Whether you need a sump pump comes down to one question: does your house have a basement or another room below ground level? A sump pump serves a pit in that kind of space. If your home sits on a slab at ground level, there's usually no pit and nothing for a pump to do.
Puddles in the yard after a monsoon storm are a separate problem. This post covers both.
Does your house have a below-ground room?
In a home with a basement, water can collect in the ground around the foundation. A sump pit is a basin set into the floor. When water rises in it, the pump switches on and moves the water outside, away from the house. No pit, no pump.
Basements are rare in the Phoenix area. A home with no basement has no lower floor for groundwater to seep into, so the whole question may not apply to you.
Not sure what you have? Look for stairs going down, a floor that sits below the level of the yard, or a round basin with a lid set into the floor. A licensed plumber can confirm it.
Where does a sump pump make sense in the Valley?
Some Valley homes do have a lower level below ground. That can mean a basement, or a sunken room or below-grade addition on an otherwise ordinary house.
If yours has one and water shows up during monsoon storms, treat it as a real problem. Water in a below-ground room can ruin flooring, drywall, and whatever you have stored down there. Have a licensed plumber look at it before you buy or install anything. A pump moves water. It doesn't tell you where the water is coming from.
A pump also needs power, and water and electricity are a bad mix. This isn't a do-it-yourself project.
If someone recommends a sump pump for a slab home with no below-ground space, ask two questions. What problem is it meant to solve? Where would the pit go? Both should be easy to answer.
Is standing water in the yard a pump problem?
Often, no. After a heavy storm, puddles in a yard are normal for a while. What matters is where the water sits and how long it stays.
Water that pools against the foundation is worth fixing. Water that runs off and soaks in is doing its job.
Look at a few things. Does the ground near the house slope away from it, or toward it? If you have gutters or downspouts, where do they empty? Is there a low spot that collects everything? Those are grading questions, and a grading or landscape contractor is the right person for them, not a pump.
Before anyone moves soil or rock, check the rules. Changing how water flows can push it onto a neighbor's property, and city or HOA rules may apply. Some neighborhoods also use retention basins that are meant to hold stormwater, so a low spot may be there on purpose. Water that comes from the street or a wash is a matter for your city or the county flood control agency.
Water that keeps showing up in the same spot when it hasn't rained is a different clue. It may be a leak from an irrigation or water line, and a plumber can check it. That's a job for plumbing repair, not grading.
What is the difference between a sump pump and a sewage ejector?
The names sound alike. The jobs don't.
A sump pump moves groundwater or other clear water out of a pit and away from the house. A sewage ejector pumps wastewater from fixtures that sit below the level of the sewer line, such as a toilet in a below-grade room, where gravity can't carry it out.
One handles water that seeps in. The other handles waste that can't flow downhill on its own. Both need power, and both are plumber work. A slab home with all its plumbing above the sewer line doesn't need either one.
What should you check after a monsoon storm?
The National Weather Service defines Arizona's monsoon season as June 15 through September 30, so it's worth running this check every summer:
- Look at the slope. Does the ground near the foundation fall away from the house?
- Check roof runoff. If you have gutters or downspouts, see where the water lands.
- Watch how long the water sits. Surface puddles that drain off are ordinary runoff.
- Look inside. A damp floor, stains, or a musty smell in a below-ground room is worth a call.
- Note the pattern. Is it the same spot after every storm, or only after the biggest ones?
Write down what you find, and take a few photos. That gives a plumber or a grading contractor something real to work from. If it's sewage backing up out of a drain rather than water seeping in, read about a sewer backup after a monsoon storm.
When should you call a licensed plumber?
Call if water is getting into a below-ground room, if you see seepage at a foundation wall, if a pump you already have stops working during a storm, or if water keeps showing up outside with no rain to explain it.
If water is coming into the house, that's the time to call an emergency plumber. If it reaches outlets or the electrical panel, stay out of the water and call your electric utility or a licensed electrician.
Sometimes the honest answer is that you don't need a pump at all. Brian has been a plumber in the Valley for 20+ years, and when that's the true answer, it's the one you'll hear from us. Not sure what your house needs? Ask about a sump pump evaluation.
Common Questions
Some do, but basements are rare in the Phoenix area. If you are not sure about yours, look for a room below ground level or ask a licensed plumber.
A sump pump serves a pit that collects water below ground, so it belongs in homes that have a basement or other below-grade space. A home with no pit does not need one.
It is often a grading and drainage question, not a pump question. A grading or landscape contractor can look at the slope, and your city or county flood control agency handles drainage issues beyond your property.
A sump pump moves groundwater or other clear water out of a pit. A sewage ejector pumps wastewater from fixtures that sit below the sewer line's level. They do different jobs.
