Buying a home with a sump pump and dehumidifier (Cortland: power lines, crawl space)
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So my wife and myself really like this house in upper Westchester in croton on the Hudson which is around 3-4 miles from the Hudson river. However we saw that they have a dehumidifier that is always running and a sump pump (not sure if it is always running. The house itself is on a street that is on a slight decline. The driveway for the house, which is on the right side of the house is at a 20-30 degree angle going down and then when it reaches the backyard it decreases to roughly a 5 degree angle. Half of the basement is full finished and furnished as well, the other half is not. Is the sump pump and dehumidifier a bad sign or is it nothing to be concerned about?
So my wife and myself really like this house in upper Westchester in croton on the Hudson which is around 3-4 miles from the Hudson river. However we saw that they have a dehumidifier that is always running and a sump pump (not sure if it is always running. The house itself is on a street that is on a slight decline. The driveway for the house, which is on the right side of the house is at a 20-30 degree angle going down and then when it reaches the backyard it decreases to roughly a 5 degree angle. Half of the basement is full finished and furnished as well, the other half is not. Is the sump pump and dehumidifier a bad sign or is it nothing to be concerned about?
It can be a bad sign, or it can be a great solution. Westchester is a wet county. In Northern Westchester especially, with a higher elevation, rate of snowfall and snow melt. Plus, the Hudson aquifer is often shallow, resulting in ground water.
Our house is a good example. The original owners or our house had a water problem in the raw crawl space under a portion of the house. They put what is called a curtain drain around the house, which catches run off before it gets to the house. Its basically a pipe that runs around the entire house, directing any ground water around the house and to the storm drains on the street. It worked great. They put in a sump pump as well, but it only is needed in hurricane like ran, and then it is more than enough so remove any water so there is never even any dampness in the crawl space. We never used a De-humidifier, but I have seen some do it. I was concerned when we were looking at our house and many told me I should run. But we LOVED the house and the neighborhood. We decided to buy it, and I am glad I did. In 15 years we have never had a single water issue. The sump pump has been needed a few times, during hurricanes Irene and Sandy recently, and once or twice each spring when snow melt is high. Its never standing water because the pump is buried about 2-3 feet below the ground. It catches water when the ground water gets above that level and keeps it below that level. It pumps directly to the storm drain, and we have never had a single problem with water in the house or yard.
I would investigate carefully, but don't let it preclude you from buying a great house. We are up in Cortlandt a few minutes north of Croton.
We run a dehumidifier in the basement during the summer, and our basement is naturally quite dry. It doesn't have a sump pump and the floor and drywall job are decades old and show no signs of water damage. I think it is just good practice to run a dehumidifier in a below grade, unconditioned space, particularly if you're going to have furniture or belongings down there, because the contact with the ground creates some degree of natural moisture in the air. It doesn't necessarily indicate a water problem.
Same with a sump pump--often times they're used to prevent water from coming up into the basement. I don't know if I would carpet a basement with a sump pump, for example, but I'd have no problem finishing it and using it if there were otherwise not signs of water damage.
my basement is dry and i run a dehumidifier. my house also has a sump pit with a pump in it, that said, my house is higher than the surrounding terrain and there is no evidence of water ever being in there, so i am not sure why. it was used as a washing machine drain for awhile (bad idea -- smells). i'd look for evidence of water damage (easier in the finished side, but also look for fluorescence and staining on the block in the unfinished side).
we have both and there are no issues. We actually installed the humidifier, most basements get musty. Sump pump is just a precaution since our basement is finished. We haear it running sometimes but have never had a major water issue.
We live in a fairly wet area and we have 2 commercial sump pumps and french drains. We hear the sump pumps all the time - that's what they're there for! Our basement is unfinished but stays dry.
The key is - do you have a generator? If there is a massive storm with major rain and the power is out for days/weeks, your sump pumps are useless and you will have a problem. In my opinion if you need the sump pump (as we do) you need a generator to keep them running. Also, northern Westchester has a lot of issues with trees falling on power lines, as it is more heavily wooded/rural.
If it doesn't smell musty, and there is no sign of water damage, and the basement wasn't just redone (which could hide the previous two), then I'd view the pump as a positive. Hurricane rains flood basements that don't get water 99% of the time. Get stuck clearing out 3 inches of rain more than once, and you'll be pricing out a pump yourself.
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