Annual Sump Pump Maintenance

It’s important to perform annual maintenance to most of your major home appliances in your home and your sump pump is no different. A little work now can save you a big pain later if your sump pump were to fail during a heavy rainstorm or during a spring flood. With another Minnesota spring on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to make sure your sump pump is in working order.

Sump Pump Maintenance Checklist

Follow our simple checklist below to get your sump pump ready for spring. It may also be helpful to schedule an annual visit from a licensed plumber to inspect and maintain your sump pump, especially if it’s getting old or if your basement is prone to flooding.

Clean & Inspect Your Sump Pump

Before you try testing your pump, give it a thorough evaluation and cleaning.

1. Unplug your sump pump and remove it from the basin.
2. Carefully clean dirt, sediment and small stones from all accessible parts. Model-specific instructions on how to clean a sump pump may be helpful, but for the most part, you can safely clean a sump pump using paper towels and a stiff-bristle brush.
3. Look the pump over for any signs of rust or corrosion. These may indicate that it’s time to replace your pump.
4. Clean the pump inlet screen.
5. Lubricate the bearings if needed. You can refer to your owner’s manual to see if your sump pump bearings require lubrication and what lubrication is recommended. If your pump has sealed bearings it will not need lubrication.
6. Check the sump basin for debris and remove as needed.
7. Reinstall the pump and plug it back into the power outlet. Make sure the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) on the outlet has not been tripped.

Test Your Sump Pump

Now that you’ve inspected your pump and made sure it’s clean of debris, it’s time to make sure it’s working properly.

1. Pour five gallons of water into the basin. The pump should turn on and quickly pump the water away.
2. While it’s running, watch the float. Make sure it moves freely through its entire range of travel and turns the pump on and off at the right time. If your pump is powered on but isn’t pumping during the test, first try loosening the float before calling a plumber.
3. Head outside and check the discharge pipe. Make sure it’s not blocked and that it’s draining fully. You don’t want any residual water in it that may freeze and burst the pipe as there are often still nights when the temps dip below freezing after a warm spring day.

When to Replace Your Sump Pump

If at any time during your sump pump maintenance, your pump didn’t function property or you found signs of corrosion, you may want to schedule an appointment with a trusted plumber to inspect or possibly replace your sump pump. One Hour Rooter can help you select the right sump pump for your home or make repairs to your current one. Please call 612-354-8984 or contact us online for quick and affordable sump pump installation and repair.