When Basements Flood Around Des Plaines
Our flood season is predictable. Snowmelt starts in March, and spring rains from March through May soak the ground around foundations. That’s when sump pits fill fastest and older or undersized pumps fail. Fall storms bring a second wave.
The best time to have your sump pump and sewer line checked is January or February, before the snow melts, and again in early fall before the rainy season. A check takes far less time than drying out a finished basement, and it pairs well with a Sewer Camera Inspection if your floor drain has backed up before.
Pro Series Sump Pumps, Installed the Illinois Way
We install Pro Series sump pumps sized to how much water your pit actually takes on. Every installation includes a check valve so pumped water doesn’t fall back into the pit, and the discharge line is built to last.
Illinois doesn’t allow rubber couplings on a sump discharge, so every line we install is glued PVC with unions. The glued joints stand up to the pressure and vibration of a pump cycling all spring, and the unions let the pump come out for service without cutting pipe.
Battery Backup Systems
Spring thunderstorms knock out power at the same time they drop the most rain, which is exactly when a sump pump has to run. A battery backup system takes over when the power goes out or the main pump fails, and it sounds an alarm so you know it’s working. We install backups alongside new or existing primary pumps and check the battery’s condition on service visits.
A backup is only as good as its battery, and one that has quietly died gives no protection at all. You can test yours by unplugging the main pump and lifting the float: if the backup doesn’t start and the alarm doesn’t sound, call us. We check the battery, float and alarm on every service visit and tell you plainly when the battery is due.
Sewage Ejector Pumps
A basement bathroom, laundry or bar sink that sits below the sewer line needs a sewage ejector pump to lift waste up to the main. We install and replace Pro Series ejector pumps in sealed, vented basins for homes and commercial buildings. If an ejector alarm is sounding, waste is backing up in the basin or the pump runs nonstop, call our 24/7 Emergency Plumbing line, where a real person answers.
When basement backups come from the main sewer rather than the pump, Drain Cleaning with a camera before and after shows the cause and clears it.
Signs Your Sump or Ejector Pump Needs Service
- The pump runs constantly or cycles on and off rapidly
- Grinding, rattling or humming from the pit
- Water standing in the pit above the float level
- A pump that hasn’t been checked since it was installed
- An ejector alarm sounding or a sewage odor in the basement
- A finished basement with no battery backup
