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Plumbing Tip: How Sump Pumps Work

Monday, September 24th, 2012 at 12:16 pm

In areas like Olympia, WA, a sump pump acts as a primary line of defense against water getting into your home and causing damage to your basement, garage or bottom floor. These devices are actually quite simple to operate and relatively affordable to have installed, so they represent a very effective, highly recommended option for anyone with water issues in their Olympia home.

If you are having such a problem and are interested in learning more about what a sump pump does and why it is such a good investment, here are a few more details about them and how they work.

Sump Pump Technology at Work

A sump pump is exactly what it sounds like – a pump installed in the bottom floor of your home or basement, if you have one, that removes water before it can back up and create a problem. When the system is installed, a secondary drainage system is usually installed that will funnel water into a pit somewhere in your basement. As water fills this pit, a float rises and eventually triggers a switch on the sump pump.

The sump pump then turns on and starts removing water from that pit, pumping it into a drainage pipe or sewer line (depending on your municipal regulations regarding sump pump installation). The result is no water in your basement and a very efficient means of removing the water from your home.

Because the system consists of nothing more than a simple pump and some drain tiles to funnel water into the pit, it is relatively affordable to install and requires minimal maintenance – usually just a quick inspection once a year and a test during dry months of pouring water into the pit to ensure it comes on. Not bad for a device that will actively keep water out of your home for years to come.

If you’d like to install a sump pump in your home’s basement, call Brooks Plumbing today! Our Olympia, WA plumbing technicians are experts in sump pump installation and repair.

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