What Does A Sump Pump Do In A MN Home?
Sump Pump by Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air
Everybody knows that a sump pump in your basement is critical to keeping water at bay and outside of the basement of your home. This time of the year is when a sump pump becomes your best friend and something you miss when it does not work properly
Sump Pump Pit in Basement
What isn’t known or written about as much is how the sump pump works in your home. Knowing how it works can help you understand why it is so critical to have in your home.
Most homes have what they call “Tiling” around their home. This is tubing that allows water to seep into it instead of trying to leak into the basement of a home. It reduces the pressure put against the basement walls by removing the water from the ground. The water that goes in the the tiling or tubing runs into plumbing pipes that are hooked up to it. The plumbing pipe then enters your home and empties into a sump pump pit. This pit is usually in a corner of your basement. The pit will contain a basket which will hold the water that is drained into it by the pipe that runs to the tiling around your house.
The sump pump sits inside the sump pump basket in the water that is gathered. The sump pump will have a pvc pipe coming out of it going straight up. This pipe will then be plumbed out of your home away from your home. This piping if done correctly will lead the water away from your home so that it does not work its way back into the sump pump pit again.
The sump pump has a form of float in it that tells it when there is water in the pit to be pumped out. This prevents the overflow into the basement of water. Water will fill up the basket resulting in the float to raise. This will signal the pump to start pumping the water out of the pit into the plumbing pipes. The sump pump has a check valve which opens when water is going up into the pipe and closes when the pump shut off. This prevents water from the pipe flowing back into the pit.
For everything to work correctly, it is very important that you have the sump pump installed correctly. A licensed plumber will know the correct piping procedures to make sure the water goes up and out of your home and away from the foundation. Having a sump pump isn’t enough to protect your home. As with everything, the correct installation is just as important as having one.
Call Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air or contact us online if you have any questions or would like your sump pump install inspected.
Sump Pumps Are A Critical Plumbing Fixture In MN Homes.
It is hard to start thinking Sump Pumps when it is just finishing snowing another 12 inches in Minnesota. But it is also a great reminder that the snow will turn in to water and the water will need to flow somewhere. This is where now is the one of the best times to start thinking sump pumps.
Most homeowners have a sump pump somewhere in the basement of their home. It is a piece of equipment not unlike the furnace in that it gets forgotten as long as it works. However, there is a lot more damage potential if it does stop working. A broken furnace will probably not destroy a sump pump but, a broken sump pump can take out a furnace.
Having a working sump pump is critical to the protection of your home. A sump pump helps prevent water coming through your walls via a tiling system around your home. The water is directed into the sump pump pit via a pipe from the outside tiles around your house. The sump pump then sends the water back out via piping out of the pit outside your house and away from your home.
It is a great idea to check the operation of your sump pump before you need it. You can do a few things to help ensure the sump pump will operate when you need it to.
- Check Sump Pump Operation – You can do this by opening the cover of the pit. Pour water into the pit to see if the pump starts up. You may need about 5 gallons to get the pump to kick in.
- Check To See If Sump Pumps Shuts Off – Sometimes over the winter the end of the pipe outside your home can get plugged or frozen. You can tell if there is a problem by whether the water disappears out of the pit and the pump shuts off. If it run continuously there might be a plug.
- Install a Battery Back Up Sump Pump – This will help keep water out of your basement even if the power goes out due to a storm. This is often when you need the sump pump most.
A working sump pump is critical in your Minnesota home. A sump pump that has been installed correctly including the plumbing or piping will help you protect your furnace, water heater and anything else you have in your basement.
Call Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air or schedule online if you have any questions regarding your home.