Pittsburgh Sump Pump Repair in Simple Terms
There is just a lot of homes built over basements in Pittsburgh, and the majority of them have a sump pump installed in them. Then those that don’t have a sump pump in Pittsburgh will have a temporary mobile pump. One that’s brought in to remove the water after the flooding is over.
There are quite a few reasons why a home or business owner would choose to go without a built-in sump pump, but the primary motivation to go with Pittsburgh sump pumps in basements is because there’s something to protect down there.
Wall paneling, flooring, carpeting, etc. All things that will be ruined if they end up getting soaked. Also an increasing awareness of toxic black mold that’s an impetus behind increasing numbers of home and business owners having a Pittsburgh sump pump repair or installation.
What is the purpose of a sump pump alarm?
Its job is to alert you if the sump pump fails to turn on.
In the optimal scenario Pittsburgh sump pump repair help is called in to fix it before it’s needed to do its job. That is, you are made aware of a problem without discovering it by having your basement flooded.
So the sump pump alarm is designed as a secondary backup. There are a few different types of trigger mechanisms, but the most popular use is a float. Just like the float system in a toilet tank, the sump pump alarm is activated when water pushes the float up.
There are a few things that can go wrong to cause rising water to trigger the alarm. Some are mechanical, and some are electrical. An electrical problem can be as simple as the pump motor has become unplugged. Then it can even be a breaker switch at the power box that needs to be flipped back on.
What about sump pump check valve problems?
The check valve is a crucial system component that can also malfunction.
When most people think of a sump pump in Pittsburgh, they fail to realize that one of the most crucial components is the check valve. This for sure holds true with a pump installed down in the bottom of a basement where the water has to be pumped up through an elevated plumbing system.
The function of the check valve this to make sure that the water only flows in one direction. That direction is up and out to the opening where it’s ejected at the end of the drainage system.
If there were no check valve in place, any water remaining in the pipes would flow back down into the sump. This would, in turn, cause the sump to refill and kick the pump back on, over and over again.
Water hammering is another problem that can be traced to a check valve. It’s a clanking noise produced by the water remaining in the pipes pounding down on the check valve after the pump has shut off.
Can sump pump plumbing problems develop?
The answer here is that problems can crop up with any plumbing system.
The plumbing system that carries the water away after it’s discharged from the pump is just as important as the pump itself. So as crucial as it is to the entire system, just like pipes in the rest of a home or commercial building, problems can develop.
One very common problem is sludge buildup. Its silt, gravel, and debris settle into the pipes and create a blockage that is preventing the water from passing through.
Often older steel pipes that have remained in place even as sump pumps have been upgraded can develop their own problems. Steel pipes gradually rust over the years, and it’s this rusting process that, over time, leads to nodules that inhibit flow inside the water pipes.
Tiny pinhole leaks crop up on the outside. They’re small initially, but it’s not hard to imagine how they expand over time. Another source of sump pump plumbing issues is problems that were built in when it was initially cobbled together by a do-it-yourselfer.
Do I need a sump pump battery backup system installed?
The answer here is yes; you should unless you like to gamble.
If you have never heard of Murphy’s Law, then you may want to take the time to Google it and read about it. Simply put, Murphy’s law states that whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the most inopportune time.
So even if you have never had your power go off and the sump pump you have installed in your basement works just fine, according to Murphy’s Law, a heavy storm will arrive, and along with the deluge of water, it will cause the power to go off.
So a battery backup system does just that. If the power is shut off at the same time your sump pump needs to kick on and do its job, it’s the electricity stored in the batteries that will automatically get the pump going to clear the water.
It’s one of those things that you buy throughout your life that you hope that you never have to use. Something that the little voice in your head tells you if you don’t buy it, you’ll be sorry.
Pittsburgh Sump Pump Repair vs New Sump Pump Installation.
The answer here is that it can be a difficult choice.
Just like so many other things in life that will require repair over the years. After the problem is diagnosed, the decision has to be made to install a new pump or do the repair and pocket the savings.
What makes this type of decision difficult during Pittsburgh sump pump repair, is that all too often, it’s a minor problem. The pump may have seen better days, but it’s going to require little money to get it back up and going.
Something to consider here is that today’s sump pumps are more reliable and technologically advanced. They are more resistant to corrosion and are also made from more robust modern Plastics.