If you have a sump pump, it needs to be maintained annually for optimal use. You never know when a storm will sweep through and flood the area around your home, and you want to make sure your sump pump is ready to kick into action.
If you haven’t already scheduled sump pump maintenance in Ambler, PA this year, give our team a call today. Keep reading to learn more about how we check out your sump pump and complete all of the maintenance steps to ensure it’s ready for any storm, anytime.
Professional Maintenance Steps
There are six steps we complete during sump pump maintenance each year.
1. Cleaning the pit
When your sump pump gets installed, there is a pit where the water collects for the sump pump to remove. Each year our team will review the pit size to make sure it is big enough for the sump pump and the pumping needs based on your home and yard layout. We can size up if needed and dig the pump to be larger.
2. Check valve
Each sump pump has a check valve that works to prevent backflow from occurring inside the discharge pipe after the sump pump turns off from removing water. We’ll check the valve to make sure it is preventing backflow the way it was designed to.
3. Backup power source
Sump pumps have on-seasons and off-seasons based on the needs of an individual area. Here we have runoff from melting snow in the spring and the potential for heavy rains during the summer. Storms can cause your home to lose power, which ultimately turns your sump pump off, too. This is why it’s important to have a backup power source that is ready to turn on in the case of a power outage. We can either test your existing backup power source or install one if you need it.
4. Alarm
Many sump pumps include a built-in alarm that lets you know when your sump pump activates to remove water buildup. If your sump pump is connected to your washing machine, you may not want an alert. But if your sump pump is in place to exclusively pump away floodwater, an alert can help you identify flooding.
5. Cover
The sump pump cover prevents water from evaporating up into your basement and even your home. If you don’t have a cover, we can talk to you about installing one to help reduce humidity levels. Sometimes covers loosen up over time and need to be adjusted, so we can check for that, too.
6. Discharge area
It’s equally important to check the discharge area where sump pump water gets released. The discharge area needs to be a minimum of 20 feet away from your home, and shouldn’t drain into any neighboring yards or the sewer. This has the potential to cause problems for other nearby homes and businesses. We will make sure the sump pump discharge area is sized correctly and set up the way it should be for optimal use.
Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling does what’s right for our customers. Schedule an appointment today for sump pump service.