Emma KM

How To Maintain Basement Sump Pump?

You need sump pump to ensure that water can be diverted away from the basement. The structural integrity and foundations of your house will be maintained. Sump pump is needed in different times of the year. As an example, snow melts during early spring and there are usually heavy rain during summer. When the weather is dry, it should be a good time to check the sump pump to make sure that it is working properly. At this moment, it is a good idea to plan ahead to ensure that the pump will run as needed. If the sump pump fails, you may end up with a flooded basement. That is the reason you should maintain basement sump pump.

It takes no more than ten minutes to complete the sump pump maintenance task and you need to make sure that you have everything you need. There should always be a cover on the sump basin. This should prevent animals and children from entering it. The cover should also prevent debris to fall into the basin. The cover may also reduce the level of evaporation and smells. Before testing the pump, you should always remove the debris. The inlet screens should be free from any kind of residue and debris build up. This will ensure that the operational efficiency of your sump pump is kept high.

You may need a pressure washer to wash down the debris, so it won’t cause clogging. Electricity and safety are also things that you need to consider. The system should be protected electrically using GFI or ground fault indicator. This should allow you to remain safe. You need to examine the cable routing to make sure that it is correct. The cable should be in a perfect condition and if it’s still in good condition, you need to ensure that the cable doesn’t touch the water, which can be a dangerous situation. Cables should be secured and not loose, because loose cable could fall into the sump.

Discharge pump should be checked and the check valve should always be fitted. If the arrangement doesn’t work properly, it is possible that the sump will be refilled. If the sump is refilling, the pump may run quite frequently. Discharge line should be checked frequently for damage and leak. It is important to ensure that everything looks intact. The next step is to water test them pump and you can do this by slowly filling the sump. This should allow you to evaluate how the sump pump works. Watch the float switch and make sure that it rises along with the water level, freely and easily.

The float switch should be checked and it is considered as among the weak points of the sump pump. You should make sure that the switch is operating normally. You also need to listen to the pump and determine whether there’s no funny noise. Rough noise and excessive vibration could be an indication that the internal mechanism has work out. If this is the problem, then you need to replace the sump pump.