![]() ![]() While not the most pleasant job, this certainly is necessary. Refill the pit with water to determine that everything has been connected correctly, that the pump turns on and the float is unobstructed, free to move. Once this buildup and debris has been removed, then the pump will be ready to be reconnected. You want to clear out the sump pit entirely if you can. Rubber, or other protective gloves on, you can use the plastic cup to scoop out the sludge from the sump pump pit into the garbage can (you might have to take out some bricks at the bottom first). Now comes the fun part: prepare yourself for potentially powerful odors. You also want to scrape and wipe off any grime coating the rest of the pump with something like a plastic scraper or other scraping tool. You can clean this under warm running water, some may use bleach or hot water, before you reattach it. Then you can disconnect the top of the check valve. Push the check valve, with the screwdriver if necessary, and this should drain out the water inside the pump. After you remove the sump pump, you’ll be able to see the bottom of the sump pit. You can also benefit from laying down a plastic sheet to help with the mess. Then you can gently take the pump out of the pit, and hold it out over a garbage can to catch any remaining water. Then with your screwdriver, you want to disconnect the pipe, right beneath the check valve. ![]() The first step is to unplug the pump’s power source as a safety precaution, even checking the circuit breaker. You may need some lighting, and you should also have a garbage can at the ready. For this, you should grab some rubber protective gloves, a small plastic can, a screwdriver, and a garden hose. Then you can prep the pump system for cleaning. If the pump does start running, let it drain as much water as possible, or vacuum out the remaining water with a wet-dry vacuum, or shop vac. This is not something you can wait on either even if you are not running the risk of a flooded house, you could be exposing your house to mold and mildew from the standing water or groundwater that is just sitting there. Or maybe your sump pump has been clogged for so long that the motor burned out, in which case you would have to get a new sump pump. Does the flotation device work? Perhaps the float switch needs to be replaced. ![]() If the pump is still off and the outlet is good to go, you can pull out your sump pump owner’s manual to find out how to reset your motor. If necessary, you can check the circuit breaker too. If it stays off, check to see if the power source works. Fill the sump pump pit with enough water to cover the surface of the pump and for the float switch to lift, which should turn the pump system on. Make Sure It Worksįirst, you want to ensure that your sump pump is actually in working order. Here then are some DIY things homeowners need to do regularly if there is a sump pump system in their home. Without regular checkups, cleaning a sump pump, and checking other items like the discharge pipe / drain line or circuit breaker / power source, a flooded basement could be the signal that a buildup of debris has caused a blockage or broke your sump pump system, a signal that of course, comes too late. In order for it to do its job, however, you will have to perform regular maintenance to ensure that gravel and sand do not clog up the pump. Homeowners know if you have a sump pump, it is there to ward off floods, pumping water away as it collects in the sump pit. ![]()
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