Sump Pumps - Checking Up on Them

Sump pumps are an important tool in the fight against flooding in a home! The cause of most basement flooding is water that has built up in the soil that has then found its way into a basement. Water can enter a basement by a number of different routes. It can find any spot possible for the purposes of entry. A sump pump is often thought of as the final defense against flooding because it pumps out the water that’s built up from the lowest portion of your basement before it reaches the level of the floor and begins to wreck havoc for your household. 

The work of the sump pump is really quite simple. As the level of the groundwater goes up the pump diverts it into a new direction- which is to say the sump hole. When the water gets to what's considered to be the critical level the pump sends the excess water out a pipe that will then take it safely out of your home and most importantly from the foundation of your residence. 

Sump pumps cannot be installed and then left to their own devices. You need to check your pump regularly to ensure that it is in the best possible working order. To check it you must take off the cover and then as slowly and as steadily as possible pour the water that is there into the sump tank. You then must watch for what is known as the float to rise up and then to trigger the pump to action. Once the pump has been activated or engaged the water level should then start to go down and the float will see to it that the pump is shut off. This process is referred to as the normal sump cycle. 

The majority of problems that take place with sump pumps are connected with the float. If the pump does not come on as it is supposed to then it is possible that it has gotten tangled up in the tank somehow. Take a close look at it to ascertain where the problem is coming from. Often times if you reposition the pump the problem will go away. 

If you have repositioned it and there is still a problem then you may need to replace the float all together. You should also check to see if the float switch is working correctly. If the pump does not shut off once the level of water goes down to the bottom of the tank then this is a clear indication that a new float is required. 

Some experts recommend that you do not clean or do maintenance on your pump but leave it to qualified professionals to do. If you do not know what you are doing you can actually do more harm than good to the apparatus. It is all right however if you decide to pour a small percentage of white vinegar through it. What this accomplishes is it helps to rid the system of any build-up that has begun to accumulate. Pumps have openings or screens where the water goes into it. If these get clogged then it may be necessary to get an expert to clean it thoroughly.