Out of sight ...out of mind. Sump Pump Backup in Columbus,OH

4/1/2016 (Permalink)

Flooded Basement

As mechanical things go, we don’t often think about the sump pump. It’s down in the basement, 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. Most homes have sump pumps to aid in basement 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.