Sump pump and ground water service in northern Utah

A sump pump sits in a pit at the lowest point of the basement or crawl space. Ground water drains into the pit, often through perforated pipe that runs along the footing. When the water in the pit rises, it lifts a float switch. The switch turns the pump on, and the pump pushes the water up a discharge pipe and out of the house. A check valve on that pipe keeps the water from running back into the pit when the pump stops. The system works only when every part does: the pit collects, the float rises freely, the pump starts, and the discharge line is open all the way to where it ends. Our sump pump installation page covers how we size the pump and the pit.

A pump sits idle for months, then runs hard for days. That is when weak parts show up. Spring is the test. Salt Lake County Flood Control runs a Runoff Ready program to help residents prepare for spring snowmelt runoff (source). Storms can knock out power, and a pump without power does nothing. A battery backup keeps pumping when the power is off. Other causes are a float switch that sticks against the side of the pit, a discharge line that is frozen or clogged, a check valve that has failed, and a pump that is too small for the water coming in. Pour a bucket of water into the pit before spring. If the pump does not start and empty it, call us for sump pump repair.

It should go outside, to a spot that slopes away from the foundation, far enough that the water does not soak back to the footing and return to the pit. It should not go into the sewer. Rules differ by city, so check with yours. The Town of Mantua, for example, tells residents it is illegal to empty a sump pump into the sewer system, and that the water must go to a spot away from the foundation such as a dry well, creek, pond, or neighborhood drain (source). When the yard itself holds water, the pump is only half the fix. A French drain collects ground water in a gravel trench with perforated pipe and carries it away before it reaches the house.