The sump pump is an essential piece of equipment for many homes. Its one of those things that you rarely use, in fact, you hope you’ll never need to use it. But, when you need it, it must be working properly; or you’re likely to have a flooded home in no time.
The sump pump is simply a pump that takes any water from a specific location out of the building. It is commonly used in basements where water can collect. Of course, it doesn’t run all the time, a sensor tells it water is present and it will turn on, removing the water; turning off once it is below the sensor point.
The last thing you need is for it to fail when you need it the most, that’s why you need to know the most common reasons for failure:
Lack Of Maintenance
A sump pump sits in water and removes it, yet it spends most of its time in the dry. This makes it a prime target for rust and corrosion. To prevent this and ensure all the components are moving freely and smoothly, you need a good plumber Sydney who can inspect it at least annually.
A good plumber will check all the seals, they can deteriorate with age allowing water into the pump and shorting it out.
Power Supply
A lack of power to the pump will stop it working. This could be due to bad wiring, a broken breaker, or even power failure thanks to a bad storm/lightning strike.
Of course, this is when you’ll need the pump the most; it’s a good idea to have a backup power source, such as a small generator, available.
Broken Sensor
The sump pump only starts working when the water touches the sensor switch, this allows power to the pump and ensures it can remove the excess water.
However, if the sensor switch is broken this won’t happen and the pump won’t start. The sensor switch can be damaged by electrical surges, movement of the pump, or it can simply be prevented from working by debris.
Cleaning your pump regularly and making sure it is situated in the best possible place is all it takes to get around this issue.
Insufficient Pumping Power
If your pump is not rated to deal with the water flow that you’re experiencing then it can easily be overwhelmed and will stop working.
The answer is to assess the maximum water flow that you could be dealing with and then purchase a sump plug that can handle this and a little more.
Clogged Discharge
The pump may be situated inside your home but the discharge pipe is probably outside. This makes it vulnerable to clogging, or even animals building nests inside it.
If this happens the pump will run but be unable to expel the water. In a short space of time, it will overheat and then fail. Also be sure to check here more deeply information.
Don’t forget that a sump pump, like any other mechanical item, does have a finite life. If yours is older than 10 years it may be time to replace it.