# Help Water in Basement



## LG2720 (Aug 10, 2005)

The house that I bought has never had water in the basement for 40 years. This year due to the ridiculous amount of rain we have been subjected to in northern NY, I have been having problems since the early part of the summer. With this last rain storm (last night) dropping about 1-2" of rain, it is flooded AGAIN! The house is a ranch with 1/2 basement, 1/2 crawl space. The concrete floor has two floor drains on opposite ends by the back wall. When the house was built a drain was put in along the wall even with the footers. Recommended drain materials were used. Over the years the floor has been cracked and repaired with a waterproof solution. The back wall shifted and a retaining wall was built in the basement. It is solid now. 

I currently have two portable above ground sump pumps working over the drains. I turned them on early in the morning before the rain began. I think the garden hose may have been partially frozen from being left out after the last rain storm and the pump did not work properly when it did rain. I went out and bought two new lengths of hose and connected them to the pumps. The pumps are working, but, they don't seem to be moving the water very quickly. There is about 3 1/2 - 4" of water in the basement right now. In the past when it flooded, the water went down quite a bit in about 2 hours. It is no longer raining, but, the brook nearby is still running very fast and high. The house is built in the valley between two mountains. The slope is gradual behind the house. Water is coming out of the hoses. The pumps pump about every 2 minutes. They say they pump out about 1700 gallons/hr. Doesn't seem to be working at that pace. Any suggestions on what to do? The water is right up to the bottom of my furnace, refrigerator, freezer, washer & dryer. They are all up on cap blocks or bricks (except for the furnace). I did unplug all of them and threw the breaker for the furnace. The outlets are all about 4 feet up the wall. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Immediate remedy and spring time ideas. Is there a more powerful above ground sump pump? I bought two from Low3$.


----------



## maj (Mar 13, 2006)

Move the house to the top of one of those mountains.


----------



## [email protected]&R (Jul 26, 2005)

I'm not sure how to keep the water from comming in. Your house sounds like it is built where 2 mountains work like a funnel with the tip being your basement. I would definatly go get a pump like one of these http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatDsp?storeId=6970&Ns=P_Price&N=107+1544&Ne=2
because what happens when the storm dumps rain and takes your power out at the same time?


----------



## skymaster (Oct 23, 2006)

Sounds like water table is now higher than your floor:{:{ As soon as practicable I would cut a sump pump into the basemant floor and put a real sump pump in, pipe it to the outside with 1 1/4 pvc and a check valve.
Jack


----------



## Glasshousebltr (Feb 9, 2004)

Cut the pumps off and sport some swim wear.:blink:

Bob


----------



## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

LG,

Do you know where the water is coming into the basement? The most water? 

Can you see the exit ends of the drain pipes you talk about outside? Is water coming out of the pipes?

Have you tried snaking out the basement drains?

Do you have gutters? are they piped a good distance away from the house? Are they clear of obstruction?

What is the grade like around the house?

Is that stream a lot lower than the basement floor? Has that stream level changed over the years?

Could you post pictures of the yard showing the grade around the house and the slope away? or describe the yard and landscaping around the house?

There's a lot more to ask but this would be a good start to figure it out.

I forgot! What has changed in the last couple to 10 years outside in your yard, the nieghbors, the road? The mountains I am assuming have been there a while. 

Did you excavate for anything lately?


----------



## LG2720 (Aug 10, 2005)

*Drains*

The water is coming up out of the drains. The drain is running off into the brook. It starts coming in toward the end that has the shelf rock. It is crazy that this never happened in 40 yrs and all of a sudden it started this summer. The lot next to mine - on the other side of the stream was logged about 5 years ago and the loggers left a lot of trees and branches across and in the stream. The culvert where it goes under the road out in front is partially blocked with sticks, but, it is running very fast wouldn't want to mess with it right now. I told the county workers about it and they just did a drive by and did nothing. The stream is lower than the house & basement, but, it rises quite a bit with heavy rain. Over the years the path of the stream has changed a bit and bolders have fallen into it. It is actually on my neighbors property. He is selling lots, that is why he clear cut it and right now nobody is on the nearest lots.

There are no gutters on the house because of the ice and snow build-up in the winter. The roof is 3 1/2 on 12 and is glavanized. The snow does not come off very well and ice builds up. I was thinking maybe I can put up some temporary ones for 3 of the seasons. I don't know if that is practical.

The only thing that happened on my property was last spring a company cut down four very tall pine trees next to my house. About 15-20feet off the house to the brook side. Limbs were dropping and I was getting nervous about them falling on the house.

I just rented a trash pump and it sucked the water out in about 15 minutes, but, it is coming right back in. I got the Flotec Intellipumps going, somewhat.

I will try to take some pics and post them. I have to run and return the pump to HD. Thanks for the help.


----------



## LG2720 (Aug 10, 2005)

*Swimming*

Bob - Wouldn't look very attractive in the bathing suit and high water rubber boots!


----------



## LG2720 (Aug 10, 2005)

*Sump Question*

Does anyone have an idea of how to get through the winter with a sump that needs to be drained through a garden hose without it freezing - Northern NY??

I am having the horrible time with this. Is there a way to tell if there is a clog? I think I have some sort of clog in the drain line - either in the perforated pipe that runs along the footer (length of the house)-where the floor drains also attach or once it hits the back corner of the house it drains on a graded angle downhill with orangeberg pipe to a brook. Who would I try to get to assess this problem?


----------



## Shoalsfugro (Nov 21, 2006)

Do you have a check valve in the drain line? If so is it stuck open? if not may need one. Home depot sump pump with float and hard pipe in PVC.


----------



## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

denick posted my first response ?s.

pumping through a garden hose is 3/4" at best.

hose freezing? is it trapping in a loop? i would look to create a "straight fall" w/o a check valve. so h2o dumps back into pumplevel when pump is stagnant.

i see jack hammer & shovel in your near future, 

ray


----------



## LG2720 (Aug 10, 2005)

*RR to the Rescue*

Got my problem solved - somewhat.... Drain is running free, no water in basement - sump pumps shut down finally!!! Cost $250 but well worth it. "And away go troubles down the drain...." That's right got ahold of the RR company. Found a root invasion in the orangeberg about 4' long using the snake about 100' up the exit drain spot. Now I just need to find out if there is a bio safe root treatment. So far no luck. Any ideas?


----------



## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

I have problems with water in my crawl space when it rains in the winter time like this year. Not in the summer though. I Think the ground is just to cold to absorb it properly in winter. But my crawl space is like 4 1/2 feet deep so its not a problem because there is just a puddle. After a couple of days it disappears.


----------

