The job of a sump pump is to keep water out of the lowest areas of your basement and crawl space. When it rains, your sump pump will collect the excess water and direct it away from your home. Properly functioning, it should prevent your basement from flooding. So, how do you know when it’s time to replace your sump pump? A good sump pump should last you 5 to 10 years, however, a sump pump is not running all the time. This makes it important that you are checking in on the sump pump’s functionality on a regular basis. To help you with this task, we have listed 6 ways for you to easily identify potential issues, preventing your sump pump from failing before the next big storm.
- Excessive Vibrations from Sump Pump
Along with taking in water, sump pumps can also suck up hard debris. This will eventually cause damage resulting to the impeller. An impeller is the fan at the bottom of the pump that is drawing water into the pump. Impellers are designed to minimize the wear and tear on the shaft they spin on. But if you have a damaged impeller, that opens the shaft up to break down. This tension will also create problems for your sump pump in the future – not to mention the impeller is almost impossible to bend back. The safest thing to do once this happens is to replace your sump pump unit.
- Your Sump Pump is Rusty
If your sump pump is showing signs of rust, or brown coloring, it could be due to bacteria known as Iron Ochre. This will not cause an immediate issue, but as the rust feeds off the iron in the water, it can cause water discoloration and evolve into a gel-like substance that will clog your discharge line. It is not a hazard to our health but will can affect your drainage system.
- Infrequent Usage
If your sump pump is infrequently used, this will shorten the life of your sump pump. If you want to extend the life of the pump, testing it on a regular basis while it is not raining will help keep it in tip top shape. Not only does this extend the life of the pump, but it allows you to fix any problems by the time the next rainfall hits. If you just purchased your home, contact professionals who can test the unit for you.
- Making Strange Noises
If your sump pump is making strange noises, that could be a sign your pump is running on damaged or worn out parts. Rattling noises most likely mean a jammed or damaged impeller. If you are hearing strange noises from your sump pump, make sure to call for professional help immediately. Do not wait for the next rainfall when it is too late for your sump pump!
- Your Sump Pump is Running All of the Time
The biggest cause of a continuously running sump pump is a switch problem. The float is primarily in charge of the on/off switch working smoothly. Switch issues can occur when the pump shifts inside the basin, and the float becomes ineffective. The other issue occurs when a switch loses connection with its power source.
Switches that are tethered often drift to the side of the pump and are more likely to hang up on your sump basin. Vertical floats (with plastic brackets) will break often, and the vibrations from a pump that has not been properly installed may push any float switch against the side of the sump pump basin.
If your sump pump is running constantly for no apparent reason, there is a high probability that your pump has not enough capacity to handle the amount of water required, and you will want to consider replacing your unit with a higher-powered unit.
- Cycling Irregularly
If you have found that your sump pump is irregularly going on and off, even when it is raining heavily, there are a few things that could be wrong. These are two popular reasons:
- An incorrectly adjusted float switch causes the pump to come on even when there is barely any water accumulated in the basin.
- There could be a short in the electrical system of your house or of the sump pump itself.
Sump Pump Backup
Backups sump pumps are a key feature of a good sump pump system. The battery sump pump backup ensures that the system won’t fail during critical times, such as power failure, heavy storms or flooding.
Contact Us Today
If you happen to have any of the above issues or have any concerns with your sump pump, be sure to contact Dry Basement. We offer a maintenance and consultation service for your sump pump needs. We have offices in Kansas City, Des Moines, Columbia, & Wichita. Click below for more information and contact information for each location.
Sump Pump Installation Kansas City
Sump Pump Installation Des Moines