Now is The Time to Make Sure Your Sump Pump is Working Properly

As the temps start to go up, the snow and ice we've accumulated from over the winter months start to melt and come in through the drain tiles and into your sump pump. If your sump pump isn't working properly, your basement is likely to flood causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

I had a bit of a scare over the weekend after I noticed I hadn't heard my sump pump kick on in awhile. Luckily I checked it when I did because the pump hadn't been kicking on and the water was filled to the top and ready to spill over into my basement. If my basement was to flood, I'd be screwed because I have a fully finished and furnished basement.

To fix my problem was easy, I literally had to tap the pipe running into the pump and it kicked on and everything was fine. It was just stuck from all the years of build-up. It got me thinking that it was time for a replacement since my sump pump is nearly 17 years old. I reached out to a company that specializes in basements and sump pumps and they're coming out today to give me a quote on a replacement. This is not a job that I want to tackle myself.

The best thing you can do is to pay attention to your sump pump. Is it getting louder and not running as often as it should? It might be time to have someone take a look at it.

Periodically pour a bucket of water into the pit to make sure the pump starts automatically and the water drains quickly once the pump is on. If the pump doesn't start, have it serviced.

It's also not a bad idea to install a backup sump just in case.

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