Winter Sump Pump Care

Sump Pump

Winter Sump Pump Care

Your sump pump removes water that causes basement flooding, water damage, mold, and mildew. As with all the plumbing in your home, water makes your sump pump vulnerable to plummeting winter temperatures. A sudden chill or a cold spell can freeze standing water in your sump pit, rupture your discharge line connection, or damage your pump.

Winter temperatures can be hard on your sump pump. With proper care, you can keep it operating efficiently.

Begin with proper placement

When you install your pump, angle the external discharge line and connecting hose down and away from your home. An angled placement naturally keeps water flowing instead of allowing it to stand in place. When you eliminate standing water problems, you reduce your freezing risk.

Regular inspections

As the temperature drops, regularly inspect your sump pump and discharge lines. If you notice a freezing problem, you can stop it during the early stages.

Insulate or remove the connecting hose

The hose that connects to your outside discharge line is your sump pump’s biggest wintertime problem. It’s often exposed to cold weather and can easily freeze when the temperature falls. The simple way to avoid this is to remove the hose before the temperature drops. If you’d prefer not to remove the hose, try covering it with pipe insulation tape or another insulating product.

Thaw the ice

Ice in your hose or sump pit can damage your pump when it begins operating. If any part of your sump pump system freezes, turn off the power and allow the ice to melt. Make sure there’s no ice in the hose or icy water in the pit before you attempt to reactivate your pump.

A sump pump alarm

Regular inspections help you detect sump pump freezing problems. If you prefer an easier solution, install a water alarm. Alarms detect rising water levels and can remind you to make sure your sump pump is ice-free and operating properly. Some units provide Wi-fi-enabled notifications.

Contact Q’s Plumbing and Heating

If you need to know more about sump pump maintenance, repair, or installation, call us at 869.501.6006 or complete our contact form. Let us know if you have a heating or plumbing emergency that requires our immediate attention.


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