Sump Pump Maintenance

As far as the drainage system around your house is concerned a sump pump plays a very important role. The fact is that the effectiveness of your drainage system is entirely dependent on the proper operation of your sump pump. Your basement can be subjected to some rather expensive damage if your sump pump should fail. The best way to prevent this damage is to follow closely the guidelines that are provided in the owner’s manual where the required instructions for proper sump pump operation and maintenance can be found.

The problems associated with sump pump failure are universal regardless of which model of sump pump you have. That is the reason why virtually all sump pump owner’s manuals provide the same tips for the prevention of sump pump failure. While numerous problems can affect your sump pump, such as a burned out motor, a broken or a jammed control, the first rule thing that you should do to prevent these problems is to keep your sump pump clean. A major problem with sump pumps is clogging. A variety of foreign objects including debris and dirt may build up and cause a blockage in the inlet screen. The screen can only handle so much although its function is to remove small particles of waste along with the water.

To clean your sump pump properly, you should collect all of the debris using a pair of rubber gloves. Then, using a garden hose, refill the sump pump with water. This will cause the float to rise which will cause the sump pump to reactivate. If the system doesn’t restart when the float rises, you should consult the troubleshooting section in your owner’s manual.

You can find information about what to do when your sump pump doesn’t respond as it should in the troubleshooting section of your owner’s manual. You should check the electrical system of your sump pump if you have performed the recommended cleaning process and your sump pump still fails to work properly. You should unplug the sump pump and plug a lamp or a clock that you know works into the outlet to make sure that the sump pump is getting electrical power. You should also check to make sure that the circuit breaker is on.

If your sump pump still won’t start, the manual will instruct you to make sure that the motor isn’t burned out as a result of overuse while being clogged, make sure that the switch that is activated by the float is working, and reset the switch on the motor. To check the float switch simply move it up and down. This will effectively clean the dirty switch contacts and operation should start immediately. The float switch needs to be replaced often or you can try to repair the float switch that is damaged yourself.

The owner’s manual that accompanies your sump pump will clearly state that your sump pump won’t work effectively unless proper maintenance is performed on your sump pump. Your sump pump will play a very important role in your house so be sure that you carefully read the owner’s manual so that you will know how to keep it working properly.

By: James Keyes

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