Sump Pump Basics
Do you live in a home with a basement or crawlspace in the Rock River Valley? Chances are your home depends on a sump pump to manage water accumulation in your basement or underneath your home. Sump pumps are powerful water pumps that are typically housed in a sump pit – a hole built into your basement or crawlspace floor. Sump pits are usually located in the lowest point in your basement floor. A float switch measures the height of the water and activates the sump pump when the water reaches a certain level. The pump removes the water, pumping it through drain pipes to the yard or sewer system. As long as water is still flowing into the sump pit, the sump pump will keep running until the water level has fallen back to a safe depth. While sump pumps cannot prevent basement flooding during severe storms or natural events when water is entering the basement from other sources, they are very effective at keeping your home’s lower levels dry and free of mold and mildew.
Installing a Sump Pump
Sump pumps are emergency equipment and great care should be taken when choosing a contractor to install one in your home to ensure maximum reliability when it is needed. Be sure that your Rockford licensed plumber has sized the sump pump correctly for your home’s needs, in both capacity and head pressure. Ask for a sump pump with an emergency alarm so that you know if the sump pump has failed, a power outage has caused a problem, or any other critical alert.
Battery Backup for Your Sump Pump
A battery backup is an important component of your sump pump system. If your home’s power is interrupted during a storm or other emergency, your basement or crawlspace will be vulnerable to flooding if your sump pump is not running for a substantial period of time. A battery backup system for the sump pump will keep it operating despite a power failure in your home, preventing costly damage and a difficult cleanup.
Sump Pump Testing and Maintenance
Annual testing of your sump pump should be performed to be sure that it will work when your home needs it. A professional will test the sump pump’s operation, test the float switch and battery backup system, and repair any issues that may be present.
Axberg is your Rockford metro area licensed plumbing professional. Book your sump pump estimate online today or call us at (815) 873-6003 for a free, no obligation quote for your home or business.
