From my experience and research: Over a long period of time a liner/filter can eventually become completely plugged/saturated with mud and sediment, not letting the water in properly. 6" of number 57 drainage rock all the way around and under the basin (let the drainage rock be the filter) A little sediment into a basin is no big deal. Sump pumps are made to handle up to 1/4" solids. Mine is 17 yrs old now and it's been flawless. No punt intended.
Does the vapor barrier go over the top of the basin? So, does the basin need to be a couple inches below the ground level or do you want the basin lid slightly above the height of the vapor barrier?
Usually the basins have a lip on them and the lid sits a little lower than the lip. The lip is slightly higher than the outside dirt. We put the plastic over the lip but under the lid this way water that could possibly get on the plastic from a plumbing leak from above has direct access into the base and via a dranjer drain. Hope that helps thanks for watching.
Doesn't the silt eventually clog the felt surrounding the hole? So should we plan on replacing this whole thing like, every 7-10 years? What's the life expectancy?
We have seen properly installed pits last decades but I understand your concern. Some soils are very fine and may clog which is why we install a landscape fabric to help keep that from happening along with aggregate. But its hard to say if all that will last forever either.
Hey Mike, always great videos and I appreciate the work as I do the same! One problem we face a lot when installing sump basins is when we are at an extremely high water table and have cave-in problems as we dig and struggle to get the basin all the way down without water constantly pushing dirt/sand back in. Wondering if you guys face the same problem and if you have any particular insight on how you approach it and get past this issue..any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks! Mike
Hello thanks for your video!! I have a question, do you need to drill more holes in the bottom or just put it directly into the hole, also do I need to put a paver inside?
No, not at all. Several components make up drain tiling systems, including sump pump baskets. Water collected from around your home's perimeter is sent to the sump pump basin for disposal. Water cannot be collected by drilling holes in a basin. Having no pavers has the main advantage of letting in more water and therefore giving the pump more time (in minutes or even hours) before it has to start yet another cycle. When a sump pump isn't restarted frequently, it lasts longer.
I am halfway across the country from y’all but I’ll probably watch some of your videos about either diverting water around my crawlspace or encapsulating it
This is a situation I haven't seen properly discussed and would be interested as well. I would be leery of digging to the bottom of my footer as the clay soil around the footer helps stabilize it, and I would be worried about compromising the foundation by digging down that far.
Hi Michael, big fan of you and your company. Question, I had an installation done a few months back by Crawl Space Ninja of Nashville. I don't see where they put holes into the basin for the pipes so the pipes are just essentially discharging into the gravel as you stated. I think the method you described here would move the water more freely and efficiently, currently it takes a while for the pump basin to fill up just by using the holes. What are your thoughts?
Thank you Greg. We switched to pipe directly installed into basin in the event of heavy rains. But for years we allowed the water to dump around basin and move into the basin via weep holes. Both are effective overall but direct access does get the water in there faster if you are taking on lots of water. That is the reason we switched to direct access in the event a home is taking on heavy water but the way they did it works too. Hope that helps.
Hey Mike thanks for video ..i have sand all over and under my house , what would be best solution regarding , based that we have here in Toronto so low temperatures during winter time..thanks
Thanks for the question, Avet Super. Installing a sump pump basin with a lid is a great way to protect the sump pump. Debris from above can fall into the area sump pumps are operating and clog them. Without a properly installed basin, sludge, sand, and dirt can also build up and clog the sump pump. I know it can be a pain to install a basing if your pump is already installed but can save you time and money in the future. Plus it could prevent your home from flooding due to a clogged sump pump. Let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks for watching and have a happy and blessed day.
@@CrawlSpaceNinja thanks..im just wondering if is necessary to put gravel on the top of weep tile if is all sand around or we can just put back sand ? thanks
@@CrawlSpaceNinja thanks Mike ..i had some contractor did one side and just did back sand with out any gravel saying that sand is also ok..sand is actually so small size and thats why im kind worry ,thx
@@CrawlSpaceNinja when they open one side to the footing i could see that foundation is actually just made of bricks , not even one block ,so also im worry regarding that when placing membrane with nail gun ,may cause some damage or crack on brick because as i said not even one block ,complete foundation in made of just bricks..thanks Mike
How do you keep the basin from floating up? I had a large concrete block and another piece of concrete on the lid and the basin still floated out of the hole.
If the basin is designed with holes in the perimeter, why would it matter if you pump the water directly into the basin or just into the pit that it sits in? Won't the water that enters the basin seep back out into the basin pit? I mean, its all going to get pumped out, but i dont see the benefit of it ending a few inches before the basin or inside it if the pit itself has weep holes?
In our experience if you've got several hundred feet of drain tile pouring water around the basin usually the weep holes are not enough to allow that much water to enter. This is why we give the drain tile direct access into the basin. I hope that helps thanks for watching.
My basin developed a crack in it from pressure I would imagine & water fills it much quicker now and the pump runs way more often. The crack on the side is well below where the two corrugated pipe ends enter the basin so water now does not enter from the pipes, only through that crack. Is this ok or should something be done? Thank you!
Okay what is the manufacture and where can I find the fabric filter / felt ?? I asked at Lowe’s and Home Depot they looked at me like I was morphing into an elephant ..
I am on a high water table, have exterior and interior drain tile. It is necessary to put holes in the sump pit basin? Wouldn't that cause me to take on much more water in the sump pit?
You will need to drill holes in the sump pump basin in order to activate the float switch when water enters the basin. Hole drilling may be done all the way down the sump pump basin or only near the top depending on where water enters the basin.
Yes as long as you're able to get the slope done correctly. The only thing we'd recommend is to still use a popup emitter because the end of the drain can easily be damaged by a mower if it goes over it. We've got a video coming out this evening going into more detail so stay tuned!
Here in SE Michigan we have high water tables and clay. A few folks try to drain the water table with a 36"+ deep pit with big pump, others put in a couple of shallow 20" deep pits with small pumps. Good luck
Should your sump pump be level with the ground in the crawl space? The house we bought has a sump pump and I’m not expert but I believe my basin isn’t deep enough into the ground. The top holes in the basin are at ground level and I believe because of this it isn’t allowing my sump pump to properly kick on and run like it should.
Hey tms299, Check out this blog we recently did "Crawl Space Floor is Lower than Outside Ground Level" crawlspaceninja.com/faq/crawl-space-floor-level-is-below-outside-ground-level/ Thanks for watching and have a blessed day
Your pump might be 4800 gpm, but at 0' elevation. You'll be down to 3000 or so by the time the water actually leaves to basement. Still good, but don't just believe what the the big print on the box says
Agreed, all pumps lose GPH as the elevation rises, thanks for sharing. I always try to say "up to" but sometimes I forget to say that. Thanks for the assistance.
As long as you maintain the sump pump, then you will be able to prevent the clogging, you need to make sure it is clear and how it's supposed to be. Check out these videos and thanks for watching. ua-cam.com/video/2s1AShf7VRI/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/1q0PM83HkoQ/v-deo.html
@@user-uq6vh3ps7m This sounds like the best way to go, I bet the rock will also help the fabric from getting clogged. Time to patent the two stage filtration system! I'm not sure I would go with fabric but that's just me.
Radon is an important topic! If you're worried about radon leaking into the crawl space from the sump pump pit, we recommend making sure your sump pump basin has a lid and a dranjer drain installed. You can learn more about dranjer drains here: ua-cam.com/video/G4qPrJPR0eU/v-deo.html
From my experience and research: Over a long period of time a liner/filter can eventually become completely plugged/saturated with mud and sediment, not letting the water in properly. 6" of number 57 drainage rock all the way around and under the basin (let the drainage rock be the filter) A little sediment into a basin is no big deal. Sump pumps are made to handle up to 1/4" solids. Mine is 17 yrs old now and it's been flawless. No punt intended.
Interesting!
Makes sense to me
I've been thinking of adding a second one was going to use rock under and on sides
Does the vapor barrier go over the top of the basin? So, does the basin need to be a couple inches below the ground level or do you want the basin lid slightly above the height of the vapor barrier?
Usually the basins have a lip on them and the lid sits a little lower than the lip. The lip is slightly higher than the outside dirt. We put the plastic over the lip but under the lid this way water that could possibly get on the plastic from a plumbing leak from above has direct access into the base and via a dranjer drain. Hope that helps thanks for watching.
Doesn't the silt eventually clog the felt surrounding the hole? So should we plan on replacing this whole thing like, every 7-10 years? What's the life expectancy?
We have seen properly installed pits last decades but I understand your concern. Some soils are very fine and may clog which is why we install a landscape fabric to help keep that from happening along with aggregate. But its hard to say if all that will last forever either.
Hey Mike, always great videos and I appreciate the work as I do the same! One problem we face a lot when installing sump basins is when we are at an extremely high water table and have cave-in problems as we dig and struggle to get the basin all the way down without water constantly pushing dirt/sand back in. Wondering if you guys face the same problem and if you have any particular insight on how you approach it and get past this issue..any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks! Mike
I was wondering the same thing
Hello thanks for your video!! I have a question, do you need to drill more holes in the bottom or just put it directly into the hole, also do I need to put a paver inside?
No, not at all. Several components make up drain tiling systems, including sump pump baskets. Water collected from around your home's perimeter is sent to the sump pump basin for disposal. Water cannot be collected by drilling holes in a basin. Having no pavers has the main advantage of letting in more water and therefore giving the pump more time (in minutes or even hours) before it has to start yet another cycle. When a sump pump isn't restarted frequently, it lasts longer.
This channel has been a big help to me. Thanks a lot for creating these videos
Happy to hear that! Thanks so much for watching.
OK I just spent like 12 hours pumping out 4 inches of water for my crawlspace and you put this video up are you like a psychic
😁
I am halfway across the country from y’all but I’ll probably watch some of your videos about either diverting water around my crawlspace or encapsulating it
Thank you, just what I needed to know!
Glad it was helpful, thank you for watching.
what do you do when your footings are showing and can't dig to install a French drain due to structural issues of undermining the foundation
This is a situation I haven't seen properly discussed and would be interested as well. I would be leery of digging to the bottom of my footer as the clay soil around the footer helps stabilize it, and I would be worried about compromising the foundation by digging down that far.
Hi Michael, big fan of you and your company. Question, I had an installation done a few months back by Crawl Space Ninja of Nashville. I don't see where they put holes into the basin for the pipes so the pipes are just essentially discharging into the gravel as you stated. I think the method you described here would move the water more freely and efficiently, currently it takes a while for the pump basin to fill up just by using the holes. What are your thoughts?
Thank you Greg. We switched to pipe directly installed into basin in the event of heavy rains. But for years we allowed the water to dump around basin and move into the basin via weep holes. Both are effective overall but direct access does get the water in there faster if you are taking on lots of water. That is the reason we switched to direct access in the event a home is taking on heavy water but the way they did it works too. Hope that helps.
Would a few inches of crushed stone between the felt and the soil in the hole be helpful in slowing down the silt?
Yes, we like pea gravel but crushed stone is used as well.
Hey Mike thanks for video ..i have sand all over and under my house , what would be best solution regarding , based that we have here in Toronto so low temperatures during winter time..thanks
Thanks for the question, Avet Super. Installing a sump pump basin with a lid is a great way to protect the sump pump. Debris from above can fall into the area sump pumps are operating and clog them. Without a properly installed basin, sludge, sand, and dirt can also build up and clog the sump pump. I know it can be a pain to install a basing if your pump is already installed but can save you time and money in the future. Plus it could prevent your home from flooding due to a clogged sump pump. Let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks for watching and have a happy and blessed day.
@@CrawlSpaceNinja thanks..im just wondering if is necessary to put gravel on the top of weep tile if is all sand around or we can just put back sand ? thanks
@@avetsuper6272 Covering the pipe and filling the trench with gravel or a combination of sand and gravel will allow easy access.
@@CrawlSpaceNinja thanks Mike ..i had some contractor did one side and just did back sand with out any gravel saying that sand is also ok..sand is actually so small size and thats why im kind worry ,thx
@@CrawlSpaceNinja when they open one side to the footing i could see that foundation is actually just made of bricks , not even one block ,so also im worry regarding that when placing membrane with nail gun ,may cause some damage or crack on brick because as i said not even one block ,complete foundation in made of just bricks..thanks Mike
How do you keep the basin from floating up? I had a large concrete block and another piece of concrete on the lid and the basin still floated out of the hole.
Hmm, This may need to be analyzed more so . Please submit a Ask a Ninja form for expert advice - crawlspaceninja.com/ask-a-ninja/
If the basin is designed with holes in the perimeter, why would it matter if you pump the water directly into the basin or just into the pit that it sits in? Won't the water that enters the basin seep back out into the basin pit? I mean, its all going to get pumped out, but i dont see the benefit of it ending a few inches before the basin or inside it if the pit itself has weep holes?
In our experience if you've got several hundred feet of drain tile pouring water around the basin usually the weep holes are not enough to allow that much water to enter. This is why we give the drain tile direct access into the basin. I hope that helps thanks for watching.
My basin developed a crack in it from pressure I would imagine & water fills it much quicker now and the pump runs way more often. The crack on the side is well below where the two corrugated pipe ends enter the basin so water now does not enter from the pipes, only through that crack. Is this ok or should something be done? Thank you!
Since this could lead to more questions. Feel free to do a Ask a Ninja form! - crawlspaceninja.com/crawl-space-help-faq/
@@CrawlSpaceNinja no thanks. I think I spelled it out pretty well.
@@pmaz-11 If the water entering through the crack is clean with very little silt, I think it will be ok. Hope that helps.
Okay what is the manufacture and where can I find the fabric filter / felt ?? I asked at Lowe’s and Home Depot they looked at me like I was morphing into an elephant ..
Plumbing store
I am on a high water table, have exterior and interior drain tile. It is necessary to put holes in the sump pit basin? Wouldn't that cause me to take on much more water in the sump pit?
You will need to drill holes in the sump pump basin in order to activate the float switch when water enters the basin. Hole drilling may be done all the way down the sump pump basin or only near the top depending on where water enters the basin.
Best advice I've heard all day ❤
I have a question if I'm able to run the drain pipe strat to daylight out my backyard should I still use a sump pump?
Yes as long as you're able to get the slope done correctly. The only thing we'd recommend is to still use a popup emitter because the end of the drain can easily be damaged by a mower if it goes over it. We've got a video coming out this evening going into more detail so stay tuned!
ua-cam.com/video/rzLI5BngMO4/v-deo.html
I have a very high water table should I buy a basin with no holes? I feel like the pump won't stop pumping if has to many holes. Thanks
If you're wanting to get the water out of your crawl space the basin needs holes so the water can get to the sump pump.
Here in SE Michigan we have high water tables and clay. A few folks try to drain the water table with a 36"+ deep pit with big pump, others put in a couple of shallow 20" deep pits with small pumps. Good luck
What happens when that felt liner eventually becomes clogged and is now embedded in the concrete?
Please submit a Ask a Ninja form here for more insight - crawlspaceninja.com/ask-a-ninja/
Should your sump pump be level with the ground in the crawl space? The house we bought has a sump pump and I’m not expert but I believe my basin isn’t deep enough into the ground. The top holes in the basin are at ground level and I believe because of this it isn’t allowing my sump pump to properly kick on and run like it should.
Hey tms299, Check out this blog we recently did "Crawl Space Floor is Lower than Outside Ground Level"
crawlspaceninja.com/faq/crawl-space-floor-level-is-below-outside-ground-level/
Thanks for watching and have a blessed day
Your pump might be 4800 gpm, but at 0' elevation. You'll be down to 3000 or so by the time the water actually leaves to basement. Still good, but don't just believe what the the big print on the box says
Agreed, all pumps lose GPH as the elevation rises, thanks for sharing. I always try to say "up to" but sometimes I forget to say that. Thanks for the assistance.
Cant the fabric around the basin get clogged over time?
As long as you maintain the sump pump, then you will be able to prevent the clogging, you need to make sure it is clear and how it's supposed to be.
Check out these videos and thanks for watching.
ua-cam.com/video/2s1AShf7VRI/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/1q0PM83HkoQ/v-deo.html
@@CrawlSpaceNinja i just went without the fabric and filled it up with river rock
@@user-uq6vh3ps7m This sounds like the best way to go, I bet the rock will also help the fabric from getting clogged. Time to patent the two stage filtration system! I'm not sure I would go with fabric but that's just me.
@@CrawlSpaceNinja I'm pretty sure he is talking about the felt on the outside of the pit getting clogged, not the sump pump.
It is possible for fabric to become clogged. Using pea gravel around fabric helps prevent clogging. Thanks for watching.
Look up Radon gas
Radon is an important topic! If you're worried about radon leaking into the crawl space from the sump pump pit, we recommend making sure your sump pump basin has a lid and a dranjer drain installed. You can learn more about dranjer drains here: ua-cam.com/video/G4qPrJPR0eU/v-deo.html