Sump Pumps in our homes are silent protectors keeping water away from our basements and crawlspaces…until they don’t! Check out these tips to keep your sump pump pumping and your home dry!
What is A Sump Pump?
A Sump Pump is a special pump usually in your basement or crawlspace that protects your home from heavy rains or rising water. The main purpose of a sump pump is to pump and send water away from the house, to a place where it can cause less problems — usually a city storm drain or a dry well. Sitting in a basin in the lowest part of your home, they are equipped with special sensors that detect water levels. When that level reaches a certain point, the pump turns on to redirect the water.
If your home does not have a sump pump but it needs one, contact us. Prices differ based on specific needs but the average price for a new installation is around $1200. If your current sump pump is failing the cost to replace is usually around $600 again depending on specific needs.
What A Sump Pump Does NOT Do…
While a sump pump is a critical component to protecting your home from water pooling in your basement or crawlspace. They cannot do anything to help the humidity level in your home. High humidity levels can lead to mold growth even if there are no leaks or flooding happening. Mold growth can occur from the humidity and can have devastating effects on your home and your health! Proper waterproofing is the only way to keep humidity levels at a healthy level.
To Keep It Pumping
Test your pump at least once a year. Ideally, your pump will only be running during times of high rainfall. If it runs constantly or you never know it runs, these are red flags. To test your sump pump fill a large bucket with water. Slowly pour it in mimicking the rate at which rainwater would rise until you see the float trigger your pump on. Watch to see that the pump moves the water away and it slowly recedes.
While testing your pump, keep a lookout for any loose wiring. If your pump suddenly stops or won’t come on at all, loose wiring could be the culprit. Sometimes this is something that can be fixed yourself but more often it is advised to call a professional to remedy this for safety’s sake. Be sure to turn the power off completely to your pump before touching any loose wiring.
Keep it plugged in. This sounds silly but too many times someone comes down to the basement and needs an outlet so they unplug the pump and forget to plug it back in. Oftentimes during periods of heavy storms, homes may lose power. A battery backup may be a good idea to have ready to keep your sump pump working when you need it most.
Keep the area around it clear. Make sure your sump pump does not have debris such as gravel, sand, or small rocks near it. These could be sucked into the sump pump and cause a clog. Rule of thumb: anything around it needs to be larger than the size of a dime to prevent clogging.
Give the float switch free space! The float switch is the key to signaling your pump it is time to work. Make sure nothing nearby could hinder its movement. It must be able to move up and down freely as the water flows beneath it.
Inspect your discharge pipe. If your pipe is outside, make sure nothing is blocking or building up inside the pipe. Sometimes these pipes are underground and inspecting them is very difficult. If you suddenly find your basement full of water a broken or clogged discharge pipe could be the issue.
Listen to your motor. If the motor and pump are both running, take a look outside at the discharge pipe and you should see water flowing from it.
Who to Call For Help
If you feel your sump pump is not working properly or just want it inspected for good measure, our team at Aqua-Guard can help. Sump Pumps are connected to waterproofing but as discussed above they do not prevent water from entering your home nor do they do anything about humidity or existing mold. We can discuss your options for waterproofing and encapsulation so your home will be guaranteed to be dry and mold-free permanently. Contact us today for a free estimate. We are your waterproofing experts!