As mechanical things go, we don’t often think about the sump
pump. It’s down under the house, out of sight and out of mind. In reality, your
sump pump is one of the hardest working pieces of equipment in your house.
A typical submersible sump pump drains water year round, and
when a rainstorm hits the water pump works extra duty keeping your
basement from flooding. Some homes have
sump pumps to aid in basement or under the house drainage.
So, here are a
couple of things to consider:
Sump pumps are mechanical and will eventually fail. Average
sump pump life is 10 years. The most common reason for failure is the sump pump
switch.
If your sump pump fails during a rain storm, hundreds of
gallons of water can flood your basement in a matter of minutes. It
doesn’t take much water to cause thousands of dollars in damage.
Basement flooding can ruin your furnace, water heater and
other mechanical and electrical devices. According to the Gas Appliance
Manufacturers Association these appliances must be replaced.
Sump pumps should be checked for proper operation a couple
of times per year – pour some water into the sump pit until the submersible
pump cycles. This is usually an easy process and only takes a couple of
minutes. Don’t wait for a failure during a rainstorm to find out your
sump pump doesn’t work.
Again, all sump pumps eventually fail, so you should protect
your home with a battery backup sump pump. If you have a finished
basement, a battery backup system is essential.
Battery backup systems range from basic to very
elaborate. My experience has been the basic systems seem to fail when you
need them most. While you don’t need to spend a fortune, you will find
that for a few extra dollars you can get a good quality battery backup sump
pump. These systems give you an extra measure of defense. They not only protect
your belongings in case of a power failure, but automatically kick in should
your primary water pump fail.
Written by Erik Schroll
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