Now that the Milwaukee weather is moderating and temperatures are, for the most part, staying above freezing, a lot of us are thinking about yard work and spring cleaning. Jeff Kuhn, at S&K Plumbing, says right now there’s a big potential for accumulating groundwater around our homes. This is caused by heavy rains which are prominent in the spring and lawns that are not completely thawed.

So that would make right now a good time check your sump pump to make sure it’s working properly. It’s easy to do and you will never be sorry.

According to Jeff, there are two types of sump pumps – Upright pumps (motor above the floor level)& Submersible Pumps (motor sits in the water). Upright Pumps usually have a rod or switch on the motor that you just click on to check to see if it’s working.

Submersible pumps come with floats that either move up and down on a rod or they have a bulb type float switch on a cord attached to the pump or pipe. You can raise the float above the water to make sure the motor clicks on or lift the float to see if it turns on. Some submersible pumps have two cords that plug into each other (piggyback). One plug is for the switch and the other is for the pump. If you split the two apart you can plug the pump switch in alone and find out if the pump works. If you want to know if the switch is working however you would have to plug them back together and then lift the float to a vertical position until the pump turns on.

Sump pumps usually last 8 to 10 years. If you notice that the pump isn’t running much or you find that it is running incessantly, it may be time for a new one. Pumps that work regularly may need a new switch. When the electrical contacts in the switch are burned or crusted you don’t have a solid electrical connection. The electrical contact points don’t make proper contact and then, fail. If your pump is clattering or rattling you could have a bad bearing inside.

You should also check for debris in the clear water crock to make sure nothing gets sucked up into the pump. If you need a new sump pump, we do recommend you call a professional plumber. If you decide you want to do it yourself, make sure you purchase a sump pump with a good quality motor and a pump that has stainless steel parts that will last.

Lastly, here are some additional things you can do to ensure a flood-free season.

• A good quality battery back-up system is always recommended. It should be a deep-cycle battery that runs a long time (8 hrs. or more) and it should have the same capacity as the main sump pump.
• If you have two sump pumps in the same crock, the second pump, or higher pump, should be piped separately to the outdoors. Each pump should have its own discharge line and electrical circuit.
• If you have problems with excessive water all the time or you get a lot of power outages, you should invest in a gas-powered back-up generator that will operate multiple circuits in the home.