Your home's sump pump is designed to remove water from the foundation of your home before it has the chance to flood your basement. A sump pump that no longer works properly can thus open up your basement to all sorts of water damage and mold growth.If you understand the warning signs that your sump pump no longer works, you can contact a plumber as soon as your pump begins to fail and prevent water damage from occurring.

One of the clearest warning signs that there is an issue with your sump pump, and also the one that will manifest itself first, is if you notice excessive noise when the pump kicks in. While all sump pumps will make noises when they are draining water, a damaged sump pump will make some distinct sounds.
These will usually take the form of a grinding, rattling or thumping sound, and the sound points to either excessive wear or an actual damaged mechanical component within the pump. This means that your sump pump is at a higher risk of complete failure in the near future and should be inspected immediately.

A damaged sump pump float can cause your sump pump to work constantly, even when there is no water that needs to be drained. This is a massive issue, as it can quickly burn out the motor of your sump pump, leaving you vulnerable to basement flooding in the future.


Besides a sump pump that never stops running, this can also take the form of the pump cycling on and off consistently.

If you notice that your sump pump is continually pumping, you should unplug it and contact a plumbing professional immediately to determine if you need to have a specific part or the entire unit replaced.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you notice that your sump pump no longer turns on at all, especially during periods of heavy rainfall when it needs to, you'll need to have your unit inspected.

In order to determine that your sump pump is actually turning on, you should keep an eye out in your basement for any signs of water damage to the flooring or mold growth around the sump pump reservoir. This usually points to a sump pump that no longer drains water properly.

Alternatively, you can pour a small amount of water into the sump pump reservoir. If your sump pump works, the float will rise and the sump pump will turn on, draining the water out of the reservoir. If this doesn't happen, you need to get in touch with a plumber right away to take a look at your sump pump.

Even if your sump pump hasn't exhibited any of the above symptoms, if it is older than five years, you may want to consider replacing it anyway. This is because excessive wear and age can greatly increase the risk of your sump pump failing sometime in the near future.

Replacing a sump pump before it actually starts malfunctioning can help prevent you from suddenly finding yourself without a sump pump in the event of a large storm or flood. The newer the sump pump, the less likely you are to suffer any sort of water damage or mold growth in your basement.

For all of your sump pump and plumbing questions, feel free to contact us at Complete Plumbing. Our team of highly trained and experienced plumbing professionals will be more than happy to address any concerns you may have and work to solve all of your plumbing related problems.