Summer is coming, and that means long hours of daylight, high temperatures, and moisture — lots and lots of moisture. And all that moisture also means rain, thunderstorms, and sometimes even hurricanes. For homeowners with a basement (and that makes up a large portion of homeowners), now is the time to make sure your sump pump is ready for summer.
Maybe you haven’t ever paid much attention to your sump pump. You’ve just resigned yourself to the thought that your basement is going to be a damp, moist, humid part of your house. But this is a bad misconception to have, and neglecting or ignoring your sump pump can set you up for some major property damage.
Is Your Sump Pump Ready?
Your sump pump exists to keep your basement or the lower level of your house dry. Even if you haven’t paid much attention to it, you’ve probably seen the sump basin many times: It’s that small well located in an out-of-the-way part of your basement, likely in a corner or even in a crawlspace. When the ground surrounding your basement collects a lot of moisture, as it tends to do during humid summers or after a heavy storm, all of that water collects in your sump basin.
Once enough water collects in your sump basin to raise the float switch to a certain height, a trigger goes off to activate the sump pump. The sump pump, as its name suggests, draws water up through a pipe, carries it a safe distance away from your home, and discharges it in your yard. Then, as the level of the water in the basin falls, the float switch comes back down and turns the pump off.
Without a sump basin and sump pump, all the stormwater and summer moisture would collect in your basement. Therefore, it’s easy to see why a reliable functioning sump pump is an important part of preventing basement floods and consequently water damage. However, it’s not just about flooding. Moist, humid basements can lead to mold growth as well.
It’s easy to understand why this would be a problem if you use your basement as a living space, such as a rec room, in-law suite, or home office. You don’t want your finished floors and good furniture to get ruined by standing water or mold growth. But what if your basement is unfinished? Rarely does anyone go down there except to access some gardening tools. If you have a little bit of flooding from time to time, you figure it’s no big deal. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple.
Mold and flood damage can accumulate over time. In the long term, mold will compromise the structural integrity of your house. This could lead to things falling apart or and decreased property values.
The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure that your sump pump is working properly and efficiently. It’s also wise to have some kind of backup in case you lose electricity.
Here’s the least you need to know:
Test it regularly
It’s better to find out your sump pump isn’t working before you’re in a crisis. Check on your sump basin at least once a month. Pour enough water into it that the float switch rises. Does the float switch trigger the pump? If it doesn’t, you know that something is wrong.
Power up
If your sump pump isn’t working, make sure it has electrical access. Is it plugged in? If it is, but it’s still not turning on, double-check to make sure you have electricity going to that outlet. You may need to get an electrician to come look at it.
Keep it clean
The water in your sump pump will be dark, but that doesn’t mean it should be dirty. At the beginning of the summer season, take the opportunity to clean out the basin. Turn the pump off, reach your hand into the water, and remove any dirt, sediment, rocks, or other debris you find down in there. These could potentially clog your pump or discharge pipe and cause problems down the line.
Sump Pumps Age
Keep an eye out for signs of aging on your sump pump, such as rust or corrosion. Unfortunately, these are inevitabilities in time. A sump pump should last you about 10 years, but once it starts to show this kind of wear and tear, you know that it’s time to replace it.
What If Your Sump Pump Fails?
One of the problems with sump pumps is that they require electricity, which is always prone to going out during the worst of summer thunderstorms — and that’s the time you need a sump pump the most. Look for sump pumps that have backup batteries or have a plan to connect it to a generator if you lose power.
Check Early - Check Often
Sump pump care is about being proactive rather than reactive. Check on your sump pump throughout the summer, particularly after heavy rainfall.