One fine evening, you hear what sounds like Niagara Falls running beneath your floor. Nervously, you peek down the stairs and spot several inches of standing water covering the basement floor. Your sump pump has quit on you, but this may not have happened if you’d performed sump pump maintenance before the rainy season hit.
Below, find rainy season sump pump tips to help you prevent frozen pipes and nasty flooding.
Sump Pump Maintenance for the Rainy Season
Proper maintenance for a sump pump isn’t just a once-a-year thing. As part of your basement waterproofing efforts, you’ll need to care for your sump pump all year long. Follow these sump pump maintenance tips to keep yours working properly.
Monthly Maintenance Tasks
Not all sump pumps need monthly cleaning, but yours does if it handles washing machine water disposal (check your owner’s manual if you’re unsure). In that case, you’ll have to clean the pump inlet screen each month to prevent debris from collecting there and blocking the flow.
You’ll find the sump pump inlet screen located near the base of the unit. Remove it and use a stiff brush or garden hose to get rid of any debris. While you have the screen off, check the grate for debris too. It’s common to find little stones and other junk blocking the grate.
Quarterly Maintenance
Every four months, and especially before the rainy season hits, you’ll need to follow these flood prevention tips:
- Disconnect the pump from the power supply. If there’s water sitting in the sump basin or sump pit, dump it out.
- Remove the discharge pipe (also called the discharge line) from your pedestal sump pump. If the discharge pipe is stuck, you can apply a lubricant like WD-40. Clean it well with diluted vinegar.
- Lubricate the pump bearings if necessary. If your pump has sealed bearings, skip this step.
- Reconnect the pump and pour water in it to make sure that the float switch is working. Also check the discharge pipe to ensure water flows away from your home. The discharge location should be 20 feet or more from the house.
- Consider installing a battery backup sump pump if your property is prone to power outages.
Annual Maintenance
Can’t maintain your sump pump every four months? We get it; it’s a time-consuming pain in the neck. At the very least, give your pump a good cleaning once a year. Regular maintenance will keep your pump running like clockwork when heavy rains come to Jackson.
And if you don’t want to handle maintenance yourself, call them. They offer residential and commercial plumbing services, including maintenance, septic tank pumping, drain cleaning, water damage cleanup, water heater installation and more.
What’s the Best Way To Keep Your Sump Pump in Top Shape? Call the Pros!
Has you sump pump kicked the bucket? Call them for sump pump repair in Jackson, TN! You’ll love their sewer line services, including zero-dig pipe restoration, excavation, hydro jetting, and water damage restoration.
Call their licensed plumbers in Jackson TN at (731) 213-3611 to hire an emergency plumber for sump pump maintenance now.
