Sump Pumps can save your basement from a water damage disaster

8/8/2019 (Permalink)

Don't let this happen to you!

A sump pump is designed to pump water through a discharge pipe and away from your home's foundation. When a sump pump fails, the result is often a flooded basement and expensive water damage. It doesn't take a lot of water to cause major problems. A small amount of standing water on your basement floor can quickly turn into a nasty mold problem.

You don't have to wait until you have a wet basement to address your sump pump problems. It helps to understand common sump pump problems – and then avoid them by making smart sump pump choices.

1. Overwhelmed pump

If your sump pump isn't the right size, it might not be able to handle high volumes of water, which can leave you with a flooded basement. Sometimes a single pump isn't enough.

2. Pump burn-out

A sump pump can burn out because of a faulty float switch or an overworked, underpowered pump. Cheap pumps made with inexpensive materials and components are prone to failure, especially when they’re needed most during extremely wet weather.

3. Power loss/outage

There are several reasons why a pump might lose power. It could be a tripped circuit breaker, unplugged pump or power outage. No matter what the reason, a normal sump pump doesn't function unless there's power.

4. Clogged intake

When the intake becomes clogged, this prevents the pump from extracting water from the sump pit or sump liner.

5. Frozen/clogged discharge line

The discharge pipe is what carries water from your sump pump to outside the home. The pipe can become clogged with dirt, rocks, roots and other debris. In the wintertime, any water in the discharge line can freeze and clog the system.