A sump pump is genrally located in a basement, or sometimes a crawl space, and is intended to pump water to a higher location or drain.
General uses include pumping groundwater from a homes footer pipes up and out to a drain, or pumping water from a low drain (like basement laundry sink drain) when the main drain to the street or septic system is located higher. In either case, it performs a vital function, that if not maintained, or working properly, could cause damage or flooding.
Generally, sumps that are used for laundry drains get used frequently, and therefore you would most likely know of a failure or improper operation fairly quikly, before any major damage occurs.
However, sumps that are used to pump out footer drains, perimeter drains, and from under basement or crawl space floors, may or may not get regular use. A lot depends on soil conditions, natural drainage, and how much rain is recieved. So, with that in mind, here are a few general tips:
If your sump crock looks empty (no water in the bottom), or if the water that is there has a kind of film on the top, then it probably does not have to work very often. So to ensure that it will work if and when you need it, you should periodically dump a bucket or two of water in the crock, and make sure the pump kicks on, and pumps the water out. (It will not pump out completely; some water will remain in the bottom of the crock). This will ensure that the valves, float, and pump switches are working.
If your sump pump runs periodically, then you may have an active water source, such as an underground spring, or other water source that is feeding it. In this case, your sump pump is very vital to having a dry basement, crawl space, etc., so it is very important that it always be working, and should most likely have an alarm system installed to alert you if it doesn't.
In case where the sump kicks on every few minutes, it is also recommended that a back-up sump pump be installed (Usually placed a little higher in the crock, so that it is not activated, unless the main pump is overwhelmed, or fails. When the water level in the crock rises to the level of the higher pump, it would then activate, helping out, or taking the place of the main pump.)
A sump pump is one of those things that is pretty much 'out of sight, out of mind' - until you have a problem, and then it's too late. So, a few minutes spent making sure your system is adequate, and working properly may save you a lot of headache, and cleanup in the future.
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