The ground is the other half of the story. A gently domed island of glacial drift with bluffs along much of the shoreline and a few low beaches. Soils drain poorly in places, which limits drainfield options, and the water table under the low shoreline lots is close to the surface in winter. It is about 35 minutes from Port Orchard, down Highway 16 and across the Fox Island Bridge from Artondale to Fox Island, a run we make often enough to know the roads, the water districts and the quirks of the housing.
Why sump pump installation & repair is a little different in Fox Island
When we are under a Fox Island home for a sump pump, we inspect the rest of the crawlspace plumbing for corrosion and rot from standing water and send photos of anything that needs attention.
It helps to know who delivers the water. Fox Island Mutual Water Association, a member-owned groundwater system, serves most of the island, and a separate South Fox Island water system covers part of the south end. A number of outlying properties are on their own wells. Groundwater on a small island is a finite thing, and summer conservation is a real topic here.
Local conditions that affect sump pump installation & repair in Fox Island
In Fox Island specifically, one issue comes up more than most: Whole-house filtration needs for iron and sediment on private wells
Winter windstorms knock out power across Pierce County, often on the same nights the rain is heaviest. For Fox Island homes with a finished basement or a history of flooding, we recommend a battery backup pump and test it before we leave.
Ask a Fox Island homeowner what goes wrong with plumbing here and you will usually hear a version of this: Low pressure at the far end of community water lines and on the island's high ground
A discharge line that dumps beside the foundation is a common problem on Fox Island installs we are called to fix. We extend the discharge downslope, to a dry well or to a storm connection so the water does not come straight back in.
Signs Fox Island homeowners call us for sump pump installation & repair
Worth a call
- A musty smell in the house that gets worse in winter
- The sump pump runs constantly or cycles every minute or two
- The pump hums or clicks but no water leaves the basin
- Water in the basin is above the pump and the pump is silent
- The discharge pipe is frozen, disconnected or dumping water next to the foundation
How we handle sump pump installation & repair in Fox Island
When a Fox Island homeowner books sump pump installation & repair, the job unfolds as tell us what you are seeing, inspect the basin, pump and discharge, flat price for repair or a full install, install it to last, then test under load and show you, and you can watch and ask questions the whole way.
Read the full step-by-step for sump pump installation & repair →
Fox Island neighborhoods and areas we serve
Whether you are near Fox Island Fishing Pier and Tanglewood Island or further out toward Ozette and the Bella Bella area or Gibson Point and the south shore, Fox Island addresses get the same arrival window and the same flat price.
Sump Pump Installation & Repair questions from Fox Island
Do most Fox Island homes need a sump pump?
Not all, but many on low ground, near the shoreline or at the bottom of a slope do. If water stands in the crawlspace after gutters and grading are handled, the water is coming from below and a pump is the fix.
Can you install a sump pump in a Fox Island crawlspace?
Yes. Most of our installs in Pierce County are in crawlspaces. We dig the basin at the low point, bed it in gravel, seal the lid and run the discharge outside.
Should I get a battery backup for my Fox Island sump pump?
If your home has flooded before or has a finished basement, yes. Pierce County storms bring the rain and the outages together, and the backup covers exactly that night.
Where does the sump discharge go on a Fox Island lot?
Away from the house: downslope, to a dry well, or to a storm drain where one exists. We run the discharge as part of the install so it does not recirculate.
Why does my sump pump run all the time?
Usually a failed check valve letting water fall back into the basin, a float stuck in the on position, or more groundwater than the pump can clear. We check all three. A pump that never shuts off will burn out, so it is worth a service call.
We bring the same equipment to Fox Island that we use at home in Kitsap: sectional and drum machines, a push camera with a monitor, our own hydro jetting truck, and a van stocked for the common repairs.