Engineered Footers – The Well and Sump Pump

In earlier posts I talked about our Engineered Footers*.

Excavation Report – Engineered Footings >

One part of the engineering is this well. Finally we see what they are doing.

We hit a spring when we were digging for the foundation and had to have very deep footers that drain to a well.

The well is pretty deep and has clear water in the bottom. I think this well might be called a sump.

They directed some of the weep holes from the ridiculously tall foundation walls into the well also. One comes from just above the footer line.

Two more drains come from the back fill line inside the basement. This will prevent any water from seeping into the block walls to weaken our foundation. There are other drains that move any water by gravity to the gully behind the house.

Earlier they waterproofed the exterior of the foundation. That is what the black stuff is. It is a thick membrane material that is rolled on. Before they back filled at all they put a very thick layer of waterproofing on the block up to where the soil will eventually go whenever they finish. Originally the land was a few inches below flood zone. We’ve brought it up to a few feet above flood zone.

Foundation Marked and Sealed >

Yesterday they worked on the well. The well will have a sump pump in it. By keeping the water level in the well low, any water will be pulled out of the foundation even when we have a lot of rain or flooding.

They dug the hole back out, then put this big black corrugated PVC pipe in. They back filled gravel in and around the pipe, wrapped it in the fabric, which was already under the gravel and then back filled the soil up to the pipe.

They want to put a plastic well rock over it, but that is NOT going to happen. I don’t know what we are going to put, but it is not going to be a big plastic fake rock in front of the house. Time to look on Pinterest. We’ll have to wait and see how much is above ground once they finish all the back fill around the house. Right now it is a lot bigger than I expected.

The sump pump will work just like they do in a basement, except it will be outside the house. It is supposed to plug in to an outside outlet on the house. I hope it comes with a really long cord.

The instructions don’t tell you much, but they tell it in a lot of different languages.

Utilitech 0.33-HP Submersible Sump Pump

Drive water out and away from your home with this Utilitech 1/3 HP submersible sump pump. Its tethered float switch features a ball inside that floats up and down to automatically turn the pump on and off as water enters and drains, and a 40 GPM water flow that moves water powerfully to various locations. The thermoplastic construction ensures long pump life, and the 10-ft cord allows for extended reach to various sump pit locations. Permanently install this Utilitech sump pump with the required check valve and prevent rain or natural water from entering your home and damaging your possessions.

• Utilitech 1/3 HP submersible sump pump drives water out and away from your home to help prevent damage
• 40-GPM moves water powerfully to various locations
• Tethered float switch ensures pump can move freely
• Includes sump pump and adapter
• 10-ft cord allows for extended reach
• Ideal for permanent installation in a 14-in x 16-in diameter minimum sump pit
• Not for use in sewage systems

At first I looked up the wrong one and got a little concerned. But the one they got is the right one. This one can be permanently installed. Many of them have to be primed each time they are used and must be unplugged any time the water level is low. That would sure not work.

*Did you know that the correct word is footing? Where we live they are called footers, but if you Google for more information to know what your contractor is talking about, you will get more information if you Google “footing” instead.

Next: Installing the Pump and More Grading >