In Waukesha, WI, summer often brings storms, and sometimes those storms are so fierce that they can flood a basement or crawlspace. This is where your sump pump comes in. Its simple purpose is to pump water from the inside to the outside of your house. It is placed in a pit dug in the lowest part of your basement and has sensors that can detect water pressure or water levels. When one of these goes over a certain level the pump switches on and pumps the excess water out of the basement through an effluent line and into a drainage area. The result is a basement that stays dry even during a ferocious rainstorm. However, sump pumps spend much of their working lives doing nothing at all and are easy to overlook. Some maintenance is needed for them to be ready to work when the time comes.
Sump Pump Maintenance Tips
Here are some tips to make sure that your sump pump is ready to go when the rains come:
- Remove stagnant water from the basin.
- Remove debris from the basin.
- Make sure the float switch works.
- Lubricate bearings if needed.
- Check the effluent line.
Except for the last one, these maintenance tips all require that the power be shut off and the pump unplugged and taken out of the pit. That way, stagnant water or debris can be removed safely. The pump will also need to be taken out for you or our plumber to check the bearings and make sure it is free of corrosion or rust. The inlet screen also needs to be kept clean.
When everything has been checked, return the pump to its normal location, plug it back in, and pour about five gallons of water into the sump basin. This is to make sure that the float switch causes the pump to start working. The float switch should do this smoothly and turn off when the water level is low enough.
When checking the effluent line, make sure that it’s free of debris and vegetation. Call in one of our plumbers Jeff’s Custom Care to see that it drains completely and doesn’t hold standing water. Standing water can freeze up in the winter and cause the pipe to burst.
Rely on the Professionals
Only a few miles west of Milwaukee, home to the Springs Water Park and Waukesha County Historical Society, Waukesha is a great city in which to live and work. Don’t neglect your sump pump, for it can be the difference between a basement that stays dry and water damage that might cost thousands of dollars to fix. To learn more about how to prepare your sump pump for the summer rains, call us at Jeff’s Custom Care today.