How to Understand Your Sump Pump

Do you have a sump pump? Do you not really understand it? It's not an alien from outer space. We can help make it not so mysterious.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Find out a few things about that little mechanical marvel in your basement. Locating your sump pump is easy: In the lowest point in your basement there will be a hole in the floor, called a sump hole, toward which any water that shows up in your basement should flow.

2. Take comfort in the fact that sump pump maintenance is an almost-never kind of task.

3. Know where your sump pump hooks to your wastewater drain - it's a must, but it's easy. Just follow the white or black PVC or plastic line (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter) from the top of your sump pump to where that pipe hooks into a larger white or black drain line.

4. Find the product label on your sump pump and get a little information off of it, such as what kind of voltage it uses (almost all use 110, but check anyway).

5. Find out the GPH, or gallons per hour, output on your pump. You may also need to know the "head" on your pump - the height to which the pump can push a stream of water. This will be a problem only if you have a basement that's deeper than normal.

6. Follow the electrical cord to where it plugs in. One common problem with malfunctioning sump pumps is accidental loss of power (translation: Kids unplug it to run their race car track).

7. Test your sump pump by filling the sump hole with water. The pump is equipped with an automatic switch that senses when the water reaches a certain level and turns itself on - then it should clear most of the water from the pit, shutting off once the water drops below a certain level.

8. Feel the bottom of the pump and make sure there isn't a lot of sludge or foreign material around the grate on the bottom side of the pump (do this only when the pump is unplugged). Clear any blockage you find.

Tips & Warnings

• The floor should have been designed to slant ever so slightly toward the sump hole. Things like walls or poor design can get in the way, so you may have to help on occasion if the water gets deep, but the sump pump will take it from there.
• See "How to Troubleshoot a Sump Pump," under Related eHows, if you actually encounter a problem.

[naganand]

on 5/19/2009 Danpeter, I have the same problem. How did you fix the problem?Appreciate your response.

[lordulrich]

on 5/13/2009 In most areas it is actually illegal to connect your sump pump the the sanitary sewer (ie. Wasterwater line), it can cause capacity problems a the plant an in the lines contributing to sewer backups which are much worse than ground water in the basement. The sump pump should discharge directly outside the house similar to the way your gutters discharge. Just make sure the end of the hose is where the water will drain away from the house.

[lordulrich]

on 5/13/2009 In most areas it is actually illegal to connect your sump pump the the sanitary sewer (ie. Wasterwater line), it can cause capacity problems a the plant an in the lines contributing to sewer backups which are much worse than ground water in the basement. The sump pump should discharge directly outside the house similar to the way your gutters discharge. Just make sure the end of the hose is where the water will drain away from the house.

[abasements]

on 4/30/2009 Some sump pumps are prone to failure due to cheap plastic components. Please read reviews on the sump pump you plan to buy. http://www.americanbasementsolutions.com/sumppumps.html

[bg1949]

on 12/31/2007 don't know a thing about sump pumps
should the floater device be light like a buoy?
mine feels a little heavy and only works when
i hold it straight up