Today we'll look at the operation of one of your most crucial, and typically unappreciated devices. We'll also look at some upgrades next week to get the maximum protection for your basement investment.

To most people the sump pump pit is the dark hole in the darkest dirtiest spot of the basement. An end of line where only spiders and crickets go to meet their demise. This makes it sound a bit spooky, but with a little light we'll see that it's pretty simply a large pump to take care of subsurface water that may intrude into your basement or relieve hydraulic pressure that may crack your basement floor or foundation over time.

Because of the large volume of water that can occur in a very short amount of time during a large storm, the sump pumps we use are powerful pumps that run on 110 volts from an outlet. The problem occurs when you lose electricity which is often an effect from large storms. This makes it difficult for the sump pump to do it's job when it may be the most crucial. If the sump pump gets behind even ten minutes, there may be hundreds of gallons of water for the sump pump to catch up with. This may be all it takes to add enough ground water with nowhere to go; that will eventually find it's way in to your basement. This may not be a major problem in all cases, but for anyone with a finished basement below grade the damage can be catastrophic in a very short amount of time. Drywall and carpet suck up moisture as fast as it makes contact with them, and may take weeks to dry out. Sensitive electronics, exercise equipment, televisions, games, floor mats, carpet, instruments or basement bedrooms can all be irreparably damaged within hours. Worse, if no one is around to take care of the water within a day mold may begin to grow in the walls or carpet which can cause tens of thousands of dollars to get taken care of properly.

This can all be prevented by taking a little time to maintain and/or upgrade your sump pump. An annual check up would be a good start. Dump a bucket of water in there, see if it pumps or has any issues. This is also a good practice to care of any bad smells that may occur in a pit that doesn't see much water for extended periods. If you don't feel comfortable inspecting your sump pump, call a licensed plumber like Tarvin Plumbing Company @ 513.321.5726 or visit our website.