
Sump Pump Repair
A pump that already can't keep the pit down has nothing in reserve for the spring melt, so get it looked at before the ground thaws.
When this becomes an emergency
- A pump running steadily through a week with no rain.
- Water standing in the pit while the motor hums and nothing leaves the pipe.
- The pump switching on and off every few seconds instead of clearing the pit.
- Dampness spreading across the basement floor away from the pit.
What a pro does
Sump pumps carry a heavier load here than in a lot of the country, because nearly every house has a basement and the ground around it holds water. Loess soil on the hills drains fast on the surface and then hands the water to the clay beneath, and down in the river bottoms and on the Council Bluffs side, the water table sits high enough that a pit can fill in a dry stretch. A plumber starts by watching the pump go through a full cycle. Constant running, dead silence and rapid short cycling each point somewhere different. The float switch gets checked first since it fails more often than the motor does. Then the check valve, because a bad one won't hold the column of water in the discharge pipe straight back into the pit so the pump's night is spent moving the same gallon over again. Where the discharge actually ends gets checked too. A line that dumps four feet from the foundation in a spring thaw is feeding the pit it just emptied. The pump gets judged against how fast water comes in, not just whether it turns on.
Frequently asked questions
Keep going
disclaimer: Plumbers of Omaha is a free service to assist homeowners in connecting with local service providers. All contractors/providers are independent and Plumbers of Omaha does not warrant or guarantee any work performed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to verify that the hired contractor furnishes the necessary license and insurance required for the work being performed. All persons depicted in a photo or video are actors or models and not contractors listed on Plumbers of Omaha.
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