The worst time to discover you have a clogged sump pump is after your basement floods. Because sump pumps spend most of the time on standby, clogs, jammed float switches and other malfunctions may not be immediately obvious. Basement flooding can damage the structure of your home, destroy electrical circuits and ruin appliances.
For most homeowners, sump pump repair is not a DIY job. A professional plumber with the required tools and expertise is the best assurance that your pump will be ready when it’s really needed. Here’s how a qualified service person can fix your clogged sump pump:
- First, he’ll check for external causes. This means inspecting the discharge pipe outdoors to make sure nothing’s obstructing free flow of pumped water, including leaves, debris or, in cold areas, ice.
- Back indoors, he’ll unplug the pump, remove the sump basin lid and bail any standing water out of the sump basin until the entire pump unit is visible.
- Next, the discharge line must be disconnected. Most discharge lines are PVC pipes that screw into a fitting on the body of the pump.
- After the discharge line is removed, the pump can be lifted out of the sump basin.
- The water inlet screen will be examined for any debris obstructing the free flow of water. Most technicians will remove the screen from the pump and clean it separately to ensure that it’s fully cleared.
- After reinstalling the inlet screen, any debris at the bottom of the sump basin will be removed, while the basin is rinsed with clean water.
- Your technician will later reinstall the pump in the basin and reconnect the discharge pipe. After the pump is plugged in, about five gallons of water will be poured into the basin.
- Float switches will be observed for proper on/off operation and to verify that the basin empties completely. When the pump shuts off, the basin lid will be replaced.
To schedule professional service for your clogged sump pump in the Greater Indianapolis area, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. Servicing all of Indianapolis and surrounding areas including: Brownsburg, Noblesville, Fishers, Carmel, Westfield & More!
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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