A multi-unit building near the Alaska Junction in West Seattle had a sump pit hidden inside a laundry room cabinet, and the building's manager asked us to clean it out and look the pump over. In April, Nick and Jeremy cleared the basin, checked the pump and, in the same visit, rebuilt the access and sealed the pit with a custom-fitted lid.
What We Did
This sump does more than catch groundwater. All of the plumbing in that laundry room drains into it, along with a catch basin in the building's parking garage, and the pump lifts it all out. Over time debris had settled in the basin, and the only way in was through a cabinet built over the pit, which made it awkward to reach and service.
Nick and Jeremy removed the debris from the basin and checked the pump, which is old but still working. They then took out the cabinet base so the pit can be reached for future pump repairs or a replacement, framed the opening, and installed a concealed vault lid made to fit this sump pit. The lid seals the pit airtight, which keeps the air from the basin out of the laundry room.
Why It Matters
- A sump that takes laundry water needs a sealed lid. When a pit receives more than groundwater, a loose cover lets its air into the room. An airtight lid keeps it where it belongs.
- Access is part of the job. A pump boxed in by a cabinet is a pump nobody checks. Opening the access now makes the next repair quicker and cheaper.
- Cleaning the basin buys the pump time. Debris in the pit is what a pump ends up chewing on or tripping over.
- An old pump that still works is a plan, not an emergency. Knowing it is aging lets the building budget for a replacement instead of waiting for a flooded laundry room.
Why West Seattle
The streets around the Alaska Junction mix single-family houses with apartment and condominium buildings, and some of those buildings sit partly below grade with garages and laundry rooms that cannot drain to the sewer by gravity. They rely on sump pumps to lift that water out, often through equipment tucked into closets and cabinets when the building went up. During Seattle's long wet season a working, reachable sump matters, and we are in West Seattle often enough to keep these systems serviced.
Call About a Sump Pump
If your building's sump is boxed in, smells, or has not been looked at in years, call for a free estimate, or request a callback. We work with homeowners, property managers and associations.
More: sump pump installation and service · plumbing in Seattle · sewer line repair in Seattle · a shared side sewer repair in Seattle · sewer backup safety tips