French Drain Vs Sump Pump

They may still have a sump but the water collection system is different.

French drain vs sump pump.

However unlike the french drain the trench drain is a surface drainage structure. To remove water from the basement you can either install a french drain or a sump pump. Basements in homes constructed before the 1980s generally don t have underground pipes to collect water. Some super systems feature sealed lids with built in floor drains alarm systems and a host of other features.

Of soil and attempts should be made to have ample slope to drain the pipe. Commonly the site companies do not install the footing drains correctly. French drain a french drain is an underground water management and drainage system. French drain collects subsurface water it flows to sump pump which lifts it p and sends it out to discharge.

There s a lot of confusion between french drains and trench drains because they sound so similar and because the french drain does incorporate a trench. Unlike basement sump pump french drains offer passive draining instead of an on and off pump. A trench is dug along the inside foundation of the home. It s a necessary part of an interior french drain system.

If these conditions are not met it would be better to allow the water to drain across the surface. This system comes with a lifetime guarantee that your basement floor will not have any. For these reasons alone a french drain can require a lot of effort with minimal effectiveness. Drain pipe is placed underground it should be covered with 2 in.

Sump pumps have come a long way. Sump pump disadvantages vs french drains. Installing a french drain may require an inspection and permit to ensure your home s drainage fix doesn t become your neighbor s problem. Catch basin collect surface water a great comb.

It is usually dug 2 to 4 inches deep. This french drain controls the water delivers it to the sump pump s and discharges it out of the house. If you do a sump pump all you need to have done is hammer out a couple holes in your concrete floor and drill a couple 5 gal buckets full of 3 8 holes like swiss cheese install them in the holes flush fill. Then i would install a couple of sump pumps not a french drain.

I also recommend a battery backup to keep the system working should the power fail. The cost of a new sump pump plus the labor to install it ranges from 650 to 1800 most homeowners spend about 1200. A perforated drain pipe is installed. The entire system of pipes sump and pump is called a french drain.

In some situations sump pumps are not as good as french drains.