Thursday 19 April 2018

Guide On Sump Pump Repair

One usually forgets about the sump pump until the rainy season is around. If you have a short rainy season, for a large part of the year, the pump is likely to remain forgotten. However, when the basement floods during rains, the pump needs to be in top working condition. Any required sump pump repair at that time will aggravate your problem. A good preventive policy to follow is to get the pump checked twice a year to ensure it remains in good working condition when you need it. If you do find problems, it is best to read our sump pump repair guide at http://www.sumppumpadvisor.com/ to keep your sump pump functional. 

Checking the power source 

When you start preventive checks, make sure that the power is available. Checks must include power availability at the outlet meant for the pump, that the pump power socket is plugged-in and the backup power is available. Flooding is often associated with storms, and you may have a power outage. Having backup power is essential. You need to ensure the battery is not dysfunctional. Using a maintenance-free battery would give you higher probability of the battery remaining all right. Switch off the AC mains and ensure the battery backup takes over. 



Checking the float 

One critical item to check during this maintenance runs is that the float works fine. The float triggers the motor on, based on the level of water in the sump. As it reaches a preset threshold, the pumps will trigger on. You will need to pour water into the sump, as the sump is likely to be dry when you are trying these checks. Pour water until the level reaches the trigger level, and starts the pump on. This level needs to be high enough to prevent flooding the basement. The pump will run continuously if the float is set too low. 

Checking the discharge 

When you pump out the water, discharge needs to be safely away from the house. Once again, fill some water into the sump and check how it is being pumped out. You need to ensure that the ground slopes away from the house at the discharge point. You may need to consider the weather conditions too. For example, the discharge water should not cause inconvenience to others. For example, the water freezing on the pavement could be a nuisance for others. If you do find a problem with any of the issues discussed to get the sump pump repair done as soon as possible.

Wednesday 18 April 2018

What Is A Sump Pump & What does It Do

On this page we will be running through two main questions what is a sump pump & what does a sump pump do 

What Is A Sump Pump? 

A sump pump is basically a pump that is used in order to remove water that has accumulated within a water collecting sump basin, these are normally found in the basements of houses. There are a variety of ways that water can enter the basement such as via perimeter drains of a water proofing system, flooding from rain especially if the basement is below the water table level. 

Sump Pumps are primarily used when basement flooding frequently occurs and help to solve dampness where the water table is positioned above the foundation of a household. Sump pumps work by sending water away from a household to a place which is no longer deemed problematic such as a storm drain or a well. 

It was common with older pumps to discharge any excess water into sanitary sewers this was once considered an acceptable practice however this could now violate some plumbing codes or municipal bylaws because it can actually overwhelm the sewage system. 



Municipalities have urged all homeowners to actually disconnect and reroute their sump pump discharge away from all sanitary sewers. If you do not comply with these rules you may be issued a fine. However it is common for homeowners to actually inherit their sump pump and how its configured and therefore they don’t actually realise that their pump is discharging excess water into the sewer. So if your pump is fed to a laundry sink its most likely being discharged into the sewer. 

The majority of sump pumps are hardwired directly into a households electrical system, however some of the more expensive ones may actually have a battery backup in place in case of a power outage. You can also power some pumps via the pressurized water supply which completely eliminates the necessity of electricity when powering yours instead replacing this with potable water (however this generally makes them much more expensive to operate as opposed to the electrical pumps not to mention the additional water created by this also needs to be dispersed) Sometimes if a sump basin is not consistently pumped they may begin to overflow and therefore it is important to have a backup system should your primary system fail. 

While looking for sump pumps at sump pump advisor there are two main types that you will come across on your searches these are submersible and pedestal. 

A pedestal pump has its motor mounted well above the sump itself which allows people to service it far easier than one that has been submerged. However because of this it is more obvious to the eye. 



A submersible pump is completely mounted within the actual sump and is sealed to prevent any short circuits. There is a lot of debate to which sump pump is better and it generally comes down to preference however it has been said that a pedestal sump pump will last 25 – 30 years if installed properly and well looked after where as a submersible pump will only last around 5 to 15 years and are more expensive to purchase but they can take debris up with the water without clogging. 

Sump Pump systems aren’t just used in residential properties, they can also be utilised in various industrial and commercial applications such as controlling water table problems in the surface soil. A artesian aquifer or periodic high water tale situation can actually cause the ground beneath it to become unusable due to it being completely saturated with water. 

So as long as the pump is functional then the soil will remain stable and usable. These sumps differ from residential ones as they are normally buried 10 feet deep or more and have been lined with a metal pipe that has been perforated and has drainage holes throughout. These tend to have electronic control systems with both visual and audible alarm notifications in case of a problem, they are normally covered in order to prevent any debris or animals from falling into the hole.