A sump pump in good condition is the upfront defense of any homeowner against a basement flood. With consistent rains, the last thing you would want is for your sump pump to fail. However, this happens unexpectedly, and you need an immediate solution.

A sump pump is meant to pump water away from the foundation of your home through a discharge pipe. With heavy rains, your sump pump can be easily overwhelmed. Therefore, you need to be adequately prepared to handle any potential problems that occur. Here are some of the common problems and how to address them once they occur.

#1 Wrong size and overwhelmed sump pump

If the size of your sump pump is not appropriate, you will definitely have a problem. However, the effectiveness of a small sump pump is like that of considerably large pumps. Additionally, a single pump might not be reliable to pump all the pouring water.

Solution: Buy the correct size or upgrade your sump pump. If need there be, you can buy more than one sump pump.

#2 Clogged Sump pumps

Clogging of your sump pump is mainly caused by the letting debris into the pump. Most homeowners do not have a lid to protect their sump pumps, leading to slowing down the entire system.

Solution: Ensure your sump pump does not sit on debris like small-sized gravel or loose silt that can be sucked into the pump with ease. You can also cover your sump pump with a lid to prevent sucking debris.

#3 Float Switch issues

This problem occurs mostly when your pump position shifts rendering the float switch ineffective. The float switch is responsible for telling the sump pump to stop when the water level is low. Therefore, it makes the entire system operate smoothly.

Solution: Allow sufficient space around the float and switch for proper floating and sinking.

#4 Frozen, clogged, or broken discharge pipes

Your sump pump will not work if water cannot exit through the discharge pipe. A break can occur anywhere on the discharge line, but it is worse when it occurs underground.

Solution: Ensure the discharge line is protected from freezing and other debris that may cause clogging. Also, make sure no critter like a mouse enters the pipes.

#5 Power Failure

The main cause of power lost to the pump is an electrical power outage. Storms can knock power lines, causing your basement to flood.

Solution: Have a backup generator, or you can buy a battery-operated backup sump pump.

#6 Check valve errors

The check valve is designed to prevent water from flowing back into the pump. In case water flows backward into the system, the motor will run without pumping water.

Solution: First, you need to install a check valve on the discharge line and always ensure the arrow printed around the check valve points away from the sump pump.

#7 Sump pump running non-stop

Though rare, your sump pump may run frequently or continuously regardless of season or weather. This indicates a technical problem that needs immediate action.

Solution: Get a professional plumber to check the defects and make necessary repairs.

Conclusion

If you sump pump malfunctions, don’t hesitate to deal with the problem in hand. A delayed response will fail the sump pump when you need it most.

 

For more information about plumbing and sump pumps, contact Vinny’s Jersey Plumbing, located in Wayne, New Jersey.  We also service other towns in New Jersey, such as Cliffside Park, Wyckoff and Verona.