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Basement WaterproofingEtobicoke Expert
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Sump pumps and battery backup

A sump pump collects groundwater in a pit below the basement floor and pumps it outside. A battery backup keeps it running when a storm cuts the power — which is when the pit fills fastest.

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  • City subsidysump pump + battery backup
  • Installed frominside
  • Seasonall year
Rain falling into a large puddle on cracked asphalt

When a house needs a sump pump

  • Water rises through the floor or through floor cracks when the ground is saturated.
  • An interior drainage system or a new weeping tile needs somewhere to send its water.
  • The weeping tile is being disconnected from the city sewer — the water it collects then has to be pumped onto your own property.
  • An existing pump runs constantly, is more than about ten years old, or has no backup.
Network of cracks across a concrete floor slab
Water through floor cracks comes from below the slab, not from the walls.
Heavy raindrops splashing on standing water
Pits fill fastest during the same storms that cause power cuts.

What a complete installation includes

  1. A pit cut through the floor at the lowest point of the basement, fitted with a perforated liner set in clear stone.
  2. A submersible pump sized for the amount of water the pit receives, with a float switch that starts and stops it.
  3. A check valve on the discharge pipe so pumped water cannot fall back into the pit.
  4. A discharge line through the wall to a point outside where the water runs away from the foundation — never into the sewer or onto a neighbour's lot.
  5. A sealed lid to keep out debris and keep down humidity and soil gas.
  6. A battery backup pump with its own float and an alarm that sounds when it takes over.

City of Toronto subsidy: the program pays back up to 80% of the invoiced cost of a sump pump to a maximum of $2,250, plus up to $300 for a battery backup. Conditions and the full list are on the subsidy page.

Looking after the pump

  • Twice a year, pour a bucket of water into the pit and watch the pump start, empty the pit and stop.
  • Before winter, check that the outside end of the discharge line is clear. A frozen or buried outlet makes the pump run without moving water.
  • Replace the backup battery on the schedule the manufacturer gives; most last three to five years.

Questions about sump pumps and battery backup

Where does the pumped water go?

Onto your own property, at a spot where the ground slopes away from the house — a lawn or garden bed is ideal. Toronto does not allow sump pumps to discharge into the sanitary sewer.

Is a battery backup really necessary?

The main pump runs on household power. Summer thunderstorms are the most common cause of both power cuts and a fast-filling pit, so without a backup the pump stops at the moment it is needed most.

My pump runs every few minutes. Is that a fault?

It can be normal in a wet spring on a lot with a high water table. It can also mean a stuck float, a failed check valve letting water fall back, or a discharge line that empties too close to the wall so the same water returns. We check all three.

Brick house entrance lit by a porch light during a night snowfall

Next step

Have the pit, the pump and the discharge line checked

We test the existing pump under load, or tell you where a new pit should go and what it will connect to.

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