A sump pump is majorly used to protect your commercial or residential property from flooding and excessive water buildup. Even if you live in an area where there is no chance of flooding, a sump pump can help reduce or even avoid the formation of excess moisture in your property’s foundation.
These pumps are designed to quickly detect rising water levels and remove excess water immediately. Sump pumps contain valves that can easily sense increasing water pressure. Whenever the water pressure or water level exceeds a certain limit, these pumps automatically start pumping the excess water out of your basement or away from your house. A discharge line, also known as effluent, is used to connect the sump pump to a drainage area, where this excess water gets collected.
A sump pump helps you avoid any flooding or water buildup in your home, foundation, or basement. But sometimes, like any mechanical device, a sump pump is prone to malfunction. Usually, because of overworking or overloading, this pump system can stop functioning. A faulty sump pump system is a common issue, but neglecting it for a long period of time can create major problems that can put your health and safety in danger.
Here is a list of common sump pump problems that you can easily detect and fix:
Clogged sump pump system
A drain pipe that moves the water buildup away from your house can become clogged over time. An easy way to detect a clogged drain pipe is to notice if the water buildup reduces slowly or the water doesn’t move out of your house at all. Usually, a drain pipe can get blocked because of mud, small stones, or debris in the water.
A quick way to fix this problem can be to remove the drain pipe by removing the clamps that hold it to the sump pump. Another thing you can do is to remove any obstruction from the pipe, use a plumber’s snake or metal hanger wire. After that, you can clean the walls with a hose (if possible, using a higher pressure).
Gassy smell around the sump pump
It is possible for you to smell something similar to gasoline coming from the sump pump. Sump pumps have drain traps that hold water. The purpose is to prevent gas and sewage from backing up or entering your property. This released smell comes from the collected waste or dirty water which contains toxic substances and results in a gasoline-like smell. It usually happens during hot and dry weather.
A quick way to resolve this problem can be to dump a huge amount of clean water down the drain so the water inside the sump pump can change. This solution works as a temporary resolvement, but for a more permanent solution, you might want to take help from a professional sump pump repair expert.
Read More :- 8 Common Sump Pump Problems & How To Fix It
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