Most homeowners forget about the sump pump in the corner of their basement; working hard day and night. When groundwater around the home is high, this pump will move the water away from the home. This is only successful when the pump is working! When the sump pump is not working, water that has accumulated after a rainfall will be stagnant under the floor of the basement or crawlspace. With excess water accumulation, and a sump that won’t pump, you’re asking for a flood.
First and foremost, call a water restoration professional, like Maxwell Building Services if you ever have standing water in your home. The secondary damage from humidity can destroy your home within days.
A flooded basement from a sump pump failure can be prevented. Here are my top tips for keeping your basement free of water.
Backup battery pack for the sump pump. If your power goes out, your sump pump plugged into the wall will stop working. That’s where the battery comes in. These batteries will typically pump for roughly 50 hours.
Back up or stand by sump pump. There is nothing wrong with having a backup sump pump, ready to go if your current one fails.
Make sure that your pump is the right size and can handle your home’s water table. The most common is ⅓ HP, and bigger is not always better.
Maintenance and seasonal inspections (not a typo) I can not stress the maintenance and inspections enough. A sump pump cost roughly $100 and it is your homes defense against water. It is a simple motor and will eventually fail.