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Sump pump failures typically happen at the time you need them most, during a storm! When a pump does fail, your basement will fill with hundreds if not thousands of gallons or run off water causing extensive water damage to your furniture and building materials. Follow these 6 steps to help ensure you don’t have a failure.

If you do have backed up water in your basement, call the experts at Hudepohl Restoration, we can help clean up the water, dry the structure and your contents, and help put back the pieces! Hudepohl Restoration 513-398-9691

6 Reasons for Sump Pump Failure

A sump pump is much like a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, or your home’s security system; there is rarely a time when you actually need to use it, but it can be an essential tool if a dire situation occurs. Sump pumps help mitigate and prevent such situations by quickly draining flood water from the basement of a home through an external discharge pipe. And like most emergency equipment, it is important to make sure that your sump pump is well maintained and free of mechanical problems; otherwise, you may one day find yourself with a flooded basement with thousands of dollars in damages.

  1. Power Failure

A combination of bad weather storms and power failure can result in a flooded basement. Heavy rain storms result in excess water and a power outage can completely immobilize your sump pump’s ability to drain water.  This problem can be avoided by purchasing and installing a backup generator for your sump pump. If you lose power during a bad storm, you can manually turn this generator on to ensure your basement does not flood.

  1. A Stuck Switch

The most common mechanical problem that causes a sump pump failure is a stuck switch. This may occur when the pump shifts inside the basin, causing the float that operates the switch to become ineffective by lodging itself against the side of the pump. It is also possible for debris to jam the float and render it useless. Both of these problems can typically be fixed with a little cleaning and adjusting of your sump pump’s position within the basin.

  1. Overwhelmed Pump

Your sump pump can easily become overwhelmed by an influx of water if it is not the right size or capable of a required horsepower. Too big of a sump pump results in overwork and a shortened lifespan and too small of a sump pump results in underwork and a shortened lifespan.

  1. Frozen or Clogged Discharge Pipe

If your sump pump’s discharge pipe is frozen or clogged with debris, flood water will flow back down the pipe and in to your basement.

While you cannot realistically prevent your discharge pipe from freezing, you can have a specialty discharge line installed that allows water to exit your basement even if your main discharge pipe is frozen solid.

To prevent your discharge pipe from clogging, make sure the opening of your pipe is protected with a grate. Installing a protective cover will prevent debris and small animals from entering your discharge pipe and causing a clog.

  1. Old Age

Years of wear and tear eventually result in the inevitable failure your sump pump after 7 to 10 years of use. While some sump pumps can exceed well after this time period, it is recommended that you consider replacing your sump pump after 10 years to ensure maximum safety and efficiency.

  1. Product Defect

While unlikely, it is possible that your sump pump is defective. It is always important to immediately test your sump pump after installation to make sure it is in proper working condition.

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