A sump pump is an essential device to prevent basement flooding, especially where basement waterproofing is not enough to keep water away from the basement.
Just like a first-aid kit, a sump pump helps to drain flood water from the basement to an external discharge pipe. However, a sump pump can fail due to some factors.
Here are some of the reasons a sump pump can fail:
- Power Failure
In most flooding issues, the power outage is caused by rainstorm due to bad weather, and that usually causes sump pumps to stop working, which results in a flooded basement and other areas.
Ada a preventive measure, you can purchase and install a backup generator for the sump pump to take care of the power outage emergency.
- Old Age
As a backup for your basement waterproofing, a sump pump keeps the basement free from flooding. However, age may catch up with your sump pump, and it may fail when you need it most. If your sump pump is 7-10 years old, it might fail that is why it is recommended that you replace a sump pump that is about 10 years old for reliability, efficiency, and safety.
- Poor Maintenance
One of the most common causes of failed sump pumps is lack of maintenance. Regular cleaning and quarterly maintenance of a sump pump will help to make it work more efficiently. Blocked vents and restricted float would hinder Smith running of your sump pump and can cause it to fail.
- Damaged or Clogged Discharge Pipe
Your basement waterproofing would be rendered useless when your sump pump fails. If the discharge pipe of the sump pump gets clogged, blocked, or damaged, water will unavoidably flow back down the pipe and everywhere in your basement.
- Lower Capacity/Overwhelming Influx of Water
If the installed sump pump has a smaller capacity compared to the volume of water it is required to pump, or there is an overwhelming inflow of water into the sump pit beyond the capacity of the pump, the sump pump would fail, and flooding looms.
To prevent the eventual failure of a sump pump due to low capacity, buy a pump that can efficiently handle the volume of water in your basement. You can get professional advice.
- Defective Product
It is crucial to test a sump pump after installation to ensure that it is in an expected working condition. If a pump has a manufacturing defect, it will fail eventually.