A sump pump sits in a pit in the corner of the basement and nobody thinks about it until the one night it matters. Around here that night is usually in November, during a storm, when the power is out. Here is how to keep it working and what to do about the power problem.
What The Pump Is Actually Doing
Perimeter drains and weeping tile collect groundwater from around the foundation and carry it to the sump pit. The pump lifts that water out to the storm sewer or a discharge point away from the house. In low-lying areas like Ladner, Queensborough and parts of Langley and Surrey, and anywhere with a high water table, the pump can run for hours at a time in a wet season.
A Five-Minute Test, Twice A Year
- Lift the lid and look: standing debris, gravel or a float jammed against the wall are all common.
- Pour a bucket of water into the pit. The float should rise, the pump should start, and the water should drop quickly and the pump stop.
- Listen. Grinding or rattling means the impeller or bearings are on their way out.
- Check the check valve on the discharge pipe. Without a working one, water runs back into the pit and the pump short-cycles itself to death.
- Go outside and confirm water actually came out where it should.
What Wears Out
Floats stick. Switches fail. Impellers clog with silt. Check valves leak. Most pumps last seven to ten years; a pump that runs constantly in a wet basement lasts less. If yours is older than that and you do not know its history, replacing it on your schedule beats replacing it during a flood.
The Power Problem
The storm that fills your pit is the same storm that knocks out the power. A battery backup pump sits in the same pit, runs on a deep-cycle battery, and takes over when the main pump loses power or fails outright. It will typically run for several hours on a charge, which is usually the difference between a dry basement and an insurance claim. For a finished basement, it is the best few hundred dollars you will spend on the house.
Get It Checked If
- You have never seen it run
- The basement smells damp or the pit has a film on the water
- The pump runs constantly, or never
- You are finishing the basement or putting in a suite
Related: sump pump and drainage work · perimeter drainage explained
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