A Sump Pump Victory!

 It rained Tuesday.... And Wednesday!   Guess what?   No Basement Flooding!   

YEAH!  Victory!

It is true that there was a bit of seepage around the corners where the driveway meets the house.    But there was nothing in the room where I installed the Sump pump!   

And when I peeked inside,  the water level was as low as when I first installed it.   Meaning,  somewhere  in the middle of the night,  it kicked on and drained the water out into the back yard.   I deem that a success! 

Now begins the task of making things look a little more professional and aesthetically pleasing.  I worked at Haribo yesterday... Meaning: all of my special project tasks were lumped into TODAY!  That is a tall order to complete multiple projects in a single day.   Especially when I just passed my first Homeowners Skill test.   And still have no real experience or knowledge of how long things will take to be completed.   

That being said,  I do know that part of the homeowner's DIY process is to start small and know your limits.   From there,   We build upon successes....  ( So I have read...) 

So... Small task:   Bury the hose from the sump pump so you can mow over it.  Seems like an easy task.   Just dig a shallow trench and put the hose in it.   Cover the hose with the dirt.   

Then the over thinking kicks in!  What if I plug up the end of the hose?   Where will the water go then?   Will it flow back into the basement?   What if it washes out a big hole in the backyard?  Should I bury a bucket and fill  that with the discharged water?   

And on and on....

So,  My thought was I would dig a hole at the end of the hose and fill it with some gravel.   To make sure the soil does not fill in the gaps too quickly,  I lined the hole with more landscaping liner.   Top it off with a wire rack I got from the fire pit to put a "lid" on the hole.   

Will it work?   How should I know?  I'm just making it up as I go along.  And I could not find a Youtube video on this particular topic.    So....  We shall see. 

I already have a plan "B" in the event it somehow fails.  But I'm hoping that the current set up will provide just enough drainage and seepage to keep the hose clear and water flowing.   

Another project I tried to do was to cover several of the open drains that were in the basement.   The old basement toilet flange!  

I cleaned up the area and ground down the old iron flange/pipe so I could fit a flange cover over it.  I think they poured lead in the seam between the pipe and the flange.  

 I don't plan on putting a toilet here any time soon, so this flange will just be used as a cover to keep the smell down.  

And that goes for the other part near the laundry section.   Again, I tried to clean up the pipe, but found the flange to be rusted in nice and tight.   I still may have to use the grinder to cut that section out, but for now, a simple PVC plug will do.  

I added a grate to the open "Drain" near the furnace.  

There is a hole in the furnace where they added a vent to keep that "bedroom" warm.   ( The one I ripped out.) I still have to tackle that, but think I might be able to get away with just using some aluminum furnace tape.  

Speaking of the furnace!   I changed out the air filter... which looked like it had not been swapped out since 1965.   I say 1965.. because while pulling it out, I found a time capsule!

A newspaper page from the Milwaukee Journal dated May,  1965!   Look at the prices and TV shows!   Funny how things changed!  

 I was talking to my brother and he speculated that this house was most likely built before electricity, and that is why things look so dated and random.   I would not doubt that there is an "Infancy" to the Electrical Codes that were used when building this place.  

 Ultimately, my goal is to completely rewire and update the system to the modern era.   But that Project is a ways down the road.  

Right now...  I'll  continue to work on keeping the basement dry. 

And part of that process is clearing out the gutters so the rain that falls off the roof goes where it is supposed to.   I have a small problem with birds wanting to build nests in inappropriate places.   

And all that debris has found its way into the gutter pipe that is suppose to keep the water away from the house.   I purchased a ladder today and was able to clear out at least one of the pipes.  I will see if the other gutters on the other side require my attention as well. 

So now the plan is to wire up a  plug so the Sump pump has a more permanent power supply.  This will require me to remove an existing 2 prong plug and exchanging it for a three prong.   I may just wire up a circuit wholly separate so the sump pump in the only thing drawing power.  That will clean up the "rat's nest" of wires that the last guy put in.  And then I can restore power back to my bedroom.  ( which was hooked into the same breaker as the basement plug....)  

Honestly,  this place is wired up more like a spider's web and less like a branching tree.  

But I think I can make things simpler once I get that far.   Mostly because I am a simple person.  And I embrace the KISS method.    (Keep it simple stupid...) Overly complicating things only makes things more difficult to understand.   ( Perhaps that is one of the reasons I failed as a teacher.)  

Ahh well.   The weather has been wonderful the last couple days and I find myself enjoying the last few flowers that continue to pop up.   These purple morning glories are magnificent!  

 I have not seen any Humming birds around here, but I'm sure I will try to cater to them once I am able to move out of the house and into "Landscaping 101".  By then, I am hoping my skill set will be improved and "almost competent"

Time to call it for the night.   The remaining projects will have to be saved for the upcoming week or next weekend.  Whichever I am able to pull off I will try my best to make every second count. 

Sump Pump Project Update: Operational!

 Today, I "finished" the sump pump project to a point where I can now use it...  In Theory, at least.  The true test will be tomorrow and the following three days where the weather channel predicts rain.   Lots and Lots of Rain!  

I feel cautiously confident.  And I think the install is solid and correct.  (I even drilled a Seep hole in the hose to let water in...) 

 Even so,  I do hold out that sliver of doubt that something unforeseen could happen that I or any of the YouTube videos failed to address. Time and age have taught me few things.   But one is that:   Anything is possible. 

Honestly,  there is this excitement to see if it actually works!  I mean,  I know it works.  I have already tested it outside the basin.   But will it work as designed.... With muddy water seeping in from the ground and activate when needed.   Will it be able to push the water  up over the wall and into the yard?   Will it shut off once the water has been evacuated?   It's almost like building a plane or a boat and  waiting to see if it can fly or float!

So the biggest hurdle I had today was to figure out how I was going to get the hose to the outside.  My initial plans were to drill a hole through the cinderblock wall and snake the hose through it.  I surely did not want to go up an additional 2 feet just so I could punch a hole through my Vinyl Siding.  ( or maybe it is aluminium...)  It would look unsightly and the extra height distance might put unnecessary strain on the pump.    

I ran down to Menhards to purchase a "hole Saw" for the task.  Along with a few other things that had nothing to do with the project.  ( That is how they get you.... Come in for one thing, leave with a dozen other things for future projects....) 

Turns out,  the diamond made circular cutting saw blade was not really made for cutting a hole in cinderblock!  I could tell that the saw despite being in a hammer drill, was not going to make it.   All it could do was rough out an outline of the circle.    The teeth were nearly grown down to nubs after just a few minutes.  

So,  Out with the concrete drill bit.   It was smaller,  but punched through more effectively.   From there,  I pulled out the hammer and chisel set.  

I then went outside to repeat the process.  I was impressed that it fits around the sump pump hose snuggly.  Even so, I still plan on using something to seal up the area around the hole.  

With the hole cut,  I was able to pull the hose through and hook it up to the pump.   I cut a hole in the lid of the garbage can and threaded the cord and the hose though that as well.   Now All I need is the rain....

My hope is that everything will work out and I will gain satisfaction and confidence for my next project.   Which will most likely be wiring up a three pronged outlet to the sump pump so I can plug it in to a wall mounted plug.   Currently, I have an extension cord as the power source.  

Working with electricity is slightly different than working with water  or dirt.   Those  things are dirty and messy,  But they can't really kill you.   

So... More Youtube videos on how to run cable to an outlet box and hooking that up to your Breaker Box.  I'm I am able to blog about that,  that will mean that I have survived to tell the tale. 

In the mean time, I shall keep my fingers crossed and pray for rain... Just enough rain to make the sump pump activate and be successful.  The last thing I would wish is for the heavens to open up and present a deluge of biblical proportions!  

Nope!  Just enough.  And then we can build upon that.   Perhaps bury the hose and surround it with some gravel so it will be less conspicuous.   And I can mow over it instead of around it.   We shall see.   

For now though,  it is getting late and I had better get some sleep.  So I can rise up again tomorrow and make every second count. 

Busting Out The Concrete!

 I will admit:  I'm in uncharted waters here....  Today was the first day I have had the opportunity to tackle the next "project" in ernest.   The Sump Pump!

Seems like an easy job, really!   Just dig a hole in the lowest part of your basement,  Sink a Garbage Can/ basin  in the hole,  Put in a Sump pump!   Plug it in and sleep peacefully every night knowing your basement is safe from those  annoying storm surges during severe weather!   What could be easier?  

Well,   Except for that little bit of Concrete that covers the hole.   But once you remove that,  It is smooth sailing!   

Except....  Hey!   Did you know Concrete is Hard?   Like...  Rock Hard!  They make Prisons out of this stuff!  

And it is at least 2 inches deep!   That might not seem like much if you are a convict digging for freedom.   But that is a lot for someone with only a few hours during a single day to make a hole.  

My first plan was to drill a bunch of hole around the perimeter  with my handy dandy new Hammer Drill.  I bought the biggest Concrete bit I could find and went to town!  

After about 15 minutes, I found I had only a few holes drilled and my poor drill was throwing sparks and smoking!  (The kind where you say:  "I'm pretty sure that is not normal....")   Time for bigger guns!

Now I know in Shawshank Redemption,  the Guy dug through 20 ft of Concrete with a spoon and a Hammer;  But that guy had a lot of time and Motivation!  ( And that was Hollywood!  'Nuff said.)    But I have Tuesday as a preliminary Deadline to get this thing finished.  And I'm not in Prison... So...

If Tim Robbins would have had access to a Jack Hammer, I'm sure he would have made the same call.   I ran down to Menhards to see if their Jackhammer was available for rent.   

It was!  So,   $80 bucks later,  I tossed the thing into the back of the Subie and had 4 hours to make things happen.  Having never used a Jackhammer before, I accepted their "User manual Print out"  to see if there were any pointers I could discover.   Now I know that they make these things for  people who never finished  Highschool,  but I have two college degrees!  (I probably should not mention that while working at a warehouse....)  So I know they did not make it "Nerd Friendly".   Besides,  How hard could it be? 

Turns out,   Pretty easy!  No certification required after all!  Just point the pointy thing at the place you want destroyed and press the button.   The only "technique"  I could make out was to rest your belly on the handle and lift it with your knees.   It made short work of the hole I had outlined.   

So now, I had to dig.   And that only required a shovel and a couple of five gallon buckets.  The clay at the bottom was so  ridiculously heavy, I felt like I was at that CrossFit Gym where Dave and Moe carry cowbells while lunging forward.  

 Except I must have looked like a farmer carrying one of those giant Milk Jugs while climbing stairs!  In fact,  I have two small red pinch marks on my legs where the handle of the buckets  must have pinched me.  The soil looks like it is  made entirely of clay!

I figured the garbage Bin was 32 gallons, so 7 trips with a 5 gallon bucket should be enough to clear  the hole with the proper depth.   Think again!   After 8 trips,  I still had not fully buried the garbage can.  

 But I was having a harder time trying to get the clay out because the shovel handle was at its limit. So I decided that this was deep enough.  (Not digging to China here....) 

Another trip to Menhards.   This time to return the hammer and also get the gravel and patio Brick for the bottom. I think I am now officially their "Most Valued Customer" since I have been there nearly every day since I began this project  two months ago.  (I think they have a picture of me on their wall!)  

It was at this point where I could feel my motivation start to fade.  That moment where you evaluate the task and the effort you have put in to this point and do the math.   I am  most likely not going to finish this tonight.   So I had better set some realistic goals.   Not to mention,  Carrying 5 gallon buckets of clay up stairs  a dozen times had really smoked me!   

Upon getting home,  I Covered the outside of the can with a fine mesh that is used to filter out large dirt particles.   

 Drill some holes into the garbage can  and check for fit!  Level things up and fill the space between the can and the soil with the gravel.  Put the Patio Brick in the bottom so the Sump Pump has something to set on without sucking up sediment.  

Clean up!

I'll save the hooking up of the Pump for later.   There is no danger at the moment, other than ME... Doing a crappy job because I want it to be done!  

So now I'm doing laundry and petting the cat.  ( Who finds my blog time the perfect time to sit on my keyboard.) I think the basement is looking better  now that the water has been removed and most of the junk from the demolition has been cleared. The next task will be to run power over to the sump pump and hook up some PVC pipe for a more "permanent" solution.   Right now,  I have a flex hose and an extension cord if things get out of control on Tuesday. 

And I will save the French Drain Trench for another day.   Unless it becomes a bigger issue.  My hope is that the Sump pump will be enough for now.   And I can begin focusing on things like Plumbing and Electrical... 

 Those have potential to be larger jobs than my initial observations.  I would at least like to tackle the Water Main Shut Off Valve next.  And then slowly work on replacing all of the galvanized plumbing that this place has.  

For now.. I'm done!   Time to eat some pizza in celebration.  

And make every second count.