5 Simple Ways to Ensure Your Sump Pump is Working Properly

You may not realize it, but you have a two-way agreement with your sump pump. You depend on it to keep your basement free of water, and it depends on you to keep it clean and running well. Your sump pump needs regular maintenance, and this is true whether it’s recently been called upon to do its job during a rainy stretch, or sitting idle through days and days of sunshine.

With the spring thaw and the accumulation of rain that the season brings, it may be wise to have a camera inspection done of your discharge pipes on your sump pump to ensure that everything is in order.

1.Make sure that your sump pump is free from debris. It should not sit on any loose silt, small sized gravel, or any other type of debris that could easily be sucked up into the pump.

2. Make sure that the sump pump is plugged in. This one seems like a no brainer, but it can happen! Someone goes down into your basement and needs an electrical outlet for something. They unplug your sump pump, and forget to plug it back in.

3. Always inspect your discharge pipes, whether they stick out from your house or you have an underground system. The worst part about a broken discharge pipe is that the break can occur underground — making it impossible to see or know about until it’s too late.

4. Be sure that the float switch has plenty of space surrounding it for the arm to float freely and sink freely. A float switch simply tells the sump pump motor to stop once the water level becomes too low. If there isn’t sufficient room or if there is some type of obstruction in the way, the float will likely cause the pump to work improperly, which can burn up your motor.

5. Checking for loose of faulty wires is another simple step that should be included in your checklist of regular system maintenance. To check the wiring, first turn off power to the pump at the source. Next, disconnect the pump. Check the pump, inspecting for any loose wires and replacing any that you may find. Install the pump again, restore power, and then see if the pump begins working again.

Test your system regularly. If your sump pump runs constantly, even when there is little to no rainfall or if it doesn’t seem to run at all, it may be time for repair or replacement.

If you have any problems or questions about your sump pump and drainage system, please contact us! We also provide 24/7 emergency services for any unexpected problems that may arise.

You can also read more about the importance of camera inspections in one of our other blogs here!

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Mike Cassidy

Drain Specialist & Business Owner at Cassidy & Cassidy Déblocage/Unblocking

Mike has spent most of his life working in the customer service industry, starting back when the term customer service actually used to mean something. Finally fed up of having to follow the lead of others, Mike and his son Sean started their own company Cassidy & Cassidy Déblocage/Unblocking. Together, they are quickly becoming the #1 company for customer service within their industry.

Mike and his daughter started these blogs as a way to start connecting with their customers. With all his years of experience, Mike has a wealth of information many people would find useful. So with this in mind, we created our first, educational Cassidy & Cassidy blog posts.

Still wanting to bring the customer service issues of today to light though, Cassidy Quips was then created. These quips are intended to help people realize that they deserve better when it comes to customer service, and offer them some tips and tricks to perhaps start feeling as though they're not constantly getting screwed with their pants on.

These quips may be rants, they may be fun, and with any luck, they may leave you coming back for more!