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Warning: My basement project nearly flooded because I skimped on the sump pump
Last fall I was finishing my basement in Canton and bought a cheap $80 sump pump from a big box store. After a heavy rain in April, the thing died at 2am and I had 3 inches of water before I caught it. I replaced it with a Zoeller M53 for about $250 and installed a battery backup unit on a separate circuit. Anyone else had a pump fail on them during a storm?
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cole_baker1mo ago
Ask him if he's ever dealt with mold or had to rip out drywall cause of moisture seeping into the studs. Honestly, a wet vac and towels only work if you catch it immediately, but that water seeps into everything if it sits for even a few hours. My buddy did the same thing, thought he saved a few bucks, and ended up with black mold behind his baseboards that cost him over a grand to fix. Not worth the headache just to avoid a decent pump upfront, especially with all the rain we get here.
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Why does everyone act like a little water in the basement is the end of the world? I've had a pump die on me twice over the years, and yeah, it sucked, but I just grabbed a wet vac and a few towels and dealt with it. Concrete floors dry out, and most stuff you can just hose off. Unless you're storing boxes of old photos on the floor, an inch or two of water is more of a pain than a disaster.
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williams.sage1mo ago
Oh man, @mark436, you do you but I'm not trying to mop up 3 inches of water at 2am in the dark. My pump died once and the water ruined a cheap rug and some baseboards. Not worth saving a few bucks to me.
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