Sump Pump FAQ’s

My Sump Pump Won’t Turn OFF!

Adjacent to the pump should be what is called a float switch. It is a black, grey, blue, or green egg- shaped ball/cylinder shaped device intended to float on the surface of the water. When this float switch goes up the pump turns on to empty the water out of the pit and when the float goes down it should turn the pump off.

Often the float switch becomes stuck or tangled in a piece of string, branch or leaves that have gotten into the pit. It may be necessary to put on some rubber gloves and clean out the offending debris. If you intend to put your hands in the hole to clean out debris, find the power switch to the pump and make sure you turn electricity off to it before working on it.

Check that the float switch is attached to something so it can pivot as the water level changes. Loose float switches that have become detached from a pivot point will not actuate consistently and need to be attached/anchored so that they have a definite reference point that causes the pump to turn on before overflowing the pit and turns the pump off before it runs out of water.

If the float switch is properly anchored & clearly hanging down, but the pump is not turning off, try giving the float switch a quick bump with a broom stick. If this works and stops the pump, then you have a worn float switch in need of replacement.

BASIC SUMP PUMP CHECKS

At Oakville Pump Service we want to help you avoid the flooding problems and keep the water levels from rising! OPS stocks a full line of sump pumps designed to keep the water moving. Here are a few proactive pointers to help you keep your basement dry.

1) Test your sump pump out! This is commonly done by putting a garden hose into the sump pump pit, gently turning the garden hose on and then checking to see if the sump pump turns on when the sump pump pit/hole fills up.

2) Look in the sump pump pit with a light to see if there is any debris that needs to be cleaned out. If you need to clean the sump pump pit, make sure to turn off the power first/unplug the sump and when you are finished and use gloves or other protective equipment if required. Test the the sump pump for proper operation after you’ve completed the cleaning operation and restored power to the sump pump.

3) Let’s face it, with big storms, power outages are frequent! If you have a critical space that needs to stay dry you might consider installing a sump pump that uses a battery backup or perhaps you have a generator or a gasoline pump for backup. Ensure that each of these is working properly, with a charged battery or fresh fuel as necessary. Do a test run and make sure everything is ready to go. A generator that is out of fuel or that has a gummed up carburetor from letting the old fuel sit in it too long is not going to help during a power outage. If you are considering installing a generator for backup power, check out our blog on generators. While this blog was specifically written to help homeowners wanting to use a generator to power their well pump, the information is also useful for homes with sump pumps.

4) Check the discharge piping to make sure that it is free and clear by ensuring that water flows from it when testing your sump pump. Check the length of this pipe and ensure that there are no leaks or breaks in it. Make sure this discharge line moves the water to a place where it will actually drain the water away from your house (and not into your neighbors house)! Watch the discharged water is it flowing or pooling. If it is flowing, where is it flowing to? Is this drainage ditch clean and clear?

5) When the sump pumps runs there should be a quiet humming sound coming from the pump. There should be no banging, major vibration or chugging noises.

6)If there is a small hole in the discharge pipe a few inches above the sump pump, this is OK. It is there by design to ensure the sump pump doesn’t airlock and can self prime if necessary.

7) If you have a float switch that triggers an alarm for high water levels in the sump pit, make certain to test the alarm by raising this float switch! An alarm can’t do its job unless it’s working.

8) Look for leaves, branches, dirt, litter or other debris that could wash into your sump pump location and plug it up/stop proper operation. Clean up as much as possible. It is far easier to clean this debris up now, than to try and remove if from a plugged pump that is several feet under water!. Pumps are made to pump water and can often hand small amounts of sediment, however, large debris or clumps of debris can plug the pump up or block the water from flowing to the sump pump.