Sump Pump Failure

1/10/2019 (Permalink)

A sump pump is a common feature in Portland, but what do you do when it fails?

Basements are a common feature in the Portland metro area. With as much precipitation as we commonly receive here, many homeowners have opted to install a water mitigation system in the lowest areas on their basement, complete with a sump pump to remove excess water in the event of overflow or flooding. Although a sump pump is a good investment to protect your basement from flooding, it is not fail proof.

In the event of Sump pump failure

Generally, a sump pump failure will occur during heavy rains of flooding. When the pump fails, or cannot pump water fast enough to prevent flooding, outside water can seep through the foundation or basement walls and cause flooding at the lowest portion of the basement. We’ve listed a few things you can do if your sump pump fails below:  

1. Contact a trusted plumber in your local area to repair the sump pump. If your sump pump has malfunctioned during wet weather, it is likely that you are not the only one. Contact your plumber ASAP, as he may already have a full schedule due to others facing a similar problem.

2. You may consider purchasing a basement water pump at your local hardware store. If the flooding in your basement was the result of a storm in the area, resources may be spread a little thin. Having a backup pump on hand will keep you ahead of the game until professional help can arrive. You can read more about post flood safety here.

3. Contact a reputable water restoration contractor such as SERVPRO of NW Portland. Although it doesn’t make sense for a water restoration company to pump out water as fast as it is coming in, there will still be damage to mitigate even after the standing water has been removed. You can read more about the process of water mitigation here.