This summer we’ve seen it all weather-wise, in Northeast Ohio. The drought we had in July was followed by August thunderstorms that caused flooding around rivers in the area. Many homeowners reported having water in their basements because storm sewers couldn’t keep up with the flow of water.

If you have a sump pump in your basement, then you know how hard it works clearing water away to keep your basement dry. But what if the pump fails? Or what if there’s a power failure and your pump has no battery backup? In no time at all your basement could become flooded, and that could cost you thousands of dollars.

Bear in mind that sump pumps can last 10 years or longer – sometimes much longer. But a sump pump is a mechanical device, and like all mechanical devices, it will at some point fail. If your pump is more than 10 or 12 years old, you’re probably on borrowed time. You may want to replace your pump now before harsh weather in fall and winter cause your pump to fail. Don’t kid yourself, we’ve seen pumps fail in January because a fluke rainstorm triggered a lot of snow to melt, and the result was too much for aging pumps to handle.

How a sump pump works

A sump pump is a very simple device. It sits in a hole that’s dug in a corner of your basement. It doesn’t require any special wiring. They just run on normal household current. The pump has a switch that turns it on by means of a pressure sensor or, more commonly, a float activator, kind of like you see in the toilet. The float has a ball connected to an arm, and as the water rises, so does the arm until it switches the pump on.

When turned on, an impeller forces the water towards the edges of the pipe which creates a low-pressure center. Water fills in the center and is pushed through the pipe by the spinning impeller. A check valve keeps the water from flowing back down the pipe into the hole.

Lots of things can cause a pump to fail, but the most common failures are caused by power failure, or by improper installation. Or, the pump may just be the wrong size for your home.

Replacing the pump can be tricky, and you don’t want to get it wrong or it won’t work like it’s supposed to. You’ll have a lot more peace of mind if you let The Plumbing Source handle the installation.

So if you’re concerned about the state of your sump pump, give us a call before a catastrophic flood ruins your belongings. We’ll give you a detailed estimate for the sump pump that meets your needs.

Let us be your source for all your common plumbing repairs. We have the trained staff and a large selection of  products in stock at all times. And with our fleet of trucks equipped with GPS, we could literally be right around the corner!

Call us today at 877-768-7239.