When you think of spring, what comes to mind first? Warmer weather is one, but you probably think of rain as well. Spring is the rainiest of the seasons, and this can sometimes mean flooding danger that can create damage to homes. Having a sump pump installed in the basement of a house is one of the best ways to stop flooding damage.
If your home has a sump pump, the start of spring is the right time to check on it to make sure it will work. Because a sump pump only comes on occasionally during an emergency, it’s important to know if it can do its job. We’re going to help you give your sump pump a short inspection and test. You’ll find out ahead of time if you need repairs for the sump pump or if it’s time to replace an old one.
Steps to Check on Your Sump Pump
- Is it plugged in? We know it seems a bit silly to remind people of this, but a sump pump may have been accidentally unplugged over the winter, and you don’t want to find out about it when flooding starts. Also check on the outlet if it’s a GFCI outlet (which it should be for safety reasons). Make sure the “reset” button hasn’t popped up.
- Look in the sump—the pit where water collects—and see if there is any debris that needs to be cleared away. Debris could potentially get caught in the sump pump’s lines.
- Clean the weep hole (the vent hole). This is located on the discharge pipe. If this hole becomes blocked, it could air lock the sump pump.
- Take a bucket of water and pour it into the sump pump. Watch to see if it raises the float and then activates the motor in the pump. Check the weep hole to see if a small stream of water comes out of it. Make sure that once the pump has finished removing the water that it shuts off again.
- Look over the rest of the piping after you’ve run the test to look if there are any leaks along them.
- Your sump pump may have a high water alarm installed. If it does, manually raise the float arm to its highest level to see if the alarm activates.
Sump Pump Repair
If anything doesn’t go as expected with your sump pump during this short inspection, we recommend you call us to give the sump pump a closer look. We can diagnose the trouble and find the best way to fix the device. For an older sump pump (10 years or more), it may be best to have a new one installed. We advise people to have sump pumps with battery backups so the pump will still work in the case of a power outage.
To schedule service for your plumbing in Woodbridge, NJ, whether to repair your sump pump or if you need assistance with your water heater, you only need to call us. We offer plumbing as well as heating and air conditioning service.
Scaran has served Staten Island and its neighbors since 1930.
