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Many people don’t know what a sump pump is, but the truth is that it can be extremely important. It doesn’t always need to operate, but it is crucial in situations where it is needed. When there is heavy rain in the area surrounding your home, sump pumps are very important. They will quickly and efficiently drain water via an external discharge pipe from your home’s basement, preventing the basement from flooding. It is considered to be an important piece of emergency equipment.

It is very important that you make sure that your sump pump is properly maintained and does not exhibit any mechanical problems. If you do not watch out for these issues, you might end up with a flooded basement, damaged property, and thousands of dollars that you have to spend on damages and sump pump services.

Reasons for Sump Pump Problems

It’s a good idea to keep in mind common reasons for sump pump failure so that you can enlist the appropriate sump pump services and prevent a potential disaster.

Power Failure

One reason why you might need service on your sump pump could be power failure, which can be a result of inclement weather. These two can form a terrible combination that will result in a flooded basement. The reason for this is that heavy rain storms create an excess of water, and if you have a power outage on top of this, your sump pump won’t be able to drain water anymore.

In order to avoid this issue, you just need to buy and install a backup generator for your sump pump. This way, if you end up losing power during a terrible storm, you can manually turn the generator on to prevent flooding in your basement. In this case, you may not end up needing to pay for extra sump pump services.

Switch Sticking

The most prevalent mechanical problem that can lead to sump pump failure is a stuck switch. Usually, this happens when the pump makes a shift inside the basin. This will cause the float that runs the switch to no longer be effective, because it is now lodged against the side of the pump. In this situation, the debris can also jam the float and make it non-functional. These issues can both be fixed with some cleaning, as well as adjustment of the position of your sump pump within the basin. Usually, you don’t need to call in professionals to perform sump pump services for this issue.

Overwhelmed Pump

If too much water is coming in, it is easy for your sump pump to become overwhelmed, particularly if it is the wrong size or not capable of the necessary horsepower. If your sump pump is too small, it will experience under work. If it is too big, this will result in overwork. In both cases, the sump pump is not going to last as long as it should.

You can consult with a professional to figure out what the right size and horsepower is, so that you don’t have to call them later for sump pump services.

Clogged or Frozen Discharge Pipe

In some cases, your sump pump can have a discharge pipe that is either clogged or frozen when it gets cold in Cleveland, TN. In this case, the water from the flood will go back down the pipe and flood your basement. You can’t necessarily prevent this issue, particularly not freezing. However, what you can do is have a professional install a specialty discharge line that will allow water to leave your basement even with a frozen main discharge pipe.

You do have a little bit more control over whether your discharge pipe becomes clogged. You just need to make sure that the opening of the pipe is covered with a grate, in order to prevent potential debris and small animals from entering the pipe.

Maintenance Neglect

Sometimes, your sump pump just needs basic sump pump services, such as quarterly maintenance and cleaning. You can hire professionals for this, or just run a vinegar solution through the sump pump yourself. You would also want to make sure that the float is unrestricted, as well as clean the vents of the sump pump and the air holes of the discharge line.

Age

Sometimes, your sump pump will fail just because it has been through 7 to 10 years of wear and tear. This is why it’s a good idea to replace your sump pump every 10 years. This can help you avoid having to pay for service on your sump pump that you may not have needed.

Bad Installation

It’s possible that when your sump pump was installed, it was not installed properly. For example, it is possible that a check valve was not installed on the discharge line, there was no air relief hole in the discharge line, or that the sump pump could have been set in dirt or gravel.

Product Defects

It is possible that your sump pump is simply a defective product. This is why it’s a good idea to test it right away after it has been installed. You want to make sure that it is in good working condition before you start to use it and rely on it. If you don’t check to make sure that it is in good working order, you might end up having to pay for sump pump services later that could have been avoided.

Conclusion

If you are in need of sump pump services in the city of Cleveland, TN, you should definitely feel free to contact the professionals at Metro Plumbing, Heating and Air as soon as possible. These individuals can help not only with heating and cooling issues in your home, but also plumbing issues (including sump pump services). Sump pump problems can be very unpleasant to deal with and can cause a great deal of damage in your home, so it is good to know that you have a fantastic company like Metro Plumbing, Heating and Air to count on.