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Is Your Sump Pump Ready for Spring?

With spring around the corner, you’ll want to make sure your home will be ready to take on the spring thaw and April showers Massachusetts will face. If you own a sump pump, you’ll want to ensure it’s in working order, as the majority of basement flooding is caused by faulty sump pumps. In general, you should make sure the gutters and leader drains are cleaned to help prevent the flooding from being as severe. In addition, here are some issues you’ll want to rectify if your sump pump is suffering from one or more. If you have one of these issues, call Cranney Home Services to get your pump fixed.

Here are five issues your sump pump might be having:

• Blocked sump pump switch. Float switches are used by the sump pump to automatically turn on when the water reaches a certain level. Because it needs to float freely, you never want to sweep any basement floor dirt into the sump pit switch. Also, make sure nothing is blocking the sump pump switch from floating freely.
• Tripped circuit breaker. Sump pumps use a lot of electricity when operating, so you should give the sump pump its own dedicated circuit. If there are any other electronics on the same circuit, it might be too much for it and the sump pump’s activation may trip the circuit.
• Mechanical failure. There are plenty of issues that might cause your sump pump to fail including an undersized discharge pipe and a missing check valve. Whatever the cause, you should contact one of our professionals to help you fix the problem.
• Clogged strainer. Sump pumps have a strainer at the bottom that the water flows through. If debris is clogging it, water won’t be able to flow through it properly and flooding could occur. You should clean it regularly to make sure water can go through it.
• Frozen discharge pipe. Winter may be ending, but the area will still be getting some cold temperatures. A frozen or otherwise blocked discharge pipe will prevent water from draining out of it. This will cause water to back up and the sump pump will run constantly but ineffectively.

If properly maintained, a sump pump can last around 10 years. If you’re not sure of your sump pump’s age, consider buying a replacement and keep a backup on hand in case it fails. Another way to protect your basement from flooding is to contact Cranney and buy a two-pump system. It’ll assure there’s a spare pump in case one fails and has an alarm to alert homeowners in case of a failure.

Why trust Cranney Home Services with my plumbing?

Cranney Home Services has over forty years of contracting for both homes and businesses. We devote ourselves to delivering nothing short of the highest standards in service and technology possible. Our affiliation with Nexstar, a leading professional organization of independent businesses, allows us to take our service to the next level.

Don’t delay on getting your sump pump ready! Call Cranney Home Services today!