Install a sump pit and pump in dirt crawl space with small access
by
Ede
I need to install a sump pit and pump in a dirt crawl space but the opening or access in only 13 inches high by 2'3" wide. Ever since I had poly sprayed on the interior foundation walls 4 years ago , the dirt stays muddy in the middle of the crawl space. The middle of the dirt floor is lower than near the foundation walls to allow a person to crawl underneath the 12" by 12 " wood beam that supports this 100 + year old house. Its like a very shallow well?
I have a fan blowing air but it remains wet/muddy year around ! Any suggestions are welcome especially how to cut and reassembly a sump pit to get thru this small opening.
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Do u have French drains around the exterior walls? This will aim the water to the pump.
A friend of mine has a similar situation. Dirt crawlspace and a low spot just off center from the middle. Water would always stay in that area "forever". He tried filling it in with gravel but that didn't work. He called me for help. The entrance into the crawl was about the same size as yours and jutted out into the yard a few inches past the foundation. Pain to get into the crawl. What we did was use a 5 gallon plastic bucket and drilled a bunch of one inch holes into it. Wrapped it with landscape fabric. In the crawl we dug a hole as deep as the bucket but larger diameter than the bucket in the lowest part of the crawl. Put the bucket in the hole and poured gravel all around the bucket. Put in a 1/3 HP sump pump in the bucket and ran the hose out of the crawl onto the yard. Eventually he planned to run the sump hose somewhere else.