Plumbing Service Tips: Sump Pump Mistakes You Should Always Avoid | Brookhaven, GA
A sump pump is a device that helps home basements and crawlspaces from flooding. Homeowners without a sump pump or having a defective unit may experience mold infestation, floor damage, or even water-borne diseases at their homesteads. To ensure such an issue doesn’t affect you or your family, healthwise or financially, contact a plumbing service provider in Brookhaven, GA. A plumber will recommend the best kind of sump pump you can have installed at your home.
Some types of sump pumps you may find on the market include water-powered, pedestal, battery-operated backup, combination, and submersible sump pumps. As a homeowner, you might make some mistakes that can make the sump pump defective, triggering many issues in their homes. Let us discuss some of the mistakes you should avoid with your sump pump to ensure it will work efficiently if your basement floods.
Error with the Access Valve
Sump pumps have check valves that prevent the pumped water from the backward flow. An arrow is usually printed all around the check valve, and the indicator tells which way the arrow valve will face.
Some homeowners may set the arrow to point in the direction of the sump pump accidentally. It can result in problems with water backflows into the pump. Before contacting a plumbing service, if you observe water running backward within your sump pump, make sure the arrow points away from your sump pump.
Allowing Dirt and Debris to Enter the Unit
Some homeowners leave their sump pumps laying over loose silt, debris, or small-sized gravel. However, this is a wrong move because the tiny particles from these materials may sneak into your sump pump during its operation, resulting in blockages and clogs. The clogging may, in turn, make the sump pump’s motor defective, making the entire system come to a grinding halt.
You can also consult with a professional from your reliable plumbing service on the suitable rock sizes or gravel to use for clogging and blockage prevention. If your unit has been running for some time sitting on loose gravel or debris, it is time to contact a plumbing service and schedule a visit with a plumber for the sump pump unit’s cleaning services.
Failing to Test the Sump Pump System
You should inspect your sump pump on three levels:
- When it runs at a constant rate on days with no rain.
- When it runs only in a worse flooding situation.
- When it doesn’t run.
If you do not schedule a regular sump pump servicing with your plumbing service provider, it may be challenging to conduct such testing and identify the main issues early. To conduct the tests, the plumber pours water (approximately 5 gallons) into the sump pump at rates that approximately equals the rate at which rainfall enters your sump pump until the float tells the pump to turn on.
The pump should be turned off once the water levels have reduced, and the float should return to its normal position. If the sump pump system does not go through this process when the plumber pours the water, that signifies the pump is broken, and you need to call a plumber immediately for further inspection and repair.
Unplugged Pump
Sometimes, a Brookhaven, GA homeowner enters their basement for whatever and needs to use the power outlet on which the sump pump is connected, whether to connect cleaning equipment or charge their phone. Afterward, they leave the basement hurriedly without plugging the sump pump back. Not realizing the sump pump isn’t plugged in on time, a basement might experience flooding in case of a heavy downpour.
Ensure that the sump pump is always plugged in and firmly close the basement doors to ensure children don’t go inside to play. Regardless, you must immediately enlist the help of a plumbing service provider to repair your unit in case you notice that water is pooling inside your basement while your sump pump is plugged in.
Broken Discharge Pipe
Provided that the water is drained out of their basements by the sump pump, some residential property owners will disregard spot checks on their sump pump discharge pipes. It is only until they discover valuables stashed in their basements floating in water that they become concerned and seek for a reputable emergency plumbing provider to repair their sump pumps.
Although you might have a sump pump, a malfunctioning sump pump is one of the most common reasons for flooding inside your basement. Schedule an appointment with your professional plumber to develop and implement a sump pump plumbing service plan to prevent advanced issues resulting from a minor problem like damaged discharge pipes that a professional plumber in Brookhaven, GA, can resolve in a matter of minutes.
Failure to Inspect the Unit for Loose Wiring
All electrical appliances, including the sump pumps, have a wiring system that supplies the needed energy to efficiently and effectively run. Inspecting the wiring system of your sump pump is a really simple step that you should include in your plumbing service maintenance visit by your professional plumber without fail.
Never handle such tasks yourself, though, even if they seem simple. This is because you place yourself at risk of electrocution or even electrical shocks. You might also cause a fire accident, resulting in immeasurable damages, and because you don’t have liability insurance, you will have to pay for the restorations yourself. This is, of course, not forgetting you may void your sump pump’s warranty.
Enlist the services of a professional and experienced sump pump technician to handle this task on your behalf and resolve any defects present, if any. The plumber first turns off the sump pump from its power source and disconnects it. They then inspect the unit for any damaged wires and replace them. Conducting regular sump pump wiring checkups can help prevent the unit from unexpected shutoffs, especially during floods.
Reliable Plumbing Services In Brookhaven
You should take any measure to prevent water damage because they can lead to enormous losses whenever they arise. Installing a sump pump in your basement is one such measure. It ensures that your basement doesn’t experience flooding. However, there are some mistakes that you should try to avoid, as discussed above. Do you need sump pump repair or installation? Call us at Peach Plumbing & Drain today. We’ll promptly dispatch a team of experienced and licensed plumbers to address your plumbing needs promptly.