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December 8, 2018 by Chuck Green

5 Ways to Keep Your Sump Pump From Freezing for Yard Maintenance

Yard Maintenance Dallas TXNot all properties have them, but an essential part of yard maintenance in the Dallas, Texas area is making sure your property is draining effectively. Sometimes that necessitates the installation of a sump pump. While surface drains can often do the trick, a sump pump is useful when there is not enough slope in the yard for another irrigation system to work. For those that have a sump pump, keeping it from freezing in the winter is paramount. If water freezes in the hoses, pipes, or mechanism, chunks of ice can cause the sump pump to have difficulty keeping up or fail, resulting in troublesome flooding. Here are five ways you can prevent freezing in your sump pump this winter:

  1. Keep the heat on: As with the pipes in your house, keeping your sump pump in a warm environment will prevent the water flowing through it from freezing. It is recommended to keep your thermostat set to no lower than 55 degrees. It may be tempting set the temperature even lower when you leave town to save money on your utility bill, but it costs much more to repair your home in the event of flooding.
  2. Keep water moving: Water that is flowing is less likely to freeze than stagnant water. You can help keep the water in your sump pump moving by altering the settings on the sump pump. You may need a different setting in the winter than you do in the summer. You can also slope the pipes to allow gravity to help keep the water moving.
  3. Insulate pipes and hoses: Some of the hoses may be buried in the ground to provide natural insulation; others you can cover with electrical or heat tape, insulation, hay, or a tarp. Insulation keeps the temperature inside the hoses and pipes warmer so that any water sitting inside is less likely to freeze.
  4. Redirect water: If there is a large amount of water, the sump pump will need to work harder, causing overheating or even failure, which leads to frozen water in the pump. Redirecting the discharging water around the house reduces the workload of the sump pump and prevents freezing.
  5. Install specialized hoses: Water expands when it freezes, so a bigger discharge hose will create more room for the water to expand and for water to flow around frozen chunks, if necessary. You could also install a rigid, freeze-resistant hose to the end of the discharge hose to increase the distance the wastewater will be flushed away (at least 20 feet) from the property.

A sump pump can be a necessary aspect of your yard maintenance to protect your property from flooding. Although temperatures may not get below freezing too often in Dallas, Texas, it is imperative to keep a watchful eye on a sump pump during inevitable cold spells. Considering these five recommendations will assure you that your sump pump and property will be protected even during the winter months.

Wondering if a sump pump is right for your property, or need help with an existing one?  Call CGreens at 972-231-2870 for a free consultation. CGreens services the Dallas, Texas area and can help with all of your yard maintenance needs.

C Greens Landscape Management | Yard Maintenance Dallas TX | http://www.cgreens.com/

Filed Under: Lawn Drainage, Lawn Maintenance Tagged With: Irrigation System Dallas Tx, outdoor maintenance dallas tx, yard maintenance dallas tx

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erosion control

Erosion Control

CGreens uses a variety of ways to hold soil and keep it from washing away. Installing a retaining wall is an option that would be appropriate. There are many types of materials we use for the wall, from railroad ties, landscape timbers, concrete stones that look reasonably natural to many varieties and colors of native stone, which would be a beautiful addition to a landscape.

Of course, plant material such as ground cover or grass is excellent as an erosion control mechanism if you have the correct amount of sun and water. You may have a temporary need during construction that we can help with by utilizing special cloths explicitly designed for erosion control.

Re-grading your landscape to create a proper slope for runoff water and installing foundation protections such as wall sealant.

Adding a root barrier is also an option to help keep trees and large plant life from drawing moisture away from the soil which leads to erosion near the foundation of your home.

sump pump

Sump Pumps

An Installation of a Sump Pump or Pits would be done by CGreens in situations where there is not enough slope to discharge to a Surface Drain. Also, French Drains are typically deeper and will need a pump to discharge water up and out to an area away from the collection points.

The pumps that we install are commercial grade and can pump debris up to 1 ½” in diameter. We install check valves, unions, and alarms when necessary.

french drains

Surface & French Drains

Installation of surface drains, which are catch basin with a grate over the top of them at ground level, allows surface water to flow into them. When installing this system, CGreens makes sure to use a solid pipe that runs to a lower area to discharge, such as the street or storm drains.

CGreens installs French Drains to collect subsurface water, not surface water! French Drains are a trench in the ground, lined with a GeoTech cloth that allows water but not soil to penetrate. A solid PVC pipe that has holes is placed at 5 & 7 O’Clock positions, then the trench is filled with gravel, and the cloth is folded over at ground level.

Creating this hole creates a barrier to stop water and serve as protection and a sponge to draw water away from an area that needs to be kept dry. When we install a French Drain to prevent water from penetrating under a pier and beam foundation, the drain will be at least 6 inches below the perimeter beam.

Special note* CGreens uses only SDR 35 solid, smooth bore PVC pipe. It is the same thickness as Schedule 40 pipe but is not used for pressure. Heck, you can almost drive over it! We do NOT use the black, flexible ADS rolls of pipe as it will crush very easy even when backfilling the trench!

french-drain surface-drain
subsurface drainage

Surface and Subsurface Landscape and Hardscape Drainage

You need an effective system for removing stormwater and draining water before it can cause further damage. We are experts at all kinds of yard drainage systems that can move water from your property quickly and effectively.

At CGreens we can customize water drainage systems for every landscape and situation that are designed specifically to fit your landscape. We offer systems for surface water drainage, subsurface water drainage, and water retention/holding containers.

grate and drain

Grates and Drain Water Catch Basins

CGreens uses grates to catch water, and our filter systems can minimize the quantity of debris entering the system. For some grating projects, A foundation engineer may be the unbiased professional that you need. We have worked with many engineers since 1980 and can be your guide for a strong voice & properly graded yard and foundation.