While it doesn’t have a glamorous name, the sump pump is the star of basement waterproofing. The sump pump is a sump basin that collects water trying to enter your basement (either through perimeter drains or rain/groundwater movement) and pumps it away from your basement and foundation.
Sump pumps are not found in all homes, but those that have issues with flooding or dampness benefit from having this system in place. But the sump pump is not a “set it and forget it” system – with some light general maintenance, you can keep your sump pump happy and your basement dry for years to come.
Here are our top tips for maintaining your sump pump:
- Have a backup plan. When a sump pump is working, it does a critically important job. However, it is possible for a sump basin to overflow if it is not working properly. That is why you want to ensure your home has a working backup system that can take over if, say, the power goes out in your home (the sump pump is often wired directly into a home’s electric system). A battery backup is often a good solution to this issue. With that said, a backup system can be pricey. Figure a couple thousand dollars for a good battery backup sump pump in the Milwaukee area.
- Keep out debris. Sump pumps run on a motor that ensures they can continuously pump water away from your home’s foundation. Pieces of gravel, dirt, or other objects smaller marble can clog the pump lines and cause the motor to malfunction, so it is important to ensure your pump is installed in and surrounded by larger-sized gravel or rocks.
- Test your system at least once a year. Though you may not be a waterproofing expert, anyone can run a DIY test on their sump pump to make sure it is functioning correctly. Simply take a bucket of water and slowly pour it into the pump (very slowly – like the rate rain water may enter the pump) until the pump begins to run. Watch to make sure the water level drops, which means the pump is doing its job, and make sure it turns off once the water is gone. This test will not only tell you that your pump works when water enters it, but that it does not run when it doesn’t need to (i.e. when there’s no water in the pump). If this at home test uncovers an issue, give Zablocki Waterproofing a call.
- Get regular inspections. The last thing you want is a basement flood, so it is important to ensure the pipes that discharge water from your basement are doing their job. This inspection can be tricky, because some or all of the discharge pipe may be underground, so you may consider calling in an expert. This is an inspection you should do at least once per year, more if you live in an area with high levels of precipitation (or in a home that sits below the water table).
It is also crucial to check for loose or faulty wiring, particularly if your sump pump is malfunctioning. An expert will know how to check this, or you can DIY by turning off the pump and disconnecting the power supply, then carefully inspecting all wiring.
- Keep that pump plugged in. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it happens: a family member or friend goes down into your basement and needs an outlet, so they unplug something to make room to charge their phone. If what they unplugged was the sump pump and they forget to plug it back in, you could be in for trouble. Make a habit of checking that the sump pump is plugged in or place a piece of tape over the plug so people know not to remove it.
- Know when to call in the experts. We live in an amazing time: a simple YouTube search can equip nearly anyone with the information they need to fix any sump pump or basement repair problem…or at least enough to make them dangerous. If you encounter a problem with your sump pump that you aren’t sure how to fix, play it safe and call in an expert. You may think you’ll save money by performing the fix yourself, but mistakes can be costly.
When it comes to keeping your basement from flooding, trust experts like those at Zablocki Waterproofing.
A home is often the biggest investment we make, and there are a lot of balls in the air when it comes to maintaining it. Don’t let a damp or flooded basement get in the way of you enjoying your house. Proudly serving customers in Milwaukee and surrounding communities with top-quality, expert basement repair and waterproofing services, Zablocki Waterproofing will never let you down.
