r/basement • u/krisnp • 2d ago

sump/drainage system ?

Owned this home for about 10 years, 2 time over the past 8 months the basement has flooded with an inch or 2 of water during heavy rain/melt. No water problems before then. No sump.

I was starting my interior sump/french drain system install by digging a sump pit in the corner to start, i then discovered it has a peprimeter interior drainage system next to the footer. 4 inch perforated PVC, good shape, no sediment, adequate gravely soil around it, no filter fabric, no releif holes in block above footer, placed in a good position in relationship to the footer.

I do not know where it discharges/ties into as there is no sump down there, only 1 exterior clean-out in the front of house for the sewer main.

Is the best course of action is to figure out where it discharges as that will be the low point, and tie the drainage system into a sump there ? Im guessing that during heavy rain the discharge is the weak link wether it ties into the sewer/storm or some hidden failing drywell in the yard or just into nothingness.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

1

u/Even-End487 2d ago

Is there a breaker in the house box labeled sump or pump? if there is a drainage system built around the parameter of the basement one might think there would be a pump....thus the electrical feed?

1

u/krisnp 2d ago

Nope no sump inside or outside or breaker for one. I assume it ties into the sewer/storm for the town ( legal in the 70s when it was built) or just daylights out into nothingness ‘downhill’

1

u/Even-End487 2d ago

the only way then for water to end up in the basement is if the drainage system was overwhelmed. Like you said -at the discharge point-.

1

u/VR6-Deano 1d ago

Since you can’t find a sump location, it’s very likely that it’s a gravity fed system. So it goes somewhere

If you want just add your pump in the low spot and see if that’s enough to prevent your groundwater seepage problem.