Standing water is a headache for homeowners everywhere. And the problem of moving it from one place to another can be challenging and overwhelming. Luckily, we’re here to help. We’re going to show you exactly how to pump standing water out of your yard and tell you why you should make this problem a priority. Let’s begin!
Standing Water Causes Large Amounts of Damage
Standing water, when left alone, can cause expensive water damage and even become a health hazard. It facilitates mold growth, creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and causes lawn and landscaping problems. That’s why it’s important to know how to pump standing water out of your yard.
If you think that’s frustrating, think of all the mud you’re going to unintentionally bring inside the house due to standing water in your yard.
Standing water in low-lying areas in your yard with poor drainage can render that part unusable as it causes grass and plant death due to overhydration. When you have a standing water problem in your yard, the best thing you can do is take immediate action to remedy it, and a sump pump can help you with it.
Not immediately addressing your standing water problem imposes a variety of health risks. These include mold growth which leads to costly foundation issues in your home. Mold can begin to grow up the walls and spread spores, making the entire foundation contaminated.
Bacteria and mosquitoes also thrive in moist pools of water, making it the perfect ecosystem for pathogens such as E. coli and other viruses and malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Disease-carrying rats, mice, and possums also like to nest in standing water and other watering holes.
Best Way to Pump Standing Water Out of Your Yard
Fixing standing water in your yard can be a difficult and laborious process, and it is recommended that you take action to address your standing water problem immediately. You should not wait until the water has evaporated before you deal with it.
The best thing that you can do to address this problem is by using a water pump. It doesn’t take a lot of time, and your standing water issue will be gone. You can buy or rent a water pump to do this, and you can usually just pump the water down a nearby storm drain.
But if you do not have a water pump, the next best thing is to use the water hose method. You will need to fill up a hose with water and seal one end before putting it in the water that needs to be drained.
Then, you need to submerge the other end in the standing water, and if no air is inside the hose, it should suck out the excess water. The vacuum will pump out the water gradually. This is a common method.
Fix the Issue (Or It’ll Happen Again!)
There are a lot of ways you can try to get rid of standing water. Once you figure out the cause of why there is standing water in your garden or yard, you can try hiring professional landscapers to re-grade your yard, aerating your lawn to break up compacted soil, and giving compost or mulch to your topsoil to give it a boost, finding the hardpan, raising the soil, installing a french drain, or create a dry creek.
If you don’t address the issue that caused the standing water in your yard, it is bound to just happen again. If you want to prevent this, you should invest in solutions that will decrease the likelihood of standing water collecting in your yard once again.
Can You Put a Sump Pump in Your Yard?
Every homeowner who has experienced a flooded basement or yard knows how much hassle and damage water can do in a very short period. Worst case scenario, it can cause your house foundation to shift which costs thousands of dollars to fix.
Water damage to your yard can also mean dead fauna, and yards that become waterlogged can take weeks to dry out properly. In the end, you’ll save more money, time, and energy if you address your standing water problem immediately after finding out about them.
A sump pump is a kind of pump that transfers water from a low-lying area to somewhere it can safely drain. The most common place to find these pumps are in basements or crawl spaces, the usual low-lying areas of a house. A transfer pump is a type of sump pump that clears standing water from a yard.
There are two kinds of sump pump, a submersible, and a pedestal pump. The kind of pump you should get would largely depend on the water problem, where the water is coming from, or the cause why standing water exists in your yard.
A submersible pump is quieter than pedestal pumps but since they are underwater, they are more likely to break down faster. A pedestal pump lasts longer because it stays above ground, with only its water inlet filter staying submerged.
How Much is an Outdoor Sump Pump?
Yes, a sump pump can be expensive. But having one handy especially if your yard floods often is a great investment in the long run. And investing in a high-quality one is time, money, and energy well spent. Not investing in high-quality pumps just makes you shell out more money in the future for repairs to not only the pump but also your flooded yard.
The cost of an outdoor sump pump varies depending on the type you need. Pedestal ones cost around $60 to $170. Submersible ones range from $100 to $400 and take a bit longer to install. Outdoor submersible pumps also need to work in hot and cold temperatures. This feature would set you back another $600 to $1000. Also, take into account labor costs since you will need to hire professionals to install an outdoor sump pump who typically charge anywhere around $40 to $200 per hour.
If you live in an area that is prone to flooding or power outages, you might also want to invest in a sump pump that has a backup battery feature. These typically cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on the size, type, and capacity you want for the battery. Some pumps also have alarm features that notify you when they have reached their maximum capacity or limit.
Depending on where you live, you might also consider investing in a reserve sump pump which ranges from $100 to $400. In case water overpowers your primary pump, the reserve pump can help with the overload.
No matter the kind of sump pump you choose, a high-quality one can help you solve your standing water problem relatively quickly. Not only that, but it minimizes the damage to your yard than you were to regrade or keep treating your soil. There are a variety of brands available in all price ranges, which makes it a bit difficult to find the best sump pump that you need.
Key Takeaways
If there is water standing in your yard, it is usually indicative of a serious problem–and it can cause more serious problems the longer you let it sit unresolved. It’s important that you take decisive action before it causes irreparable harm to your yard and your home.
Pumping the water out of your yard is the first priority. The next is fixing the issue that caused it in the first place! Now that you know how to pump standing water out of your yard, you can get started!