Springtime in New York is wonderful, no doubt. Here in the Brownsville area, it gets really pretty in places. But we’re plumbers, not landscapers, so we wanted to take this minute to talk to area homeowners about two home maintenance tasks that really need to happen now.
First, let’s talk about your sump pump.
A sump pump is not a really complicated piece of technology. It has a simple job within your home or building. Water accumulates in the basement – maybe there’s some heavy rain, a little localized flooding, a main breaks – and the sump pump quietly and completely pumps the water back outdoors. Most homes locally are situated where the sump pump will activate when a relatively small amount of water – less than five gallons – accumulates in the pit where the pump is located. This keeps the basement dry.
Now that’s probably the most you’ve thought about your sump pump in years. But do yourself a favor and before the real heavy rains arrive, test your sump pump for yourself. This is super simple. You don’t need any DIY skills at all. All you need is a bucket of water. Cold water is fine. Take this water down to where your sump pump is and carefully pour it into the pit. After the water accumulates a little bit, you’ll hear the noise of the sump pump coming on and the water will disappear.
If this happens, congratulations! Your sump pump passed the test and you should be in good shape for spring. However, if your sump pump failed to remove the water, get on the phone with your Brownsville plumber. They can come check out what’s going on. Sometimes intakes get blocked or there are other problems with the sump pump that are easily remedied. And if it’s the case that your sump pump is passed its prime and needs replacement, the best time to have the job done is before the spring storms arrive.
