Spring thaw

Doctor BagThe Shock Doctors 
Progressive Electrical Services Ltd
            ECRA/ESA #7001377 

Writing your Prescription for Electrical Safety

March 2010
In This Issue
Preparing for the Spring Melt
Sump Pump Maintenance
Sump Pump Technology
Ask the Doctor
 
 
 $$$ Remember to submit your receipts for all eligible work performed between January 27th, 2009 - February 1st, 2010 for your income tax preparation and claim your tax credit!

Home renovation tax credit

 Click flag for list of eligible expenses.

 

Ontario Home Energy Audit Program

  Energy Auditors
Contact us for information about great certified energy advisors in our area.
Our Dutch Blue Rabbit  News You can Use around Your Home".
 
 
 A couple of years ago the Shock Doctors came home to see their pet bunny practicing her Olympic-form breast stroke; the water 8" deep in both the basement and the bunny's cage. Flooding can occur Olympic ringsquickly and, it seems, rarely when you are at home.  This month's newsletter outlines a few easy maintenance items that can help you prevent your basement from flooding.   
 
 
Terry Carman, Master Electrician
 
                       Terry Carman    
 
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Do YOU have a question for the Doctor? 
 
 Stethoscope
If you have a question about the health of your electrical system or just wondering about a little "plastic surgery", ask the doctor: Just click below and send your question to mail@theshockdoctors.ca
Preparing for the Spring Melt 
 
Risk of basement flooding increases when we experience a fast thaw. When the ground is still frozen, a fast thaw produces an abundance of water that cannot be absorbed by the landscape. The ditches may still be frozen and unable to drain the excess water away from your property.
 
Each cubic foot of snow yields about ½ gallon of water. 1000 Sq Ft HouseOne foot of snow on the roof on a 1000 sq ft home (as shown) could  pour 600 gallons of water down beside the foundation wall.  The home's exterior absorbs heat from the sun, thaws the ground closest to the wall and allows the melting snow to flow down the face of the foundation wall. Small cracks, poor drainage around the house and deteriorated waterproofing can all contribute seepage.
An ounce of prevention is worth a "gallon" of cure. Take a walk around the exterior of your home. Clear snow from basement window wells. Ensure that down spout extensions  are in place and clear so that water melting from your roof drains away from your foundation. Ideally these downspout extensions should be 6 feet away from the foundation wall (and not draining into your neighbours basement).
 
Sump Pump Maintenance
 If you have a sump pump, MAKE SURE it is operational. Remove the cover of the sump well and slowly pour about 5 gallons of water into the sump well.Watch for the "float" to rise and trigger the pump. The most common pump failures are "float-related".
 
Once the pump is engaged, the water level will quickly lower. Listen for the float to shut off the pump. Perform this operation at least twice. Go outside and check that the pump is actually discharging water. Sometimes the motor will "run" but it won't pump any water out and sometimes the discharge line is blocked by ice, snow or "critters". Listen for any strange noises coming from the motor.
 
All sump pump water discharge lines should have a check valve installed to prevent water from draining back into the sump well. The unnecessary re-pumping of water will wear out the pump prematurely.
 
Sump Pump Technology 
The two basic sump pump models are upright (commonly called a
pedestal) and submersible. Either will work well with proper
maintenance.
The pedestal pump has the motor on top of the pedestal and the
Pedestal Sumppump at the base, which sits on the bottom of the sump. The
motor is not meant to get wet. The pump is turned on and off by
a ball float. One advantage of this type of pump is that the on/off
switch is visible so the action of the ball float can be easily seen.
 
Submersible pumps are designed to be entirely submerged in water and
sit on the bottom of the sump well. It is activated by either a ball float connected to an internal pressure switch or a sealed, adjustable, mercury-activated float switch. The sealed mercury switch generally is more reliable
than a pressure switch. Submersible pumps are quieter than their pedestal cousins.

A battery operated backup pump in the well is essential. It serves a purpose in three situations; back-up in case of failure of the main pump, support if the main pump cannot keep up with the incoming flow of water and of course, the only working pump during a power failure. A good backup pump will sound an alarm to notify you that it is assisting or has taken over the water removal. 
 
Newest to the market are "Intelligent" sump pumps, with built in backups and notification systems, that automatically email and call if there is a failure. This could be a valuable, stress relieving solution for vacationers. If there were an Olympic event for sump pumps, these babies would be coming home with the gold (and our rabbit could hang up her water wings for good). 

 
Ask the Doctor Headline
 
Q.  Should the sump pump be on an isolated electrical circuit?
 
Doc Says:
Yes. Keep it isolated. Here's why. A standard 15-amp, three-prong grounded outlet is sufficient to handle a sump pump and yes there is plent of room to run other things... BUT... you run the risk of the "other things" tripping the circuit, and then the sump won't be working when you need it.
 
March is that month when the blessings of the Irish are shared with the rest of us. I hope that these maintenance tips bring you luck keeping your basement dry this spring. 
 
Cheri 
 Cheri@theshockdoctors.ca 
 
 
 
The Shock Doctors
 
 
ECRA of the ESA #7001377 
Happy St. Patrick's DayIrish Blessing:
 
May you have the hindsight to know where you've been
the foresight to know where you're going
and the insight to know when you're going too far.