Sump Pumps Save Your Sanity…and Your Basement

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When heavy rains are forecast, homeowners with sump pumps can rest easy. Water in your basement can cause incredibly expensive damage, especially if it’s finished. Most people also store possessions, from memorabilia to seasonal decor.

In many homes, important appliances such as washers and dryers or HVAC equipment are located in the basement.

In addition to the risk of flooding in a basement or crawlspace, there are health concerns. Flooding, even a little bit, can leave behind enough moisture to generate mold and mildew. These microbes often trigger or aggravate respiratory conditions in people, such as allergies, asthma, COPD, or other chronic conditions.

How Sump Pumps Work

Installed in the lowest part of a basement or crawl space, sump pumps keep the area under the building dry and prevent flooding. As water flows into the “pit” by natural water migration through soil or drains, pumps kick into action.

Sump pumps move the water out of the pit and away from the structure. The home or building, therefore, stays dry. Most sump pumps automatically kick on through a float activator arm or a pressure sensor.

As water puts more pressure on the sensor than air, it activates the pump. Similar to the one in your toilet tank, the float activator responds to the buoyant ball on top of the water.

As the arm manually rises, the pump is activated. Most home sump pumps use a centrifugal pump to move water. Centrifugal force through rotation directs objects to move away from the center, toward the perimeter.

This force sends the water toward the sides of the pipe, which creates a pressure void in the center. Water leaves the pit to fill the vacuum, and the spinning action evacuates it through the pipe.

Battery-Powered Versus Water-Powered Sump Pumps

Battery-powered sump pumps are more traditional. Advantages include versatility, pumping power, and simple installation. Most homes can use these easily.

Drawbacks pertain to its power source. During a power outage, your battery will die if it cannot recharge. In a normal scenario, most batteries last for three to five years.

Water-powered sump pumps, on the other hand, enjoy potential for an unlimited run time. Because they are driven by your municipality’s water pressure, they can run as long as the water is available.

This alleviates dependency on a battery, often making water-powered sump pumps ideal for vacation properties or landlords. Remember, even a few inches of water can leave tens of thousands of dollars of damage.

How to Choose Between Sump Pumps

Both types of sump pumps have their pros and cons. Your particular plumbing system setup and your water volume needs will affect your decision. Apollo Home has professionals on staff, to help you evaluate your needs.

Our team can make recommendations for you, based on these and other factors. We make it easy. One of our professional plumbers will install your sump pump for you and show you what you need to know.

Try the Apollo Care Plan for Plumbing Care

Extend the life of your heating and air mechanicals with a preventative maintenance plan, like the Apollo Care Plan. The Plan saves you time, money, and worry. It is designed to protect your HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems and comes with many benefits, including a VIP priority service phone number.

The plan includes a regular tune-up for your heating and cooling equipment, as well as an annual evaluation of your plumbing and electrical systems. Regular service also preserves most manufacturer warranties.  

When you’re ready to turn service over to the experts, contact Apollo Home. Over the last 100 years, we’ve learned a lot and can use it to help you. As Cincinnati’s home services leader, we’re eager to share our knowledge to keep you and your family safe and more comfortable.

Our friendly professional plumbers are licensed, industry-certified, and insured. They also pass rigorous background checks for your peace of mind. Also, as part of our commitment to development and training, they participate in paid education.

This helps them stay current with all brands and emerging technology. They are happy to answer questions about plumbing services, and how to care for sump pumps and other equipment. Need an HVAC technician or an electrician? We can help there, too!

Follow us on social media and call Apollo Home today!

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"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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