If you’re looking for one of the easiest ways to make sure that your home is free from water damage and you live in a flood plane, getting a sump pump is the right option. Sump pumps push water away from your home in the event of a large storm, rising flood waters from a nearby river or another water system, and moisture from melting snow. If you live in an area that’s prone to flooding, it’s essential that you have a sump pump in your basement. But you might be surprised by all the other ways a sump pump can improve your home.
Prevents the Formation of Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew can smell pretty bad, and they can even be dangerous to your health, especially if you have someone who has allergies. When water builds up, even if you clean most of it up, you’ll likely have problems with mold and mildew because it’s difficult to get rid of it all. A sump pump is a simple way of ensuring that your basement is free of any water that could cause mold or mildew.
Protects Appliances
Many people have their laundry room in the basement, and those appliances can become damaged if you have flooding. Plus, when appliances that are hooked up to electrical outlets are submerged in water, there’s an increased risk of electrocution if a person or pet walks in the water.
Reduces the Risk of Electrical Fires
When you have electrical wiring running through your basement, you don’t want it to get wet because water can damage the wires. When the wires get damaged, there’s an increased risk of electrical fires, which are both dangerous to people and pets inhabiting the house and to the structure’s integrity. Keeping the wires free of water is paramount, and you especially don’t want live electrical wires submerged in standing water because that is an electrocution danger.
Increases the Property Value
Houses that are properly cared for maintain their value. If you want your home to have as much value as possible, installing a sump pump is one simple and logical way to ensure that the house is protected from damage, which will protect the value of the house.
Prevents Damage to the Foundation
When you want your home to last, ensuring the foundation is strong should be one of your top priorities. A sump pump can get water away from the house so that your foundation remains strong. Water can break down the materials that concrete is made of, cause mold to grow in the concrete, and cause the concrete to shift. When you remove water from your basement with a sump pump, you lessen the amount of time your concrete foundation is exposed to excessive water, so your house’s foundation should last longer.
Prevents Damage to Soft Surfaces
If your basement is finished, there are all types of soft surfaces that could be damaged. Basements with carpeting will immediately experience the effects of water damage. But materials like drywall, furniture, and wood cabinets will also be damaged if you don’t have a sump pump to remove the water. When water soaks into soft surfaces, such as carpeting, furniture, and dry well, mold and mildew conform quickly. Mold spores can cause many health problems, so if you don’t clean up the water quickly enough, you often have to throw out furniture and tear up carpeting and drywall to get rid of the health hazards. And even if your basement isn’t finished with carpeting, materials like stick-on flooring can be damaged if your basement gets flooded. They often peel off as the glue dissolves with the water. Additionally, when your basement is exposed to moisture, it’s more likely that any metal will start to rust. In total, this could be thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in damage to your home.
Stops Sewage from Entering the Home
When there’s a lot of rain or melting snow, the water in the city sewer system can also rise. If this sewage rises around the foundation of your home, you could have sewage leaking into your basement, which can smell awful. Additionally, breathing the air of sewage can cause a variety of negative health consequences, including nausea, vomiting, cramping, fever, and other forms of gastroenteritis. In fact, in extreme cases, over a long period of time, inhaling sewer gases can even lead to death. A sump pump doesn’t just get rid of the rainwater. It can also prevent sewer water from entering your home.
Prevents Pest Infestations
When basements are damp, pests find it a nice place to breed and live. You could have termites and other insects, but you can also attract rodents and other pests that can make your home unhygienic. If you want to lessen the likelihood that you have pests, take away the things that are attracting them, including water.
Reduces the Home’s Humidity Levels
Humidity levels rise when there’s standing water. If you want to cut down on the humidity levels in your homes, especially the basement, you should invest in a sump pump to get rid of any water that could be rising. Even if you don’t have any soft surfaces in your basement because it’s unfinished, your home will greatly benefit from a sump pump because the humidity in the basement can travel to the rest of the house. When it travels to other places in the house, humidity can damage wood and make the house smell like mildew. Plus, your air conditioner will have to work harder to pull the moisture out of the air, which can cause your electricity bill to go up. Sump pumps work quickly to get the water out of the basement so that it doesn’t have time to evaporate into the air.
Increased Peace of Mind
Even if your house doesn’t usually flood in the basement, it only takes one time for there to be a lot of rain or melting snow for your basement to flood. A sump pump can take care of any problems that arise with water in the basement, whether you’re at home or in a different state. It helps you feel secure because you know that you could go on vacation in another state without being able to monitor the condition of your home. It makes you appreciate the versatility of sump pumps. These devices provide many homeowners with a great sense of security.
When you’re looking for a simple way to guard the value of your home, installing a sump pump is crucial. You can talk to Hunt’s Services about sump pump maintenance and installation as well as a variety of other plumbing services. Plus, we provide heating, cooling, sewer, and electrical services, so we can help you maintain your entire home. Give Hunt’s Services a call today to learn more about how we can help.
