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If your sump pump has been sitting for years in a dusty space in the corner of your basement, let’s talk about what to do about that. It does rain a lot during some springs here in Cleveland, TN. At Metro Plumbing, Heating and Air sump pump services experts can help protect your home against the floods that come with the rain. While we’re at it, since smart home technology seems to be arriving for every part of the home, what about sump pumps? Newer equipment has helped to solve some of the troublesome issues that can occur with sump pumps, such as power failure and pump failure. Regular inspection and testing of your pumps by our sump pump team, and upgrades to your installation if needed, also help to make sure you’re covered when the ground gets waterlogged and starts putting pressure on your home’s foundation.

When Storms Threaten, What Can Follow? Both Rain and Lightning

The rain is what causes you to get a sump pump in the first place, making sure that if the water table rises it doesn’t rise into your basement. But the lightning, that can cancel your electric power and with it your sump pump’s work against the rising tide. If your home has a backup generator, you’re probably covered as long as the generator is working, since it supplies the power your sump pump needs. What is popular these days, with so much emphasis on high-powered batteries, is having our sump pump services technicians install battery backup power supplies for your sump pump. It’s somewhat similar to the UPS or uninterruptible power supply that is used with large computer systems and even some home computers, ready to take over supplying power and fill in when the lights go out.

A Unit That Steps In and Calls for Help

Another creative solution to protect your home from rising water is a backup sump pump that takes over if the main one fails, and promptly sounds the alarm either through your security or smart home system or other direct methods such as smartphone messaging. Like the battery-based solution for power loss, it provides a bridge that allows you to discover potential trouble, instead of actual trouble, saving you cleanup and other headaches and probably solving most of your typical issues completely. While the backup pump is running, you get the message and call your plumber for a more permanent solution such as a new pump. It’s better when our sump pump services team catches problems during inspection, but it’s still a good outcome.

Leak Detection Throughout Your Home, But Especially in the Basement

A tip from our sump pump services experts: leak detectors are like smoke detectors, readily available, easy to install protection against disasters getting out of hand without you realizing it. They are helpful when installed in a child’s bathroom or under the kitchen sink, protecting against plumbing problems and unattended overflows. They’re even helpful in keeping an eye out near a large fish tank or indoor water feature. In the basement, leak detectors are simply practical, recognizing when your water heater is leaking, your washer hoses have burst, or there’s some problem that’s allowing water to rise that your sump pump should have taken care of. Leak detectors can sound the alarm loudly and on location, or they can relay the message through your home’s security system, send an SMS message to your phone, or let your smart home management system know so it can both act and message you. Technology is your choice, but protection is common sense these days.

So, How Is Your Sump Pump Doing?

Back to the basics, especially if you’re one of the many who has dust and cobwebs on their sump pump, and maybe can’t even locate it right away if asked. Sump pumps aren’t the most notable feature of a home, until they step up to prevent flooding. Our sump pump services team can inspect and test your sump pump and its installation, and make recommendations for improvement. Those ideas could include a more modern pump, perhaps a submersible replacement for your stick-type one and maybe a bit more power so the sump pump stays ahead of rising water more effectively. Tech solutions such as the battery backup might also be on the list, especially if you know that power loss is common at your location.

Making Sure Your Sump Pump System Is Working Well from End to End

What’s one of the first things to check when doing a sump pump services inspection? Making sure that the circuit breaker is not off. Since the pump is typically “out of sight, out of mind,” a tripped breaker might not be noticed, with potentially disastrous consequences. From there, making sure the pump’s wiring is sound and the sump is clear are important, along with the placement of the ejection pipe that carries water away from your pump. While it may have initially been correctly placed to discharge far from the house and in an area where flowing water won’t disturb anything, over time it may have been moved or even shortened to the point where it is just feeding water in circles near your foundation. If your home has been remodeled, our sump pump services team might also recommend an additional unit at the other side of the basement for more complete protection and as backup. In fact, this also helps equalize the water table pressure on your foundation.

Sump Pump Services in Cleveland, TN to Keep Your Foundation Secure and Your Basement Dry

At Metro Plumbing, Heating and Air, our sump pump services team is thinking about your pump and also your home. Our experts will provide ideas to improve your system, and make sure your current equipment is ready to serve when the time comes, as it sometimes does here in Cleveland, TN. Call us before the rains come.