Expert: liznarr - 10/5/2008

Question
I am looking to buy a house with a basement. But because of possible basement flooding concerns in the area I am interests has history of this problem.
Which types of sewer system should be better if i want to avoid flood basement? As i can see most of the houses has Sewer-Public in the MLS listing, but however some said Sewer-Storm or overhead sewer. So among all these types, which one has the least impossibility to be flooded?
Can you explained what "sum pump" function is? Is that critical to have a sum pump in the basement to avoid flood problem?
Is no pump but the house is overhead sewer, is that mean no flood problem?
My agent cannot explain these to me in my full understanding, should i continue to use this agent?

thanks.

Answer
Hi Brenda,

When purchasing a house with a basement, my personal first concern would be whether or not it has been PROPERLY water-proofed.

Before purchasing a basement home for which you have basement flooding concerns, have a reputable, qualified home inspection done of the basement, being very observant yourself to look for water lines anywhere on the basement walls, which are indicators of the levels of any previous standing water.

Also, check the walls for drip and/or run lines from water infiltration.  Make sure that the inspector checks the moisture level of the basement itself and also the WOOD moisture content of any rafters and/or beams located in the basement.  When the moisture content of any wood member reaches and/or exceeds 28%, it is a given that rot will occur.

For basements or homes with a crawl space having water infiltration and/or flooding problems, a sump pump can be used.  This is nothing more than a pumping system to pump out excess water accumulation.  The sump pumps I have seen have a floating ball in a depressed area or hole (much like a small well), similar to one in a commode tank.  When the level of the ball is raised to a certain level, the pump kicks in automatically and pumps the water out to prevent flooding.

If a basement has not been properly water-proofed and/or there is continuous water infiltration, yes, a sump pump system could be crucial.  I would talk to some reputable companies in your area to evaluate any house you are considering purchasing.  Time invested up front to investigate a potential problem can save you much money and many headaches later if there was a problem you did not discover PRIOR to purchase.

A problem with sump pumps is that they must be checked regularly to ensure that they are operating properly.

I have copied below several web sites you can go to and read about sump pumps:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/1276106.html

http://www.sump-pump-info.com/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/1276106.html

On your sewer questions, I do not have expertise in that field, so I cannot give you specific answers; but I will show you in the next paragraph how you can learn.

To research and learn more about what you want to know (on sewers, and practically anything else you might have questions on), I highly recommend using www.google.com   Another good site is www.yahoo.com, but I personally prefer Goodle.  Simply type in words in the search bar such as overhead sewers, basement flooding, sump pumps … or any other words relating to what you are trying to research.  The site will return a list of links for you to click on.   

I am copying below some partial information for you from the site

http://www.evereadyfloodcontrol.com/faq.html  (You can go to this site and  read the full content to learn more.)

“An overhead sewer is designed to prevent sewer water from backing up into the basement by elevating the sewer above the level of the basement floor. The theory behind overhead sewers is that water will seek its own level in the pipes. The water level in the pipes will have to rise all the way to the first floor level in order to back up into the building.

The problems that occur with overhead sewer lines are generally that, (1) The overhead sewer line along the exterior of the building is not water tight causing the pump to become overloaded, and (2) The pressure on the discharge or city side of the system exceeds the pressure on the building side causing water to back out of the next lowest gravity opening of the building.”

The site below, I think, gives an excellent insight into sewer backup:
http://www.woodriver.org/FloodInfo/ProtectProperty/BasementFlooding.htm

On your question about your agent … if this agent is supposed to be representing YOU … and he/she either cannot, or will not, get answers for you on your critical buying issues … I would be looking for someone more willing to PROPERLY represent you and seek out the answers you require.  A home purchase is the largest financial decision most people ever make in their life, and an uninformed or lazy agent can hurt you more than help you.  To be very blunt, I would immediately run for the hills and find a reputable knowledgeable agent.

I hope the above is helpful to you.  Good luck to you, and feel free to write again if you have additional questions.

Regards,
Elizabeth