If you live in a home that is prone to heavy rain and flooding, a sump pump can be a great investment for your family. A sump pump can help remove excess water if a room or level of your home ever floods. However, this wonderful invention is not without its pitfalls, and there are problems that you need to look out for with your home’s sump pump.
If you need sump pump repair in New Brunswick, NJ, our team can help. We can stop by your home for a service call and take a look at your sump pump to see if there are any signs that something is wrong. In the meantime, you can keep reading to learn more about the signs that your sump pump may have impending problems.
Sump Pump Problems
If you live in a particularly flood-prone area, your sump pump may be working overtime to keep water out of your home. If this is the case, your sump pump is taking on extra wear and tear. You may be tempted to troubleshoot potential sump pump problems yourself, but DIY is not the way to go. You want a professional to assess and handle your sump pump so you have an expert opinion. Common reasons for sump pump problems include:
- Wrong size – Similar to your HVAC system, your sump pump needs to be sized according to your home’s needs. If the sump pump is too big for your home then it will work harder than is necessary. If your sump pump is too small, it may not be able to keep up with the water flow coming into your home.
- Incorrect installation – If your sump pump isn’t working right, it may be due to a faulty installation. You may hear the motor turning on and running, but you don’t see any water pumping. In this case, you need a professional to come out and check the valve on the discharge line.
- Location – If your sump pump pit was dug out of dirt of gravel, those particles can cause problems for your system. If your sump pump gets clogged up with gravel and grime, it can’t keep up with your water pumping needs and may need to be cleaned out.
- Overworking – if your sump pump is working hard to keep up with heavy rains, it can break down from being overworked. All of your appliances need a break once in a while and your sump pump is no different.
- Switches – Your sump pump has a float switch that can get stuck occasionally. If something is wrong with your switch or it gets stuck, your pump may not work right.
- Turning off and on – You may have heard of short cycling in your HVAC unit. Your sump pump can do something similar where it turns on and off without ever really moving any water. When this happens, your line may be blocked. Your unit turns on to pump water but turns back off again due to the blockage.
- Power supply – If your home loses power during a storm, your sump pump does too. You can invest in a battery backup for your sump pump so that you don’t have to worry about it turning off when you need it the most.
Contact Scaran today to schedule an appointment with our professionals.
