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We now recommend sump pump installation in ALL of our encapsulations. Every single one. Even if you manage to have a dry crawl space in Western Kentucky where we operate, we get a lot of rain, we're susceptible to water intrusion, and we cover all our bases. Firstly, even if the house isn't getting water in the crawl space, and you as the homeowner have never knowingly had any issues with water underneath your home, as time passes you contend with varying factors like soil erosion, foundation cracks or shifts, or other outside forces that gradually can lead to water entering your crawl space. Just because at the present moment you may have a dry crawl space does not mean you will always be so fortunate. Once an encapsulation is done right, they're meant to last for the lifetime of your home, so having a sump pump installed from the get-go will allow for a system to function for many years to come. We install the sump pump at the lowest point in the crawl space, getting that water pumped out, without compromising the integrity of the encapsulation.
Another big reason we install sump pumps in all our encapsulations is that we often find plumbing leaks underneath the home. Sometimes these leaks are minor drips, other times they're pouring under the home. If your encapsulation is in place and you do not have a sump pump already installed, that water is going to sit on top of that liner and become a pool in your crawl space. Grab your bathing suit, folks, because that moisture is now a problem. However, with the right basin and a Drainger drain like we utilize, all that water will naturally find its way over to the low spot and thus, the sump pump, and get pumped out of the crawl space. Problem solved before you even knew it was a problem.
Lastly, the blue line you'll see in our video is the drain line to the dehumidifier, giving the dehumidifier easy drainage access instead of having to drill through your foundation and run the drain out. It's not a big deal to do so, however if the pump isn't consistently running, it allows that pump to kick on from time to time so it's not just sitting there getting seized up. Ultimately the decision lies with the homeowner, but once we explain the reasons behind our recommendation, we find most do opt for it. As always, contact your local crawl space professional with questions you may have. Thanks for reading!
