make sure the screen covering the sump pump's water intake is clean. The pump's discharge pipe should send water out of the basement into the pit. However, if this pipe discharges too close to the wall of the basement, water drains into the weeping tiles and goes right through the system again. Monitor the discharge area regularly to ensure that nothing blocks the pipe's flow.