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Warning: 3 Causes of Sump Pump Problems

If your home has a basement or crawl space, a sump pump is a necessity. A sump pump can help keep lower levels of your home dry during heavy rain. However, many homeowners have found that having a sump pump doesn’t necessarily mean your basement or crawlspace won’t flood. Unfortunately, sump pump problems can – and do – happen. And you may not even be aware of the unwanted water until it’s several inches deep.

Below are three common sump pump problems we’ve seen at Pipe Dream Plumbing. Additionally, we provide you with some steps you can take to prevent excess water backing up in your home.

  1. Power Failure

An electrical power outage is the most common cause of sump pump failure. Often, severe thunderstorms can cause the power to go out, which means your sump pump won’t work. To keep this from happening, we recommend you purchase a backup generator that you can manually turn on when the power is knocked out.

Furthermore, some sump pump components can become damaged from electrical surges. Therefore, we suggest you get a surge protection device to protect your entire electrical system from power surges.

  1. Wrongly Sized Sump Pump

Not all sump pumps are the same. If your sump pump doesn’t have the required horsepower for the job, it can easily become overworked or overwhelmed by a flood.   If your sump pump is too large, it can work too hard, shortening its lifespan. If your sump pump is too small, it won’t be able to sufficiently pump the water out of your basement or crawl space. Like a too-large sump pump, a too-small, overworked sump pump won’t last as long.

To fix this problem, you need to determine how much horsepower your sump pump requires. At a minimum, you should install a 1/3 horsepower sump pump that can pump 35 gallons of water a minute. However, if your home is situated on a high-water table, we recommend that you buy a ½ horsepower sump pump that can pump 60 gallons of water a minute.

If you’re not sure your sump pump is sized correctly, contact the plumbing specialists at Pipe Dream Plumbing. We can help determine the right-sized sump pump you need.

  1. Improper Installation

A sump pump must be installed correctly per the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid potential water damage. Your specific sump pump may require the installation of a check valve on the discharge line. If a check valve isn’t installed, the pump impeller may rotate backwards from the back-flow of water and unscrew itself off the motor shaft. If this occurs, the sump pump motor will run, but it won’t pump any water.

Additionally, most manufacturers require the drilling of a small air relief hole in the discharge line between the pump and the check valve. This hole prevents your sump pump from being overwhelmed by the air pressure in the discharge pipe. Furthermore, the discharge pipe must be the right diameter for the sump pump.

Finally, your sump pump should never be set in dirt or gravel. If this occurs, debris can enter your pump and interfere with the operations of the pump’s on/off switch or float arm.

To ensure your sump pump is properly installed, contact the plumbing experts at Pipe Dream Plumbing. With over 45 years of combined experience, we know all about sump pumps and their proper installation. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you have a flooding nightmare. Call us today at 317.388.1988.