Most people are aware of or have heard of the term “sump pump” but may not know exactly what it is or what it does. More specifically, the topic is often brought up when one fails, possibly giving it a mysterious and maybe scary connotation. Below is some general information on what a Morristown sump pump does, why you need one, and how to repair or prevent some common issues associated with them.
There are different types of sump pumps out there ranging from portable units to permanent fixtures in your home but they all have a number of things in common. For starters, they are all designed to prevent potential flooding by removing or diverting away any excess build-up of water underneath your home. Therefore, they are always located at the lowest level of your home and runs on electricity. However, not all homes may have them so if you don’t know if yours does or not you may want to make sure either way before a problem hits. If you have a built-in pump in your basement you will most likely find a covered circular hole a little smaller than your average manhole cover.
A sump pump can stop working for a variety of reasons, and one of the most common culprits is the always-pesky power outage. Unfortunately the same rain storm that makes them so necessary could also be the reason why your power has gone out in the first place, so it is a good idea to purchase a battery backup. Another possible reason is a buildup of debris, which can prevent it from working properly. This can also be taken care of yourself without professional help by simply cleaning it out as best as you can. Many sump pumps operate via a float switch, which sometimes may not operate correctly. This is also potentially easy to check and fix yourself, and is not too dissimilar in concept to float switches inside your toilet’s water tank. Generally speaking it’s also a good idea to install a sump pump alarm in Morristown, which is exactly what you would think it is, since they are otherwise silent when not in use and you will not be able to tell it is not operating until it is too late.
As with all plumbing issues, the possibility that your sump pump’s problem is too much for you to handle is always there and there may be a time where you need a professional plumber to either repair or replace your unit. However, if you take the proper precautions by installing a battery backup and alarm you can greatly reduce the likelihood of a large-scale malfunction that will leave you with a big headache and an even bigger plumbing bill.