Sump and ejector pumps
Two pumps in the basement, two different jobs
Both live below the floor and both fail at the worst time. They are not the same pump.
Sump pump
Moves groundwater out of a pit under the floor and away from the house. It runs hardest at spring thaw and after a big rain.
The float and the switch it trips
The check valve in the discharge line
A battery backup for power cuts
Sewage ejector pump
Lifts waste from a basement bathroom or laundry up to the sewer or septic line. It sits in a sealed basin with a vent.
The sealed lid and the vent pipe
The float, which can hang up on the wall
A smell from the basin means a lid or vent problem
Do this first
Test your sump pump before the thaw
Five steps. Ten minutes. You need a bucket.
- 01
Step 1: Look in the pit
Take off the lid. The pit should hold a little water or none, and the pump should sit upright, not tilted against the wall.
- 02
Step 2: Lift the float
Raise it by hand. The pump should start. If it doesn't, check that the plug is in a working outlet.
- 03
Step 3: Pour in a bucket of water
The float rises, the pump starts, the water drops and the pump shuts off. That is the whole cycle.
- 04
Step 4: Watch the discharge
Outside, water should leave the pipe and run away from the house, not back toward it.
- 05
Step 5: If anything is off, call
A pump that hums without moving water, a float that sticks or a pit that doesn't empty is cheaper to fix before the thaw.
Sump and ejector questions
What is a check valve, and why does the pump have one?
It keeps the water in the discharge pipe from falling back into the pit when the pump stops. A failed check valve makes the pump cycle and wears it out.
My ejector basin smells. What is wrong?
A loose lid, a dry vent or a cracked seal. The basin is sealed so sewer gas stays out of the house. Don't live with the smell; call us.
Do I need a battery backup for my sump pump?
If the power goes out when the ground is wet, a pump without a backup stops. A backup is worth having in a basement with finished rooms or stored belongings. It runs for hours, not days, so we size it to your pit and your pump.
Can I pour the sump discharge onto my neighbor's land?
No. Water has to leave your property and go to a place that can take it. We can walk the line and tell you where it ends up.
A pump that hums and does not move water
Call before the thaw, not after. We test the pump, the float and the check valve and tell you what we find.