Is your sump pump is working properly
Is Your Sump Pump Is Working Properly? For homeowners with basements, this means hearing the reassuring thrum of a sump pump kicking on more consistently. While most homeowners don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the pump in the basement that kicks on during heavy rain, it’s worth taking time out to inspect and make sure a home’s sump pump is working properly sooner rather than later. Adding this item to a weekend to-do list can help save a lot of time — and money — for Midwestern homeowners.
Warmer days, warmer temps, and more sun are signaling a return to spring. And with the turnover to a brighter season comes a melting of the winter snow and ice, and a return of regular rain showers. Sump pumps are working overtime this time of year.
Flood Prevention
The primary function of sump pumps is the prevention of flooding. In the case of heavy rain, as the ground becomes saturated with water, pressure builds up against the foundation of a home. This moisture is pulled away from the ground using a pipe connected to the sump pump reservoir, filling the reservoir in the process. Once the sump is filled, the pump activates, dumping the water away from your home. If the sump pump system isn’t working properly, the rising pressure from the excess groundwater will begin to degrade the home’s foundation, leading to cracks and potential basement flooding, which will cause massive damage.
Excess moisture around a home’s foundation also comes from increased runoff due to melting snow and ice. As the outdoor temperatures climb, the rapidly melting snow can oversaturate the surrounding earth, and the excess needs to go somewhere. Usually, this means extra water flowing downward and pooling around a home’s foundation. A functioning sump pump will spirit this water away from the foundation, but if it’s unable to, this moisture will work its way into those same vulnerable cracks and crevices, causing additional damage or seeping into the basement itself.
Home and Health Protection
Beyond the obvious function of pumping excess water away from the home, sump pumps also provide protection from wood rot, mold and mildew, and prevent the infestation of insects and animals that damage property and wooden structural supports. Because sump pumps are moving water away from a home’s foundation, they are able to reduce the humidity and moisture within a basement, which are the primary ingredients to produce mold, mildew, and rot. These spores and growths are not only nasty to clean up, but can cause major health issues if they are able to enter a home’s airway, so working to prevent their spread is of the utmost importance.
This is also where the value of a sump pump reaches beyond the basement and accounts for the protection of a home as a whole. If water was allowed to build up around the foundation and breeches into the basement, the direct contact with the wooden beams and structural supports inside would speed up the growth of all of these fungal nuisances. This can also weaken the wooden supports, as well as attract insects that thrive in water, and are willing to make a meal of the soaked wood, like termites.
It is important to remember that, like other fixtures around a home, sump pumps are only useful when they are functioning properly. Because of this, it’s imperative that they are inspected regularly, and, when needed, that sump pumps are replaced before an issue grows out of control. If your home’s sump pump is in need of an inspection, or if it seems to be giving you trouble, reach out to the plumbing experts at Duane Blanton Family Home Service. The technicians at Duane Blanton have over 30 years of experience dealing with home plumbing issues and will be able to guide homeowners through the proper repair, care, and upkeep of a home’s sump pump. Give Duane Blanton Family Home Services a call today, at (815) 781-2567, or schedule an appointment via their convenient online scheduling portal.
