What Is A Sump Pump?

A sump pump is usually an electric pump that is placed in the basement of a home, and used to pump water from the basement to outside the home.  Sometimes sump pumps drain the water into the house's drainage pipe system, and sometimes they simply pump the water outside.

Sump pumps normally work in combination with a sump pit. The sump pit is simply a hole dug into the ground, generally in the basement of a house, which allows water to collect into it. The sump pump then pumps the water out of that sump pit hole.

A sump pump is most often used in cases where the house's basement is below the water table level, and in places where flooding is common. Sometimes sump pumps are also used if the bottom level of a house is below sewer lines.

Sump pumps can be useful, particularly as a precaution, in almost any area though, for all homes which have basements. When rain comes and the soil around your home's foundation gets wet, that water can leak into the basement. And even just an inch or so of water on the basement floor can do extensive damage that's quite expensive as well. Particularly if you have a finished basement with furniture in it.

Though sump pumps are generally electric, they also usually have a battery backup system just in case the electricity goes out. Some sump pumps don't use electricity at all though, instead they use the home's pressurized water supply, making the sump pump's need for electricity non existant.

It's critical for the sump pump to always be working however, otherwise the sump pit can overflow. So a backup power supply system is needed just in case the primary power system for the sump pump fails or is out for a long period of time. Many sump pumps actually come with built in backup battery supplies these days.

There's usually two  types of sump pumps: a pedestal, or upright style and a submersible style. As their name implies, the pedestal style sump pump sits above the sump pit, and it's easier to reach and perform maintenance. A submersible sump pump actually goes down into the sump pit itself so it's not easily seen. The submersible sump pumps are more difficult to reach and perform maintenance on of course, and they're also sealed or contained in a sealed housing to prevent electrical short circuits when water collects in the pit.

Like other major household appliances, sump pumps usually need some type of cleaning and general maintenance on a regular schedule. In some areas it's best to clean the sump pump yearly, while other areas can go three to five years between cleanings and maintenance.

General maintenance on a sump pump usually just involves cleaning it out. The pump will get clogged with gravel, dirt, sand, and other debris carried in by the water from the sump pit. Too much debris will clog the sump pump and can make it stop working completely.

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