Sump Pump Not Working in Milford? Test It Before Fall Storms

Why Milford Basements Lean on the Sump Pump

Milford runs along the Sound with low streets, marsh edges and older shoreline houses sitting close to the water table. When a fall storm parks over the coast for a day, the ground fills up and water pushes in through the floor and the base of the foundation walls. The pump in the pit is the only thing moving it back outside. Most pumps sit idle all summer, and a float that has not moved since spring is the one that sticks the night you need it.

The city also points out that regular homeowner's insurance does not cover flood losses. A five minute test now is the cheapest protection a basement in this town can get.

Five Checks When the Pump Won't Run

• Check the power. Make sure the plug is seated and the pump is on its own outlet. If that outlet is a GFCI that tripped, press reset once. If it trips again or the outlet looks scorched, stop there and call a licensed electrician.
• Free the float. Look in the pit. A float switch that is wedged against the pit wall, the power cord or the discharge pipe can't rise, so the pump never gets the signal to start. Nudge it clear and run the bucket test again.
• Clean out the pit. Unplug the pump first. Scoop out the gravel, silt and debris sitting on the bottom, and rinse off the intake screen so the pump can pull water freely.
• Follow the discharge line outside. Walk the pipe to where it dumps. It should end well away from the foundation, with no crushed sections, leaves or ice blocking the end. A clogged discharge makes the pump run hard and move nothing.
• Listen to the check valve. When the pump shuts off you should hear a single thunk. If water flows back down into the pit and the pump restarts a minute later, the check valve is worn and needs replacing.

Signs You Need a Plumber

• The motor hums but no water moves. That usually means a jammed or burned out impeller, and the pump needs to come out.
• It runs nonstop in dry weather. Constant cycling with no rain points to a bad switch, a failed check valve, or groundwater coming in faster than the pump can keep up.
• Water comes up through floor cracks while the pump runs. The pump is undersized for your basement. A bigger pump or a second pit is the fix.
• You lose power every big storm. A pump with no power can't help you. A battery backup pump keeps the pit draining when the lights go out.
• You can't remember when it went in. Pumps wear out quietly. If yours is old, rusty or loud, replace it now while the weather is dry.

If your pump failed the bucket test, call us or use the form on this page and we'll connect you with a licensed plumber in Milford or Orange. Our sump pump installation page covers new pumps and battery backups, and our sump pump cost guide shows what repair and replacement usually run.

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