With more rain in the forecast for this weekend, Winnipeg homeowners are scrambling to make sure existing water damage from the last few days doesn’t get worse.
“If we hadn’t had this pump evacuating the water from underneath the foundation, I can’t imagine how much of it would have come in,” said Sean Fedorowich.
Fedorowich suffered severe flood damage inside his St. Vital basement over the weekend. He says it could’ve been much worse if he hadn’t replaced his sump pump four years ago.
“If the sump pump wasn’t taking it out, the water would have come up and destroyed everything in the basement.”
The sump pump pushes gallons of water away from the foundation of your house every minute.
However, sometimes it take a heavy downpour to find out how well the pump works.
“You want to test the pump can handle the water by draining your hot water tank in buckets of water, just making sure that pump can discharge as far away as possible from the home,” says Dallas Friesen, the owner of Lynn’s Plumbing and Heating.
Friesen says if you’re considering replacing your sump pump, consider spending more money for a better system.
“You can move up to a larger half horsepower pump that can pump out a pool in a matter of hours,” Friesen said.
“Quality is definitely preferred when you’re dealing with sewer backup.”
Those who want even more protection can install a separate device near the sump pump to assist with the removal of excess water.
“The flood protection device differs from the sub pump. This is an independent device that protects against water coming up on the floor from sewage coming back through the main line.”
“The sump pump mainly deals with runoff of ground water,” he said.
A properly operating sump pump and a backflow valve are a combination of utilities that can potentially save your home from water damage.
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