When it comes to the prevention of flooding or damage to the basement of your home, a sump pump is one of the most crucial tools that you can rely on. While the importance of this tool can never be overemphasized, you may wake one day and notice that your sump pump is not working. This issue puts your house at various risks associated with flooring.
If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you should do is to identify the cause of the problem. The main reasons why your sump pump may not work are:
- Power failure
Power failure is the most common reason why sump pumps can stop working. This failure may be caused by bad weather. Sadly, this may result in flooding of your basement and put the foundation of your house at risk. This problem can hardly be avoided. Nevertheless, you can deal with it by installing a backup generator that can be used for powering the pump.
- Poor maintenance
Although these pumps only require regular cleaning and quarterly maintenance, only a few people consider maintenance to be essential for their sump pumps. Over time, poor maintenance will lead to several problems that will stop the pumps from working. As long as you take care of your sump pump, you cannot encounter this challenge.
- A stuck switch
Sometimes, the switch of your sump pump may be stuck; hence, preventing the pump from working. This is because of the shifting of the pump that makes the float for operating the switch to move to the side of the device. In other cases, the problem may be that the float has been jammed by debris. Proper maintenance and adjustment of the pump can come in handy to deal with this issue.
- Old age
Just like other machines, sump pumps are susceptible to wear and tear after they have been used for many years. So, if you have been using for your sump pump for about 10 years, a new sump pump installation should be one of your topmost considerations.
- An excess influx of water
Although your sump pump is designed to get rid of water, there is a limit to the amount of water it can remove. Also, whether the horsepower of your sump pump is too much or too little for your house, the lifespan of the pump may be reduced drastically. Before sump pump installation, you should let a professional installer check your house and the potential flooding it may experience.
- Improper sump pump installation
If there is a problem with the initial sump pump installation, it should not come as a surprise to you that your sump pump may stop working. Improper installation can be due to failure to install an air relief hole or check valve on the pump’s discharge line or placement of the pump in dirt or gravel. Let a professional check the sump pump and correct any existing problems.
Other possible reasons that may make your sump pump to stop working include product defect and clogged discharge pipe.
