Do you know how to pump water out of a basement without electricity? Do you know you can get water out without a pump?
This article delves into these issues and provides practical alternatives.
Basement Water Removal Without A Pump
Basements are located at the lowest end of your building, which makes it more prone to flooding than the other areas of your home.
So many factors can cause basement flooding, and these include –
- Leaking indoor pipes
- Rainwater coming through an open basement window
- Standing water by the foundation
Something as silly as leaving the tap on when you go to work can also cause your basement to flood. Thankfully, you can use a sump pump to eliminate the water that has flooded your basement.
But what if you don’t have one? Or maybe you do, but for some reason, it has stopped working and you need to get rid of the standing water in your basement?
Guess you’ll have to do it without the pump, but how?
Not to worry, in this article I’ll be showing you just how you can get water out of your basement without a pump.
Why You Should Get Rid Of Basement Water As Fast As You Can
Waiting to get your sump pump installed or fixed before eliminating standing water in your basement isn’t a good idea. This is because it doesn’t take long for standing water to cause havoc, and water damage can cost you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars to fix.
Here are a few other reasons you need to get rid of basement water quickly, whether you have a pump or not.
Water damage: When your basement gets flooded, all the belongings you have in there will be at risk of being damaged.
Pieces of furniture like your couch, carpet, and mattress will all be soaked and may begin to wear if their materials are not strong enough.
A flood could also destroy important documents, no matter how properly stored they are. As long as the water can touch them, then it can destroy them.
To add to that, standing water weakens your basement walls and can lead to cracks. This compromises the integrity of your building as a whole and greatly reduces its market value.
Since water can be so damaging, you should begin removing it as it piles up, even when there is no sump pump.
Standing water makes the basement inhabitable: No one would want to spend a minute living in a flooded basement. Period!
It doesn’t matter if you use your basement as a living space or workspace, having water laying around reduces the appeal of the area, and will prompt you to want to move to another room.
Standing water attracts insects: There are so many water-loving bugs out there, and they would be more than glad to invade your home if it provides the amount of water they desire.
Insects that are overly attracted to water-logged areas include mosquitoes, cockroaches, and carpenter ants. These are not the kind of visitors you would want in your home, which is why you need to get rid of standing water as fast as you can.
It can lead to mold growth: Mold colonies are known to thrive in damp areas, so a flooded basement is perfect for the spores to land and begin to multiply.
In case you didn’t know, it doesn’t take long for mold spores to begin to form into the mold itself. 24 to 48 hours is all they need to begin appearing in your flooded basement.
That being the case, you should eliminate all standing water immediately, whether you’ve got a working pump or not.
No Sump Pump No Electricity: Here Is What To Do
Now that you understand how important it is to get rid of standing water immediately, let’s discuss how you can do so before the repairman comes over to fix your sump pump.
Use a scoop, a bucket, and a mop
This seems like the most obvious solution, and it is. These 3 items (scoop, bucket, and mop) are all you really need to get rid of standing water in your basement.
The best part is, they are tools you already have at home so you don’t need to visit the hardware store.
Before you set foot into the flooded parts of your basement, I advise you to take precautions. Ensure that you turn off the electricity to avoid a shock. Remember, for you to scoop up water, you need to be right at the spot, with your legs dipped in the pool.
You don’t want any electricity on while you’re in there!
You should also put on a pair of rubber boots (hopefully you’ve got one at home). Water can damage your regular shoes, but it can’t damage the rubber.
Now that you’re all set, take the scoop (a small plastic bowl if you wish), and collect as much water as it can contain, then dump it in the bucket until it is full.
Take the bucket outside and dispose of the water. Make sure the water is tossed at least 30 feet away from the foundation, so there’d be no chance of it flowing back inside.
Repeat the scoop-and-dump process as many times as necessary until you can scoop no more.
At this point, you can use the mop to dry off what’s left of the water on the floor. Squeeze the mop into the bucket when it becomes saturated, then go over the surface again.
Do this repeatedly until you can no longer squeeze water out of the mop.
Once again, take the bucket of water and dump its contents far away from the foundation so water doesn’t seep back into the basement.
To ensure all the moisture is gone, turn on your fans and open the basement windows so that some fresh air can come in. The basement will be completely dried in no time!
Use a hand pump
Thankfully, a sump pump isn’t the only type of water-removal pump there is. There are also hand pumps which you can use to can eliminate water.
The major difference between a hand pump and a sump pump lies in what powers them. Sump pumps are powered by electricity, while hand pumps are not.
This is not to say that the two cannot be used collaboratively, as they can actually form a strong water-removal team.
To use the hand pump, connect it to the sump pump hold so it plugs directly into the unit. Now get your garden hose, thread it to the other end, and begin pumping the water away.
That’s all, the water in your basement is now ready to be moved into your yard.
One piece of advice – Pump the water far away from your foundation, especially if your landscape slopes towards your home, just so the water doesn’t flow back into your basement.
Use a wet/dry vac
Another option for removing water from your basement when your sump pump is out of order is a wet/dry vac. As long as you have electricity, then it can help you solve your water problem.
All you have to do is plug in the vac and begin sucking the water away. Move around all the affected parts of the basement, and into the sump pit until all the water is gone.
You can follow up with a mop and some ventilation to ensure the surface is completely dry.
Use a Trash-Water Pump
Trash water pumps are commonly used for large emergency jobs, as they have the capacity to remove several gallons of water in a quick time.
The only problem is, most people don’t have trash water pumps at home, as they are more industrial machines. They are also very large, so storing them at home could be a problem even if you decide to buy one.
That being said, you may need to go out and hire one or call a flood expert to bring theirs over and eliminate the water.
Use a dehumidifier as a final step
After you have eliminated all the water from your basement, you can turn on your dehumidifier to finish up the job.
This device will keep the humidity levels under control and prevent any chance of mold growth. Don’t forget to keep your basement windows open and turn on your fans so that the leftover water can dry faster.
Conclusion
Sump pumps are very useful devices as far as fighting basement flooding is concerned. However, circumstances may cause them not to work at the time you need them.
A malfunction or a power outage can leave you stranded if you have no other means of pumping out the water lodged in your basement. Thankfully, there are other alternatives to a sump pump that get the job done.
Remember that you have to act fast and do what you can to clear the flooding before the water damages your property. Standing water can also cause mold growth in your basement and attract unwanted insect pests.
Remember to turn off the electricity before setting foot into the pool to avoid electrocution.
I hope the information provided in this article has been of great help.
Take care.