living in Ottawa (ON) this fall has been....wet. AFter the cold snap the pipe leading out the sump hole is frozen. Not a big deal until spring. But...now my water softener has no outlet. About 3 feet of the pipe is above ground before disappearing.
Answer:
Try modifying your sump pump plumbing: Sump pumps should never be allowed to operate alone. There should always be as much back up for them as possible. One system is to have a second pump on hand for urgent, quick replacement. This means that the actual hook-up would probably be better done with hose clamps and radiator hoses than corrodable, threaded joints. Another is to install a "T" with a threaded cap somewhere along the interior line so that if the hose plugs for whatever reason (frost, collapse, vermin, etc.) another hose can be attached inside and there is no embarrassing gap in service. The preferred system incorporates two pumps in the same hole (both of them submersible) set at slightly different levels for being activated. Sump holes should also be fitted with covers which have weather stripped holes only large enough for the various protrusions (pipes, wires, etc.) through them. Three-quarter-inch plywood makes a good cover and if the necessary holes are drilled in a straight line, the plywood can be cut to fit around all the protrusions, the edges of it properly weather-stripped and put in place. This keeps an otherwise large surface of water from evaporating into the basement and substantially raising humidity levels there.
