When assessing any house you are thinking about buying, you must consider numerous factors. One concern you might have is the presence of a sump pump. A sump pump, to many people, implies that a home is prone to flooding and water-related damage. The truth is that a sump pump is a good thing since it greatly decreases the chances of a home’s basement or crawl space flooding. Sump pumps are common in areas with a high water table or places that often get heavy rains or heavy snowfall. Nonetheless, they’re also great for helping prevent flooding in other situations, too, such as forgetting to shut a hose off at night or a cracked or damaged water pipe in the home.
The Importance of Testing a Home’s Sump Pump
When you’re in the process of buying a house, you want to have a full home inspection performed so you’re aware of any potential issues ahead of time and know what you’re getting into. If the house has a sump pump, you should make sure to have it tested as part of your inspection and evaluation. It only takes a few minutes for someone to test a sump pump to make sure it still works and is sufficiently sized to ensure the home should never flood. A local professional plumber will also be able to evaluate the size of the sump basin to ensure it is large enough, which is also essential for reducing the risk of flooding.
Replacing a sump pump isn’t all that expensive and is often something you might be able to get the homeowner to do as a condition of closing on the house. Even if they don’t agree that the sump pump is no longer functioning optimally or are unwilling to repair or replace the pump, you can at least know that it’s something you’ll want to do as soon as you start moving in. If the sump basin is too small, replacing it with a larger one will be a bigger project and something you’ll want to be prepared to do beforehand. That’s because the only way to install a bigger basin is to jackhammer out some of the concrete floor to make a bigger opening.
Which Type of Sump Pump Is Best?
When evaluating the sump pump on any home you may buy, you also want to consider whether it is a pedestal pump or a submersible pump since there are pros and cons to each type. The main part of a pedestal sump pump sits above the basin’s lid and has a long tube that sticks down into the basin. A submersible pump sits directly at the bottom of the basin and has a pipe that sticks up from it through the lid.
Submersible sump pumps are usually more powerful, which makes them the better choice for areas at a higher risk of flooding. A submersible pump is also the best choice if the water needs to be pumped a longer distance horizontally or vertically. Another major advantage of having a submersible pump is that it operates at a whisper, and you’re unlikely to hear much or even any noise at all. The water surrounding the pump muffles the sound of its motor. Submersible pumps are also much less prone to overheating and burning out since the water also helps keep the pump cool.
While pedestal pumps typically aren’t as powerful, they can be quite noisy since there is nothing to muffle the sound of the motor. You may not hear all that much noise if the pump is in a crawl space. If the sump basin is instead in a basement, however, a pedestal pump can be so noisy that it wakes people up at night. As such, you’re usually better off having a submersible pump in this situation.
Two advantages of pedestal pumps are that they tend to be a bit less expensive and have a longer lifespan. The main issue with submersible pumps is that they often rust over time since they are frequently exposed to water, and rust can potentially lead to the housing leaking, which allows water to penetrate the motor. This results in rust and other damage within the motor, requiring complete replacement. The only potential issue with a pedestal pump in terms of lifespan is that its motor can easily overheat and burn out during periods of long or frequent use since there is nothing to cool the motor down.
The Importance of a Sump Pump Alarm and Battery Backup
One other consideration is whether the sump pump has an alarm and a backup battery. Both further decrease the risk of flooding. Most sump pump alarms are just a water sensor mounted near the top of the basin. If the sump pump fails to turn on when the basin starts to fill or just isn’t pumping quickly enough, the alarm will sound as soon as the water level rises to where the sensor is. When the alarm sounds, you’ll be able to hear it from any part of the house or even when you’re sleeping due to how loud it is. That way you know that the sump basin is at risk of overflowing so that you can then take immediate steps to prevent serious flooding. There are also smart sump pump alarms that connect to your Wi-Fi network and will send an alert to your phone when the alarm goes off.
A battery backup on a sump pump ensures that the pump can still run if your power goes out. This is especially useful in a situation where there is a severe storm that knocks the power out and produces enough rain that your home could easily flood. Battery backups are mostly fail-proof since they are directly connected to the outlet that the sump pump would normally plug into. That means the backup will instantly know if the power is out so that it can switch over to battery power. If the basin then starts to fill with water to the point where the float switch triggers the pump to turn on, the battery should be able to continue powering the pump for as long as needed.
Since 2007, Beck Electric, Generators & Plumbing has been helping residential and commercial customers in Canton and the surrounding areas with all their plumbing and electrical needs. We offer professional sump pump services, and you can count on our experienced team of plumbers if you need to install a new sump pump or have an existing pump that needs to be repaired. We can also evaluate the sump pump in a home you’re considering buying so that you can be certain it works effectively and isn’t sufficiently sized to meet the house’s needs. We offer professional electrical and plumbing inspections as well and are also ready to help if you need any repair, maintenance or installation services. To schedule a service call or an inspection, contact our team today.
