Get to Know Your Sump Pump Before You Need to

When you buy a house there are some things you just don’t think about as a first time homeowner. If you’re anything like me, your first questions were “what color should we paint the family room?” or “where is the perfect spot to mount the flat screen?” Never did I ask myself “how does the sump pump work?” or “what happens during heavy rain if my sump pump isn’t working?” I relied on the fact that everything passed the home inspection and left my worries there.

Unfortunately, my sump pump worked just well enough to pump out the single bucket of water the home inspector dumped down the sump pit. However, the first time we really needed it during heavy rain, I found out that it would not run continually. Instead, it was on a cycle of 10 seconds on and 5 minutes off. We ended up with 5 inches of water in our basement, two submersible utility pumps that couldn’t keep up, and a visit from our friendly local fire department eventually that night. Don’t let this happen to you; get to know your sump pump before you have no choice.

I remember hearing somewhere that “a flooded basement makes any homeowner an expert on sump pumps.” Well you don’t need to be an expert to protect your home from flooding, just be proactive.

Next time there is light to moderate rain go down to your basement and take note of the following to  make sure your sump pump can handle a heavy storm:

- Is it making a lot of noise?

The sound coming from your pump should be a low humming when it is running and a sort of “thump” once it has pumped out all the water. If your pump sounds like the engine on a Boeing 757 or gives off excessive rattling noises chances are it will not last much longer.

-  Does it run until all of the water is pumped out?

Look down into the sump pit to see if it is pumping out all of the water before shutting off. Even bring down a bucket or two of water to add to the pit if the water is not coming in very fast. This will simulate the conditions of a heavy rainstorm. If your pump cycles on and off while there is still a significant amount of water in the pit then it is not working correctly and will likely leave you with a wet basement during a strong storm.

-  How quickly does the pit fill up?

If your sump pit fills up very quickly during light to moderate rain then it is likely too small. You will need to widen it or risk it overflowing quickly during a heavy storm.

-  Is it draining correctly?

Go outside to where the water is pumped out and make sure that the discharge pipe is draining properly and that the water is being guided far away from the foundation of your home.

A couple of others things to take note of anytime:

-How old is the pump?

Generally pumps can last up to 10 years, but if yours is older than 6 years make sure to monitor it closely.

-What type of pump do you have?

Almost all sump pumps are either pedestal pumps or submersible pumps. Pedestal pumps have a motor that is mounted above the sump, while submersible pumps have motors mounted inside the sump and are sealed. Pedestal pumps are cheaper and easier access, but don’t last nearly as long as submersible pumps. If you are considering buying a new pump experts recommend that you pay a little more for a submersible pump.

-Does your power tend to go off during storms?

If your power goes off and you don’t have a generator or a battery backup on your sump pump then it won’t matter how good your pump is. If you are buying a new pump it is wise to consider a battery backup so that if your power goes off your pump can still run.

My wife and I were fortunate in that our basement is currently unfinished and the only things we had to pay for were another pump, a donation to the fire department, and visit from our local HVAC Company to make sure that there was no mold in the duct-work by our AC unit.

Don’t wait for a flooded basement before you become familiar with your sump pump. That is one mistake I will not be making again.