When your sump pump isn’t working, it only causes problems. We can give you a few simple steps to determine the source of your sump pump’s problems and therefore give you an easier way to fix these issues. First, water and electricity are a dangerous team, since water conducts electricity and a sump pump runs off this power source. If your pump is submerged or even partially submerged in water, you are putting yourself in a dangerous situation by getting close to this water. Take every precaution, avoid accidents, and wear rubber boots that keep water from contacting your body. When checking your pump for the source of the problem, start with the pump’s power source. If your pump is not getting any power, check to see if your pump is plugged into a live receptacle and electrical current is flowing through this source. Make sure your hands are dry when doing this. Take a work-light or radio and plug it into the receptacle, if they work then the problem isn’t with your power supply. Lastly, check to make sure your pump’s power switch is turned to “on”.

If your pump is a common model with a float switch, check it. You can tell which is this switch by its egg shape, which should be connected to your pump by an electrical cord. Assure that it can move freely. Also, when the pump is functioning normally you will feel vibrations when you touch it. Check your pump for this vibration. If you feel this vibration, but the pump isn’t moving water, you can be assured the pump is receiving necessary power. Next, check the pump screen and the drainpipe for clogging. Check the intake screen at the bottom of the pump to see if there is something blocking the flow of water. Last, disconnect the drain pipe at the pump, then turn on the pump. If water begins flowing out, there is a clog between the pump and the area where the water empties from the drain pipe.

If you don’t find any problems in any of these areas, your pump may be defective and needs replacing.