Help! My garage, basement or house is flooding!
This wet season has been a challenge for many people and today’s blog is to help prevent problems with flooding. If it’s too late to prevent the problem, we’ll point you in the right direction to get those problems resolved.. (If you are flooding now and desperate for some answers, skip down for a tutorial on how our technicians approach a flooding emergency)
Prevention
LET’S START WITH HOW TO PREVENT ISSUES WITH YOUR SUMP PUMP AND FLOODING. 30 MINUTES OF PREVENTION IN THE AUTUMN CAN PREVENT MANY HOURS OF CLEANUP ALONG WITH THE COSTS OF REPAIR THAT CAN EASILY RUN INTO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
After the last leaves have fallen in Autumn is a great time to ensure your sump pump is working and drain lines are clear. Go look at the location for your sump pump and make sure there are no leaves or debris in the pit. Test your equipment and make certain it works! This is pretty easy to do with a garden hose. Simply fill the sump pump pit with water from a garden hose and make sure the water level comes up, the pump turns on and quickly pumps the water out of the sump pump pit/hole. Make sure that the area around the sump and the path that water would take to the sump are clear of debris, leaves, trash or other items that could get into the sump pump and plug it up! If your sump pump protects a critical area of your home consider having a high water alarm float connected to your home alarm system and a backup sump pump and float switch stashed in your garage so that you have what is needed for rapid repairs. If you are in an area where the power goes out when there are storms, you may want to install a battery backed up sump pump like the one in the amazon link to the right.
Flooding. NOW WE’LL SPEND A FEW MINUTES TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW OUR TRAINED TECHNICIANS APPROACH A SERVICE CALL WITH A FLOODING BASEMENT, HOME OR GARAGE. KEEP IN MIND, THEY WILL SHOW UP WITH THE APPRORPRIATE EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS. WE’LL GIVE SOME LINKS SO THAT YOU CAN VISUALIZE THE PROCESS BETTER.
When sump pumps fail and flooding results there are 4 basic causes. A) Power is out due to down power lines or a circuit breaker supplying power to the sump pump has tripped B) The sump pump is plugged with sticks or other debris (which can cause the circuit breaker to trip). C) The float switch that tells the sump pump to turn on when the water level rises and off when the water level has decreased has failed and is not controlling the pump. D) The sump pump may be working, but there could be more water than the pump can effectively handle. E) The pump has become disconnected or the discharge pipe has broken, so even though the pump runs the water is not removed from the intended area.
The first order of business is to removed the water from the flooded area. Our technicians, when responding to a flooded basement, typically carry a 120 volt sump pump, plenty of hose. lots of heavy duty extension cord and a generator if they suspect there is a power outage. They'll install this equipment and get the pump running to get the water levels down and then start troubleshooting. Please note that our technicians are trained to safely handle electricity in proximity to water. If you do not have the appropriate training you should not attempt to work on your sump pump as it can be hazardous and you could incur injury or death.
First our technician will check for power to the pump plug. If there is no power at the socket, then they’ll check circuit breakers and find out why the power supply is interrupted. Next they’ll check if the float switch is hung up or stuck, this can be difficult while the sump is flooded so they may wait and check if the float switch is integrated into the pump or if it is a separate, piggyback type float switch. A single wire to the pump pit means the float switch is integrated into the pump while two wires mean the float switch and pump are separate untis. If it is a piggyback type float switch, the pump plug can be removed and plugged directly into the socket. The pump may work and help pump the water level down. Installation of a separate float switch is often preferrable because it means the float switch can be easily replaced without having to cut/splice wires or replace the whole pump assembly! Keep in mind, if you plug the pump into power directly and bypass the float switch, the pump won’t turn off so you’ll need to keep a close eye on the equipment to turn it off when the water has been removed. . If the float switch is determined to be faulty it will be replaced. If the pump is faulty then it will need to be removed and replaced.
You’ll notice that there are two types of float switches for sump pump applications. The wide angle type and the vertical type. The vertical takes up a bit less space than the wide angle, but the wide angle has more flexibility about installation and setting the of/off height. Which ever you choose, the float switch must be properly secured so that it can turn off and on properly and not hang up/get tangled up.
If you’ve got a sump pump in your basement/garage then you need to stay on top of maintenance and repairs. Our competant, qualified team at Oakville Pump Service can help you with high quality components and profession installation and service. Contact us today if we can help keep the water out of your basement!
Please note that Amazon links have been provided to show illustrations of products mentioned in this blog. These links are not intended to show the exact product for your specific application, rather a generic example of the product referenced. While purchasing these items is possible, please do so after having done your own due diligence and understand that these links may generate Amazon commissions. If you are attempting to perform your own work, ensure all safety precautions are taken. Working with electricity and water can be hazardous and should only be attempted by those that are familiar with the safety precautions and procedures involved.