There's an Easier Way to Prevent Flooding in Winter

First, the sump discharge line should be buried or extended away from your home into the yard. This gives you the best chance to keep the small amount of water accumulating in the discharge pipe flowing. Discharge lines buried in the yard are preferable, if possible, to prevent freezing due by leveraging the warmth of the ground around it. We recommend burying the line at least five inches below the surface of your yard. If using an above-ground discharge line, be sure it is angled at a downward slope to use gravity to carry the water out and away from the house. Standing water has a much higher likelihood of freezing.

Another consideration is to keep the end of the discharge line free of snow, ice or debris that would block the flow of water. During severe snow or ice storms, it is an excellent practice to make several trips outside to check the line for any blockage. If the discharge line freezes, the pipe may malfunction and allow for the water to drain against the foundation, which creates an environment for foundation issues to be present.

Insulating your discharge line and the intake section of the line also serves as a worthy defender against winter climates. There are various materials you can use to insulate. We would recommend heat tape. Heat tape is not sticky. Instead, it is an affordable, heat-conducting flexible wire that produces heat through electricity. Heat tape requires an electrical source to provide the current to produce heat and protect your pipes.

Even with these tools in place, in the middle of winter, your sump pump can extract water into the discharge line, which could freeze and create problems. What you need is a way of guarding your basement and sump pump even if the discharge line is clogged or frozen. There is a better way than schlepping outside in the winter armed with a flashlight and an icepick.

Meet the IceGuard(R)

The patented IceGuard allows water to escape through specially designed perforations, providing a backup, alternative discharge point when pipe terminations are blocked by ice or snow. It is an anti-freezing system, fit to install outside of your home. It ejects water away from the foundation if your sump pump discharge lines freeze or become blocked or clogged.

When temperatures rise and the discharge line thaws, the water will automatically run along its main route. There are no valves to turn, hoses to attach, or anything for the homeowner to do at all - it is automatic! Think of it as a backup release for your pressurized sump pump water when the discharge line is blocked, allowing you time to unblock the pipe before basement flooding or sump pump burn out can occur. Why not have peace of mind that your basement is always dry?

IceGuard is just one of the many options we sell and install from a family of sump pump features to protect your basement from water intrusion, sold exclusively by Thrasher Foundation Repair in our market.

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