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A sump pump is easy to forget about. It sits down in a pit under the floor and runs on its own, so you don't find out it quit until there's standing water. In most cases it's one component that's gone bad, and most of those are a one-trip repair. Call (888) 697-0187 and tell us what it's doing.
Pumps rarely quit without warning. Watch and listen for these:
When several show up at once, the pump is generally near the end of its life.
The float switch is the part that fails more often than any other. Tethered floats catch on the basin wall or snag the discharge pipe, while vertical floats stick on the rod as soon as silt builds up in the collar. If it sticks up the pump runs dry until the motor burns out, and if it sticks down the pump never kicks on.
Everything that washes into the pit ends up against the intake sooner or later, and remodels are notorious for dumping drywall dust and mortar slurry into the basin. In water with high iron content, ochre sludge builds up and restricts the intake. Cleaning out the pit and screen is straightforward work, and often it's the whole fix.
Once the immediate problem is contained, most emergencies need follow-up work. If you're after something other than emergency service, these are available locally too:
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When the check valve fails, water runs back down the discharge line into the basin and the pump re-pumps it, which burns through its service life early. Beyond the valve, the usual finds are crushed pipe, joints that pulled apart, blockages, and discharge outlets terminating too near the foundation. Where winters get cold, the line can freeze at the outlet and back everything up.
Not every dead pump is actually a dead pump. We regularly find tripped breakers, bad outlets, GFCIs tripping for no good reason, and power cords bumped out of the plug. When the motor has actually gone, you'll know from the smell or from a housing that heats up and does nothing.
A sump pump's service life usually runs 7 to 10 years, and where the water table sits high and the pump runs constantly, five is more realistic. Repair generally makes sense on a pump under seven years old with a specific, identifiable problem: a float switch, an impeller clog, a check valve, a problem out on the discharge line. Replacing is the better move when the motor is finished, the housing has rusted through, or you've paid for a third repair in two years. We'll tell you which way we'd go and why before anything gets ordered.
The same weather that fills the basin frequently knocks out power, and without electricity the primary pump is just a chunk of iron sitting in water. A battery backup has a separate DC pump and float and kicks in on its own the moment the primary stops. Plan on three to five years out of a backup battery, and since they die without warning, older ones are worth a load test.
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Typical service life is 7 to 10 years. Where the water table is high and the pump runs often, five years is common. A pump that almost never runs can seize up from sitting, so age isn’t the only factor, but past ten years you’re on borrowed time.
Age and the specific failure decide it. If the unit is under seven years old and the fault is a float switch, a clogged impeller, or a check valve, repairing it usually costs less over time. Once the motor is gone, the housing has rusted through, or you’re on the third repair in two years, replacement is the better call.
The part that failed drives the price. A float switch, check valve, or discharge fitting is on the low end. A motor failure or full pump replacement costs more, and basin work or electrical repairs push it up further. Call (888) 697-0187 for pricing on your situation.
The usual causes are a float stuck up, a check valve letting water fall back into the basin so the pump moves it twice, or more water arriving than the pump is rated to handle. Running nonstop kills motors quickly, so don’t leave it going.
A grinding sound usually points to debris in the impeller or worn bearings. If it hums but nothing moves, the motor has power and the impeller isn’t turning, usually a jam or a bad capacitor. That bang right after it shuts off is generally the check valve.
Parts of it, yes. Checking the breaker and receptacle, pulling debris out of the pit, freeing a stuck float, and cleaning the intake screen are all fair game. Motor repairs, wiring, and discharge line repiping should go to a licensed plumber, if only because it’s electrical work next to standing water.
If losing power means water in the basement or crawl space, then yes. The outage and the water usually arrive at the same time. A backup runs off its own DC pump and float switch and takes over when the main pump has no power. Budget for a new battery every three to five years.
