Sump Pump Problems affect many homes, but there are steps that can be taken to either prevent these problems, or address them when they do occur.
If you live in an area where constant water damage is a concern, then there's a good chance that your home has a sump pump installed.
The pump's main job is to get rid of water that has collected in a sump pit or water basin so keeping it working at all times makes sense.
Sump pump problems are sometimes common and easily fixed.
Plug in pumps are prone to failure in the event of power outages, so checking the power is one of the first things you can do to see if this is the reason the pump has failed.
If this is something that happens, consider switching to a battery operated sump pump or a plug in model that has a backup battery in the event of a power outage.
There are also water powered pumps that rely on the home's pressurized water system and not an electrical power source.
Another common sump pump problem is the accumulation of dirt and debris over the course of time.
Like with any mechanical device clogged with dirt, a sump pump that has this kind of accumulation built up can see a decrease in its intended performance.
A simple, routine cleaning will fix this.
You also want to check any screens or openings into the pump, as dirt clogging these can make it so that the pump has a hard time moving water.
If your sump pump has a check valve, then check for compressed air.
Enough of a build up can render the pump completely useless, especially if your model has a solid pipe leading to the check valve.
This can be fixed by making a small 1/8th inch hole in the side of the pipe to prevent air from being trapped in it.
Another problem can be rooted in the switch float.
Check to make sure that the switch float inside of the pump is floating freely and not stuck.
The switch float's job is to activate the pump once the water reaches a certain level to prevent flooding, so the switch float becoming stuck causes the entire device to not function.
If you live in an area where constant water damage is a concern, then there's a good chance that your home has a sump pump installed.
The pump's main job is to get rid of water that has collected in a sump pit or water basin so keeping it working at all times makes sense.
Sump pump problems are sometimes common and easily fixed.
Plug in pumps are prone to failure in the event of power outages, so checking the power is one of the first things you can do to see if this is the reason the pump has failed.
If this is something that happens, consider switching to a battery operated sump pump or a plug in model that has a backup battery in the event of a power outage.
There are also water powered pumps that rely on the home's pressurized water system and not an electrical power source.
Another common sump pump problem is the accumulation of dirt and debris over the course of time.
Like with any mechanical device clogged with dirt, a sump pump that has this kind of accumulation built up can see a decrease in its intended performance.
A simple, routine cleaning will fix this.
You also want to check any screens or openings into the pump, as dirt clogging these can make it so that the pump has a hard time moving water.
If your sump pump has a check valve, then check for compressed air.
Enough of a build up can render the pump completely useless, especially if your model has a solid pipe leading to the check valve.
This can be fixed by making a small 1/8th inch hole in the side of the pipe to prevent air from being trapped in it.
Another problem can be rooted in the switch float.
Check to make sure that the switch float inside of the pump is floating freely and not stuck.
The switch float's job is to activate the pump once the water reaches a certain level to prevent flooding, so the switch float becoming stuck causes the entire device to not function.
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