When you have a sump pump installed in your home's basement or crawlspace, you might mistakenly think that you're automatically protected against water intrusions. In reality, periodic sump pump maintenance is crucial if you want to keep your home safe from:
Costly water damage. Whether you experience minor groundwater seepage or significant flooding from a summer storm, your sump pump needs to be in good working order to handle it. If your home's basement is finished, this protects the drywall, flooring, the furnishings and stored items from damage.
Mold-related problems. Having a well-functioning sump pump that keeps the crawlspace or basement dry can also minimize mold growth and musty odors and preserve your home's indoor air quality.
Fire hazards. When your sump pump is well-maintained and on guard against water intrusions into your basement or crawlspace, you may not realize that it also reduces the danger of electrical fires. If a flood occurs and electrical wiring situated in the space gets saturated, there a risk that it can short circuit and cause a fire.
Essential Sump Pump Maintenance
It's vital to have a functional sump pump during a power outage, so invest in a battery backup if you don't already have one. To ensure that your pump is always in working condition, maintain it semi-annually by following these steps:
Clear any debris from the sump pit so it can't clog the pump.
Check the condition of the power cord and for safety, make sure it's plugged into a ground fault circuit interruptor (GFCI) receptacle.
To test the pump's functionality, fill up the pit with water and check that it starts up and empties the pit efficiently.
Unplug the power cord and repeat the above-mentioned test to check that the backup battery is working properly.
When the pump is running, verify that it stays upright and level, and that the drain hose stays attached.
If your pump is unresponsive or quits working, have it repaired or replace it immediately.
To learn more about sump pump maintenance and how it can help protect your Broken Arrow home, contact us at Air Assurance.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about sump pumps and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Westfrisco/Pixabay”