Homeownership is seen as a right of passage into adulthood, and for many people looking to get a piece of the legendary “American Dream,” it’s the start of a life moving in the right direction. But as great as owning your home can be, seasoned homeowners will tell you that the one thing they weren’t prepared for was all the maintenance, which means becoming familiar with things like a sump pump.
Technically, a sump pump, while an important tool in the plumbing industry, may not mean much to homeowners in different parts of the country. However, if you live in an area where ground moisture and flooding are a regular part of everyday life, a sump pump is worth its weight in gold.
So what is a sump pump? In the most basic terms, it is a device that is placed in the lowest area of a house, usually the basement, to help prevent the entry of underground moisture. This moisture may be related to groundwater, melting snow, or areas prone to flooding. Basically a sump pump is used to keep things dry. If moisture finds its way, you begin to deal with problems plaguing your home’s foundation and the presence of mold. In any case, having a tool that can help alleviate this problem is key.
Depending on your needs, you can choose between two types: pedestal or submersible. In either case, the basic function is the same with only slight differences in how it works.
Here’s the real trick: they do their job as long as you keep them. Plus, if you’re strict about regular maintenance and performance checks, your sump pump will be something you don’t even think about because it’s doing its job. Ding-ding! As with most things in life, as soon as you let something out of sight and out of mind, problems can arise, such as forgetting to maintain it. Those are the times when you need something to work and they don’t, and when it comes to your home sump pump, the last thing that needs to happen is for it to stop working.
If during your regular maintenance checks you notice your sump won’t turn on, double check everything basic it could be, from small debris to being out of power. If it’s neither of those things, and it still won’t turn on the pump, it’s generally recommended that you call a professional plumber to have it fixed. Since you are in an area where sump pumps are a frequent feature in homes, you are more likely to find a plumber who is familiar with their function and can fix it in no time.
It can be easy to underestimate a sump pump, but if you give it the attention it deserves, it will do for you what all insurance does in life: take care of you when you need it most.