Frozen discharge lines causing some big flood problems for Central Ohio basements

Old man winter has dumped plenty of snow on Central Ohio over the past few weeks. Just today we have received calls from homeowners in Dublin, Westerville, Columbus, and Pickerington that their basements are flooding but they hear their sump pump running. 

During the inspection, our Project Managers are identifying two causes that have contributed to the flooded basement: 

1.  The snow plows have pushed snow against the curbs and blocked the discharge lines at the street. This causes the lines to back up and the water is forced back into the home.

2.   The sump pump discharge line is frozen and blocked by ice at the exit elbow of the home.

If your home is experiencing either of these issues, there are some actions you can take immediately that offer a temporary solution to prevent flooding in your basement.

1. If you see a freeze plug on the discharge line as it is exiting the home, remove it to allow the water to discharge.

2. If there is not a plug and the line is going directly into the ground, separate the sump pump line from the underground.

While both of these actions can help prevent water from entering the basement in the short term, they are not long term fixes. At this point, the water will be exiting toward your foundation, and it can eventually make its way into your basement, causing costly damage to your home and your belongings.

The Freeze Relief installed on the home.

Freeze Relief is an innovative product that offers a permanent solution once it is installed where the sump pump discharge line exits the home. This is a simple, maintenance free, unit that prevents freezing and clogging of lines, and gives homeowners some security from their basements flooding, even during the coldest of winter months.

But don't wait until there is a problem. Homes without the Freeze Relief are at a major risk of flooding during the winter. Get the peace of mind you deserve and schedule a consultation today.

Visit mybasementdoctor.com or call us to schedule at 1-(877) 264-9050.

Expert Tips for Winterizing your Home

With cold weather comes high utility bills and the potential for costly damage to your home due to weather-related events. Each year we find a good number of emergency calls we receive could have been prevented with some basic home maintenance. A house that is not properly winterized will consume more energy and cost more money.

Thankfully, The Basement Doctor has the prescription to keep money in your pockets, and can offer helpful and easy advice for protecting your house this winter. Below you will find The Basement Doctor’s “Top 5 Tips” for winterizing your home. 

1. Keep outlet at the street free of ice and snow.
 

The No. 1 reason a basement floods in the winter is due to frozen or clogged sump pump discharge lines. When plows push the snow against the outlet lines on the road, the water in this line that is coming from your gutters and sump pump has nowhere to go but back into your basement. This eventually floods the sump pump basin and ultimately you basement. A wooden stake at your curb to mark where your sump pump discharge line is located will help you find it when your curb is full of ice and snow. 

2. Ensure gutters are clear to help prevent ice damming.

Ice dams are a buildup of ice that forms over leaves and gutters, and they are caused by snow melting on the roof. Once an ice dam has formed, it will continue to trap melted snow above that will then back up into the shingles and leak into your home. This causes wood rot, wet insulation and drywall deterioration, structural damage, and dangerous mold and mildew. Ice dams on a home are a sure indicator of air leaks, a warm rooftop and low insulation.

3. Seal leaks and cracks to save money. 

Look for air leaks around windows, doors, electrical outlets, pipes, and receptacles on exterior walls. We recommend closed cell spray foam as a replacement to fiberglass insulation.

4. Try to maintain constant indoor temperature

Do not turn the thermostat up and down to help reduce energy consumption and keep relative humidity at acceptable levels. The newer programmable models allow homeowners to set a lower temperature while away or asleep and raise the temperature when needed.

5. Make sure you have the proper insulation in the attic.

Click image to enlarge.

R49-R60 blown in insulation in the attic is specific to the Ohio region. This is approximately 15.5 to 19 inches of insulation.

A free energy exam from The Basement Doctor can help you determine if your house has the proper amount of insulation and can uncover your home's top energy offenders.

 

The Basement Doctor proudly supports Maria's Message at Central Ohio High Schools

On September 17, 2013, Maria Tiberi, daughter of 10TVs Dom Tiberi, lost her life in a tragic car accident. The cause of the accident? An unknown distraction. Since that time, Maria's parents have made it their mission to educate the public through their important campaign, Maria's Message, and The Maria Tiberi Foundation.

This fall, The Basement Doctor proudly partnered with 10TV and Maria’s Message to spread the word on the dangers of texting while driving and other dangerous distractions on the road. Each Friday night for ten weeks, the First and Ten tailgate party went to a local high school and set up a tailgate event. Maria’s Message was there and provided a booth where teens and other event-goers used driving simulators to experience first-hand the dangerous effects of distracted driving. Once they experienced the simulator, they were asked to take Maria’s Pledge not to text and drive and remain focused on the road. Pledgers then had the opportunity to spin The Basement Doctor Prize Wheel, where they could win prizes from several local businesses and restaurants in their community.

Taking it one step further, The Basement Doctor created a competition amongst the schools to further encourage students to take the pledge and learn more about Maria's Message. The school with the most pledges at the end of 10 weeks would win a large donation to their athletic department. We tracked the progress on social media and had a great response from the schools.  Hilliard Darby high school came out on top with 167 pledges. The Basement Doctor presented them with their donation at a basketball game on January 27.

Maria's Message and The Maria Tiberi Foundation continue to raise funds to purchase simulator distracted driving machines, which further raise awareness among drivers of all ages to the dangers and challenges of distracted driving. The Basement Doctor encourages anyone interested in this cause to visit www.mariatiberifoundation.org for more information. A full gallery of pictures from the tailgate parties as well as the pledge numbers of each school can be found on The Basement Doctor's Facebook page.







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