Test the sump pump

You find out it has failed when the basement floods.

Who: You can do it yourself. Wiring: an electrician. Repairs: authorized service.

How often: Every 3 months, the main pump and any battery backup. For: the sump pump.

Safety first

Turn the breaker off, then unplug it, before touching the pump.
Wear insulated-sole shoes, and never stand in water. A flooded floor: the electric company or an electrician first.
Don’t lift it by the cord, and no extension cord.
Wait 2-1/2 hours after unplugging before servicing it (the oil inside is hot and under pressure).

Backup battery (sump pump). On battery-backup systems; wet-cell batteries need their level checked monthly. The manual for the backup system names the battery.

On a home’s record, each piece of equipment’s page links its manual and a search for its parts by brand and model. All filters and parts

Check that the float is free, with nothing around it or the stem.
Run water into the pit until the pump starts on its own.
Watch it empty the pit and stop. No leaks at the pipe or check valve; the 3/16-inch vent hole below the check valve shows a stream while it runs and isn’t clogged.
Battery backup: disconnect the main pump and add water until the backup pump runs. Lift its float: the pump runs and the alarm sounds after about a second. System Ready is green. Reconnect the main pump.

Short cycling with little water coming in (the float is tight, the check valve is stuck or missing, or the pit is too small).
It won’t shut off (debris under the float).
It runs but moves little water (the strainer, the pipe, or the vent hole).
A slam when it shuts off: water hammer, which damages check valves.

Add your home to My homes: each piece of equipment gets this on its own schedule, with “Mark done” and reminders you can turn on.

Your owner’s manual comes first: where it says something different for your model, follow it.

Email us at hello@tradewrench.com. Tell us which page you were on and what you were trying to do.