Handling A Failing Sump Pump

Residents in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are no strangers to water damage disasters. If you live in a household with a basement you may have even suffered a water damage disaster yourself. Most basements have sump pumps to keep the basement from retaining standing water during heavy rainfall or in-door water disasters. Unfortunately, sump pumps are not fail
safe and all too often when a water damage event occurs the system malfunctions and the consequences can be devastating, and costly.

What Should You Do If Your Sump Pump Fails? 

When sump pumps fail it tends to be during heavy rain events. When that happens, water seeps in through the foundation of your home or through the basement walls, pooling in the lowest area of the basement. With nowhere to go the water will start to gradually rise as more water comes in. As a homeowner, what should you do at this point? At Challis Restoration, we have a couple of tips that can help you navigate these stressful situations.

How Can A Sump Pump Fail?

There are several ways a sump pump can fail. A few of those ways are:

 Power Failure – The most common cause of failure is a power outage. A backup generator can be installed to help prevent this. If the power failure is mechanical, you will need to rely on a plumber to repair the sump pump.
 Wrong Size – If a sump pump is the wrong size or is not installed correctly, failure will most likely occur. Tip: Small sump pumps are often as effective as large sump pumps. If the sump pump in your basement it too big, the sump pump is forced to work harder and can failure sooner. No, the flip side, small sump pumps may not be able to pump out the water before it starts to accumulate.
 Lack of Maintenance – Most sump pump manufacturers recommend that you run your sump pump every 2-3 months. Other manufacturers recommend running a program before a rainy season its. It is also recommended that you replace batteries on a backup sump pump every 2-3 years.

Sump Pump Repair

Your first step should be to get your sump pump fixed. You will want to contact a local plumber to help get your sump pump back up and running. As soon as you discover the water don’t hesitate to contact a professional. Plumbers may book up quickly if there is heavy rain and other residences have malfunctioning sump pumps.

Water Damage Cleanup Professionals

Once you have contacted a local plumber your next step should be contacting a certified water damage cleanup company. After your sump pump has been fixed the local water damage restoration professionals can come in and remove the standing water and dry up the excess moisture. The longer you wait to contact a water restoration company the higher the risk of mold
and mildew growth. Not to mention, the longer the water sits the more damage it can cause to the structure of your Cedar Rapids home.

Basement Water Pump

Lastly, you may want to consider picking up a basement water pump from your local hardware store. Basement water pumps can operate continuously when a water damage disaster occurs. The pump can suck up water as it starts to pool and then transport it via a hose into a drain.