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Common Causes Of Sump Pump Failure

31 March 2022 by Bill Turner

Sump pump failure is an emergency since it leaves your house vulnerable to flooding. A flooded basement can experience structural damage, electrical damage, and content damage in your basement. Understanding the causes of sump pump failure can help you preempt and solve them. Below are the reasons your sump pump might fail.

Electrical Failure

Sump pumps have motors that turn electrical energy into mechanical energy to get water flowing. The sump pump won't work if it doesn't have power. Unfortunately, an electrical power outage is common during storms when you need power the most. Power backup, for example, in the form of a battery or generator, can alleviate the problem.

Confirm whether other parts of the house have power if your sump pump stops operating. You can also check if the pump's circuit breaker has tripped.

Extreme Flooding

A sump pump handles a specific volume of water at a time. The pump's power in terms of horsepower determines the water volume it handles. The water volume can overwhelm the pump and flood the house even if the pump is operational during extreme flooding. In addition, too much flooding can overwork the sump pump and cause it to burn out.

One solution is to install a powerful sump pump that can handle extreme flooding in your area. Another solution is to install two sum pumps at different heights. That way, the second sump pump handles the extra water that the first one cannot handle.

Clogging

A clogged sump pump cannot drain the water it pumps out of the pit. Clogging can affect both the sump pump and its drainage channel. The sump pump's drain channel might clog if:

• You do not clean it regularly
• It handles dirty or muddy water
• Tree roots invade it
• Rodents die within the channel
• Water freezes within the drain discharge line

Clean the sump pump system regularly to reduce the risk of clogging. Burry the discharge line deep within the ground or insulate it to prevent freezing. Lastly, always cover the sump pump to prevent dirt from overwhelming it.

Aging

All plumbing systems eventually wear out and fail. Thus, your sump pump will fail after years of use, even with impeccable maintenance. Moreover, years of accumulated wear and tear weakens an aging sump pump is likely to fail when you need it most—during flooding. The only solution is to replace the pump.

Contact an emergency plumbing service immediately if your sump pump fails. Immediate action is especially necessary if the issue is anything other than a power failure.

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