Basement pump stations are everywhere in London and Paragon Pump Servicing was recently contacted by a new client in Muswell Hill to service their basement pump station (something they had forgotten about doing for many years!).
We attended the basement pump service to find that one of the V3 pumps had failed and the chamber was heavily built up with leaves and sludge ingressing via the surface water ACO drain. We also found that the alarm float had become too brittle to pivot/activate and the battery in the alarm itself needed replacing as it was completely flat (meaning it would not sound in the event of a a power cut).
After agreement from the client, we set to work with carrying out all the necessary remedial actions to bring this basement pump station back into full working order… the pictures speak for themselves! A Service Agreement was set up for the client and moving forward they now won’t forget about their basement pump station anymore as we’re managing reminders for them.
Delta Membranes Pump Warranty
Being partnered with Delta Membranes allows us to offer an extended five year warranty on their pumps, providing they are serviced regularly by Paragon Pump Servicing and these conditions are met. On this job, we were able to offer the client with a five year warranty on their new pump!
“If you have a London basement, did you know… you’ve almost definitely got basement pumps keeping it nice and dry?”
Yes, I did!
Well, use us to service them and get 25% off your 1st service! Book a service here and quote 25OFF.
Not having them serviced already? Your basement build guarantee and home insurance will almost definitely require it. In line with British Standards (8102:2022), all basement pump stations should have a maintenance schedule.
No, I didn’t?
Call us and we’ll check for your FREE of charge! Contact us here.
Did you know they need to be serviced? Your basement build guarantee and home insurance will almost definitely require it. In line with British Standards (8102:2022), all basement pump stations should have a maintenance schedule.
Not having your basement pump station commissioned is like driving a brand new car off the forecourt without it having a pre-delivery inspection… you just wouldn’t do it. Below we explore the importance of commissioning a Delta Membranes basement pump station.
At Paragon, we carry out a fully comprehensive 15 point check on all Delta Membrane pump stations to ensure the installation has been carried out to meet the manufacturer’s recommendation and that it also meets our internal standards, before being signed off. We also ensure all relevant O&M’s are handed over, to form part of the homeowners manual.
The requirement for having commissioning carried out by a manufacturer’s approved agent is becoming more of a stringent requirement for the likes of building control and local councils. Most will now not sign off a project until they have received a certified commissioning certificate. At Paragon we issue a detailed report and PDF commissioning certificate including information on the Delta five year warranty and the terms of commissioning.
Using Paragon Pump Servicing to commission a Delta pump system enables you to take full advantage of their five year extended warranty on all new pumps!
If you’re a contractor, we provide a smooth client handover process ensuring that you’re covered when it comes to practical completion. We can write to your client advising them of the requirement for ongoing servicing and offer the exceptional customer care that sets us apart. You will also have a dedicated project manager to ensure the entire process is handled as smoothly as it can be!
Paragon Pump Servicing was called by a client in London, W13 where the main contracting company had left the property with nothing working or installed correctly. The owner had been pumping down both pump stations by hand with a pump they had to purchase from a builder’s merchant. The basement was supposed to be an investment for the client who planned to rent it out.
Report & Diagnosis
We attended an initial survey to access the work required. On attendance, the engineer was shown to the pump stations in the rear lightwell and they were both overflowing. After pumping them down with an overpump, it was soon evident that nothing had been installed/set up correctly and were both full of debris. The drainage was also blocked and the gullies were not draining away. The AlertMaxx2 high level alarms had only been partly installed (incorrectly wired) and had been left running on just the batteries. This was all fed back to the client whilst onsite and via the engineer’s digital report. A visit was booked by the Paragon Customer Care Team for the following week with all the necessary parts required to rectify the job.
Before
Ground and foul pump stations on arrivalDual V3 condition on arrivalFoul V3 condition on arrival
Action & Rectification
Paragon attended the property, manned with the necessary parts and sufficient time booked to complete the work to get the basement pump stations fully functional, allowing the client to start using their newly created space.
The pump stations were both emptied again, all the internals removed and both chambers pit cleaned. Once clean, the equipment was re-installed and set up correctly. The alarms were then completely re-wired, initially on temporary supplies and then onto permanent when the electrician had corrected the RCBOs. The drainage team were also in attendance to unblock the rear lightwell gullies, make access and clear out the master bedroom lightwell drainage point and unblock the shower waste.
The client was left extremely happy that she had found Paragon and that everything was now working as it should have been from the start.
NotifyU™️ is a compact lithium battery powered Wi-Fi pump station monitoring device, that enables you to receive remote high level alarm alerts direct to your email via Wi-Fi.
The device simply connects to your already existing alarm or control panel via volt-free*, with no additional power cabling required. Installation and setup are super fast and there are NO ongoing subscription fees, EVER.
You will also receive a scheduled status report via email that includes the number of alert events in that timeframe, the percentage of contact open time, and the device’s battery % level.
NotifyU™️ can also connect and monitor/alert on other NO/NC volt-free outputs, such as mains power failure and service due, equipment depending.
£99.00 one time cost per device. Contact us to find out more, make a purchase or request a data sheet. All direct Paragon Pump Servicing customers will receive FREE installation on every device purchased**.
*Alarm or control panel must have a volt-free contact for the high level alarm. One NotifyU device required per alarm/panel.
**Offered to customers within our area of operation.
It has always been the advice of any basement pump expert that a ground or surface water pump station should have a battery backup installed, to ensure that water can be effectively evacuated from the station in the event of a mains failure, whether that is a traditional widespread grid power cut or a local power cut within a property.
Why do I need a battery backup?
The reason we advise battery backups on ground and surface water pump stations is that these pump stations are deemed to have uncontrollable water ingress. This means that as the homeowner you have no ability to slow the potential ingress of water to the chamber or stop it completely, as opposed to foul applications where the facilities can simply stop being used to ensure the pump station’s level doesn’t increase.
If you were to experience a power cut of any sort that completely took power away from the ground or surface water pumps, at this point the pump station would have no way to evacuate the water from the chamber, the only option being the classic bucket! 🪣
Battery backups mitigate this concern as they allow the pumps to remain operational even without power. Most battery backups will provide battery power automatically when they detect that the mains voltage has dropped, meaning that you don’t have to do anything in the event of a mains failure and can have a full assurance that your pump station is still running as expected.
BS 8102:2022
A recent change to the British Standard Code of Practice for Protection of Structures Against Water Ingress (BS 8102:2022) says that all new build basements must have a battery backup installed where uncontrollable water ingress is at hand. The standard also strongly advises that already completed basements have a battery backup retrofitted to provide protection in the event of a mains failure.
Why is BS 8102:2022 relevant to you?
British Standards should be adhered to by all contractors when building and waterproofing any structure. These standards can be looked at by insurance providers/loss adjusters when deciding to grant a claim in the event of damage to a structure. It is best to ensure that the structure has all the required elements of the British Standard to ensure you are well protected in the event of an emergency.
Winter and uncontrollable water ingress
Ground and surface water pump stations are both susceptible to weather. Simply put, the more rain we experience the wetter the ground, light wells and hard surfaces become, meaning more water being directed into the pump stations. In the summertime, especially during dry spells like we had this year, ground and surface water pump stations can take longer to fill up and in general precipitation is far less, this doesn’t mean that battery backups are not required in the summer but it does mean that water ingress should be reduced.
In the winter we experience a large amount of rain and melting frost as well as the ground already being wet, allowing more water to make its way to the pump stations. In many cases, this means that the pump station could be running more frequently which in turn means that a power failure could lead to an emergency faster. A battery backup mitigates this risk allowing you to be sure that no matter what the weather, providing you have regular services and have a high quality battery backup installed, your pump station will be running just as it should (whatever the weather – pardon the pun).
But Winter 2022 could bring more than just bad weather… the National Grid has said, although unlikely, there could be planned blackouts this year, otherwise known as rotational power shedding, due to the energy crisis and the need to keep the grid balanced*. That’s not too much to worry about when it comes to cooking, showering and other daily tasks, as we can ensure that they are carried out before the scheduled outages. Unfortunately ground and surface water pumps don’t keep to our schedules and when they need to run, they need to run! Even more, a reason to have a battery backup installed on your pump station.
If you don’t already have a battery backup system on your pump station Paragon Pump Servicing is available for a free of charge survey, to access your requirements and best advise on the system to use.
Paragon Pump Servicing was called by a main contracting company that had recently taken over a ground floor extension project in a care home. The previous contractor had left the site with the foul water pump station (that takes eight bedrooms), only partly installed. The care home was losing money each week due to having inhabitable rooms, caused by this uninstalled pump station.
Report & Diagnosis
We attended an initial condition survey to access the work required. On attendance, the engineer located the manhole in one of the unfinished bedrooms and it was overflowing with foul water. The pump station was emptied with an overpump, to find the foul pump disconnected from the discharge and the cabling left unwired and not pulled through the cable duct. The pump station was also full of site debris, stones, bricks, cabling and a 3″ thick sludge, a pit clean was needed. The engineer inspected the pump to find a large stone blocking the impeller and tested the insulation resistance of the motor to access it was down to earth – a new pump was required. The Delta AlertMaxx2 high level alarm had also only been partly installed with the pendant float wired in showing an E1 float error code. This was all fed back to the client via the engineer’s digital report and a visit booked by the Paragon Customer Care Team the following week with all the necessary parts required to rectify the site.
Before
Pump station on arrivalCondition on arrivalStone that had blocked the pump
Action & Rectification
Paragon attended the care home, manned with the necessary parts and sufficient time booked to complete the work to get the care home extension ready for new patients to move in.
The pump station was emptied with an overpump again and a full pit clean was completed to remove the various build up of site waste and sludge. The perimeter of the pump station opening was also cleared with a shovel, removing any smaller stones, etc. Once empty and clean, the new pump was ready to be installed. Two new cables were pulled through the cable duct, one for the pump and the other for the float (the run was >10m). The cable that had previously been pulled through the duct for the float had been poorly joined within the duct and moisture had gotten into the cable, causing the E1 unstable float error. With the cables now ready, a new pendant float was fitted and the pump lowered into the pump station and connected to the discharge. The pump and float cables were pulled behind the wall (hole already provided) and terminated into the pre-installed AlertMaxx2. All the cables were tidied, the alarm labelled (with advice to change the spur to a non-switched type) and the pump station was naturally tested multiple times to ensure it was discharging correctly.
The client was left happy, the care home was overjoyed that they could now use their rooms and a regular service regime set up.
If you live in London and have basement pumps, you’ve come to the right place. At Paragon Pump Servicing we provide basement pump servicing with a truly transparent approach to customer service. No hidden charges, ever… it’s personal.
We’re a Delta Membranes approved pump service company, meaning that when you use us to maintain your system your basement guarantee remains safely intact.
We pride ourselves on our outstanding customer care and our expert, friendly engineering team.
Why choose us to service your basement pumps over everyone else?
Expert ✓
Paragon Pump Servicing has over 10 years of combined experience and knowledge in basement pumps in London. Our team of engineers is compliant with all relevant H&S & industry standards. We pride ourselves on delivering an expert service each and every time.
Quality ✓
We provide a quality service, to every one of our customers. We operate in an agile and efficient way. Our workmanship is second to none, and we do our best to always ‘get it right’ the first time. We deliver outstanding results, together.
Dedicated ✓
Our engineers are highly skilled specialists and fully qualified to company standards. We’re proud of their customer etiquette. We consider our Customer Care Team to be the best in the business, offering dedicated support when it’s needed!
Personal ✓
Paragon Pump Servicing was created to bring a vibrant and truly authentic approach to the market. We are a community, and we’d love to have you join us. Check out our mission statement, it’s personal.
We’re proud supporters of WaterAid and donate a portion of our profits to help millions gain access to clean water and good hygiene. This life changing charity and organisation provide safer, cleaner and easier access to water, helping to keep locals hydrated, healthy and sanitised.
This month we have funded the maintenance, emptying and cleaning of a school toilet. An emptied school toilet means students can stop worrying about loos and enjoy learning.
Have you seen an S1 on your AlertMaxx2 high level pump alarm?
Great, it’s now time for a pump station service.
An S1 (or sometimes misread as 51) means your pump station is due a service. If it’s the first time you’ve seen it, it’s probably been 12 months since the AlertMaxx2 was powered on and set up. If you’ve seen it before, it may have come on quicker as has probably been reset to a different service interval by your previous pump service provider (i.e. 6 months).
As Delta Membranes registered installers of this equipment, we’re the best people to service your pump station for you and look after all your pumping equipment.
Book in a service today and quote ‘S1‘ when booking, we’ll give you 25% OFF the cost AND 25% OFF your following service with us – what’s fairer than that…
