Sump pump repair in northern Utah

Keep yourself safe first. Then limit the damage.

1. Stay out of standing water. Water near outlets, cords, or appliances can carry electricity.
2. Shut off power to the wet area at the breaker only if you can reach the panel from a dry spot.
3. If the floor around the pit is dry, check that the sump pump is still plugged in. If a breaker or the reset button on the outlet has tripped, you can reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and tell us.
4. Go outside and look at the end of the discharge pipe. Clear away snow, ice, or leaves that block it.
5. Move boxes, rugs, and furniture out of low areas you can reach without stepping in water.
6. Call our emergency line. It is answered 24/7.

Do not reach into the pit, and do not run the pump from an extension cord across a wet floor.

A sump pump that runs without moving water usually has a blockage or a failed part between the pump and the outlet. The common causes are:

• Frozen or clogged discharge line. Ice, mud, or debris at the end of the pipe stops the flow.
• Stuck check valve. The valve that keeps water from falling back is jammed shut or was installed backward.
• Jammed or worn impeller. Gravel or silt from the pit wedges in the spinning part that moves the water.
• Air lock. Air trapped inside the pump keeps it from picking up water.
• Pump too small. Water comes in faster than the pump can lift it out.

A pump that runs dry overheats, so do not leave it humming for hours. We test each part in order, starting outside at the discharge, and fix the one that failed.

A sump pump that never shuts off has one of four problems:

• Stuck float switch. The float is tangled in the cord or pinned against the pit wall, so the pump acts as if the pit is always full.
• Failed check valve. Water in the discharge pipe falls back into the pit after each cycle, and the pump lifts the same water again and again.
• Water coming in fast. During heavy snowmelt or a long rain the pump may really need to run that much.
• A leak feeding the pit. A broken water line or sprinkler line near the house can fill the pit in dry weather.

Constant running wears out the motor. If the pit fills when there has been no rain or snowmelt, ask us to check for a leaking pipe.

Repair a sump pump when the problem is outside the motor. Replace it when the motor itself has failed.

Repair usually makes sense for:

• A float switch that sticks or has failed.
• A check valve that leaks or is stuck.
• A discharge line that is frozen, clogged, or broken.
• A power problem at the outlet.

Replacement makes sense when:

• The motor is burned out or seized.
• The pump trips the breaker when it starts.
• The housing is rusted through or cracked.
• The pump cannot keep up with the water coming in.
• The pump has failed more than once and it protects a finished basement.

Most home sump pumps are sealed units, so a dead motor means a new pump. We tell you which case you have, and why, before we do the work.

Most sump pump repairs are done in one visit. Replacing a float switch, a check valve, or the pump itself in an existing pit is a short job once we know what failed.

Some repairs take longer:

• A discharge line that is frozen or broken underground has to be thawed, dug up, or rerouted.
• A pit that is full of silt, or too small for the pump, has to be cleaned out or rebuilt.
• A pump with no working outlet nearby needs an electrician.

When water is rising, the first job is to get it moving out of the pit. The lasting fix comes next. If you call during spring runoff, tell us how high the water is and whether it has reached the floor. That tells us what to bring.

We give free estimates and do not post prices. The cost of a sump pump repair depends on what failed and how hard it is to reach:

• The part. A float switch or a check valve is a smaller repair than a new pump.
• Pump capacity. A replacement pump that moves more water, or lifts it higher, costs more.
• The discharge line. Thawing a line is a different job from digging up and replacing a buried one.
• The pit. Cleaning out silt or setting a larger basin adds labor.
• Add-ons. A battery backup pump or a high-water alarm adds parts.

Financing is available. We explain what failed and what it costs to fix before we start.

A sump pump that sat idle all winter often fails on the first big melt of the year, so test it before then. At the U.S. Geological Survey gauge on the Weber River near Oakley, in Summit County, the long-term average daily flow is highest in the first week of June.

• Once a year, pour water into the pit until the float rises. Watch the pump start, drain the pit, and stop.
• Look in the pit. Gravel, silt, and debris jam the impeller and the float.
• Check the end of the discharge pipe each fall and after each storm. Keep it clear of ice and leaves.
• Make sure the pump cord goes straight to a grounded outlet, not to an extension cord.
• Add a battery backup and a high-water alarm if the basement is finished.
• Replace an old pump on your schedule instead of waiting for it to quit.