How to Prevent a Basement Flood
It’s the holiday season and we’ve all got a million and one things on our to-do lists, I know. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, who needs to deal with a basement flood, and therefore a basement waterproofing headache? I know I don’t.
That’s all the more reason to take preventative action to make sure you don’t experience any unforeseen headaches or surprises. You see, if your home has experienced water issues in the past, the fact that it’s winter doesn’t mean that your basement or crawl space is much less susceptible to seepage. Only the top layers of soil freeze; water at the basement floor level is still allowed to flow within the warmer soil. This means that your sump pump is still working hard while you’re out shopping.
Check your sump pump!
To greatly reduce the possibility of you coming home to a basement flood, you’re going to want to check on your sump pump. We recommend that you check your pump(s) at least once or twice a month to ensure proper operation.
First thing’s first, test the pumps. To do this, simply fill a 5 gallon bucket with water and pour it directly into the sump basin. Repeat until you see the sump pump discharge the water. If your pump goes off before or shortly after the pump is fully submerged in water, you should be in good shape. If you continue to fill the basin with water without the pump going off, you may want to have it check out by a professional.
Another thing you may want to consider is a battery-operated backup pump. This can really be a lifesaver in the even of a power outage or primary pump failure.
So do your basement a favor this holiday season, and go check on your sump pumps!