What Is A Sump Pump?

A sump pump is a common fixture found in the basement or crawlspace of houses. Basically, they keep buildings and houses dry and prevent them from flooding.

Without one, your basement is exposed to mold and mildew which poses a risk to your health.

That is why it is important that regular sump pump maintenance be conducted to ensure this essential machine is working properly.

Sump pumps are usually powered by a battery and equipped with flood or water level alarms that automatically go off once water is backing up or the pump is malfunctioning. There are also sump pumps with sophisticated features to immediately notify your mobile phone.

Whether you have a sophisticated system or not, it is very important that you still check your equipment. Basic sump pump maintenance is not really complicated and will do the machine good. You can maintain your sump pump by undertaking some of these simple steps.

Quarterly Sump Pump Maintenance

  • Clean the sump pump inlet screen – The pump has a sucking action that can cause the accumulation of dirt and small stones into the grate. These objects block the inlet and cause damage to your pump. To avoid this, remove the pit and clean the grate.
  • Check the cord – Make sure that the pump cord is working properly and it is plugged into a GFCI outlet. In wet and damp places, the circuit interrupter breakers might trip causing the sump pump to lose power. Check your equipment on a regular basis so that you can reset the ground circuit interrupter if needed.
  • Pour a bucket of water into the pit – This simple sump pump maintenance routine will ensure that your equipment starts automatically and the water drains fast once you turn the pump on. If you do this and the pump doesn’t start, have it serviced. You can call a plumber in Newark, DE to check it.
  • Check the position of your pump – There are cases when vibrations during the pump’s operation can cause the equipment to tilt. If this happens, the float arm is jammed, thereby failing to activate the pump. Check whether the pump is still standing in an upright position.
  • Check the pipe joints – Make sure that the outlet pipes are joined together tightly and that it drains water at least 20 feet away from the foundation of the house or building. Also check the vent hole in the discharge pipe.

Sump Pump Maintenance.

Annual Sump Pump Maintenance

Aside from the quarterly check-up to maintain your pump, you should not forget the annual routine check-up as well.

Check the power supply – Another important item that you should not forget is the power supply. The power supply is a sensitive part which can get damaged during a power outage. There are alternatives to this, just in case this happens, such as water-powered sump pumps.

However, this is not common and these types of pumps have disadvantages. On the other hand, they are good temporary back up alternatives.

Aside from water-operated sump pumps, there are also battery-powered and  gas-powered pumps used for back up.

The battery-powered pump gets its power from a car battery or a deep cycle boat battery. Gas-powered pumps, on the other hand, are powered by generators.

Always refer to your owner’s manual – All equipment comes with an owner’s manual to teach you good sump pump maintenance.

It tells you what to do and also gives you information on the common problems you may encounter with your equipment.

If you lose your owner’s manual, you can always search the Internet to look it up. Another alternative: if you are living around northern Delaware, find a professional plumber in Newark DE to help you with your sump pump maintenance.