Plumbing in Ericsson, the short answer
PlumbTek plumbs homes in Ericsson, ZIP 55417, the 1920s to 1940s neighborhood between Lake Hiawatha and Lake Nokomis. Because some blocks sit low, the most common jobs are sump pump repair and replacement, floor drain backups after heavy rain, backwater valves, and sewer lateral cleaning. You'll know the cost before work starts, and storm-night calls are answered 24/7.
What heavy rain does to low-lying Ericsson blocks
Ericsson's homes date from the 1920s through the 1940s, built on land near Lake Hiawatha and Minnehaha Creek. On the lower blocks, groundwater can rise close to the basement floor after a long rain or during spring thaw. That's when the sump pump runs hard, and when you find out whether the float, check valve and discharge line are in good shape.
Heavy storms also load the sewer system. If your lateral is already narrowed by roots, a downpour can push water back up through the basement floor drain. Two separate problems can hit on the same night, so it helps to know which one you're seeing before you call.
How to tell groundwater from a sewer backup in Ericsson
Clear water seeping in along the walls or rising in the sump pit is groundwater. That's a sump pump issue: the pump may be worn, the float stuck, or the discharge frozen or disconnected. Gray or smelly water coming up through the floor drain is a sewer backup, which means the lateral or the system downstream can't keep up.
PlumbTek treats them differently. A failing sump pump gets repaired or replaced, often with a battery backup for storms that knock out power. A sewer backup gets the line cleared, then a camera run to see why it happened. For basements that face both, a backwater valve and a reliable sump pump together cover the risk.
Storm-season tips for Ericsson homeowners
- Check the discharge line outlet. Make sure the sump discharge empties well away from the foundation and isn't buried or crushed. In winter, a frozen outlet can force the pump to run against a blocked pipe.
- Consider a battery backup pump. Summer storms that bring heavy rain also knock out power. A battery backup keeps water moving out of the pit while the main pump sits idle.
- Don't pipe the sump into the floor drain. Sending sump water into the sanitary sewer adds load during storms and isn't allowed. The discharge should go outside, away from the house.
- Lift what you can off the floor. Keep stored items on shelves or plastic bins in an Ericsson basement. A few inches of clearance spares a lot of cleanup.