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Sump or sewage pump not working.

A plumber works with power off, a qualified technician takes live readings, and a licensed plumber changes piping.

Customers put it like this

  • The sump pump won't turn on
  • The pump runs but no water leaves
  • It kicks on with nothing running
  • The pit alarm is going off
Check it step by stepPrepare this job in ForeBot

Stop first if

  • Anyone is in water with the pump powered, or water is at outlets or a panelGet everyone out of the water. Do not touch the pump or cord. Call the electric utility or a licensed electrician to cut power.
  • Sewage has reached electrical partsKeep everyone away. Call the electric utility or a licensed electrician before anyone goes in.
  • A sewage basin would have to be enteredNever enter a used basin. It can hold poisonous gases. Call a licensed plumber and work from outside it.

Check it step by step

Answer what you can see or measure. Each answer sets causes aside, and the check offers the one cheap reading that best separates the rest. Nothing is saved, and no account is needed.

Start the check
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. Is it a clear water sump, or does a toilet or sewage drain to it?
  2. Does it hum, run without moving water, run nonstop, or not start at all?
  3. Does it start on its own with nothing in use?
  4. Is water near outlets or the panel, and is anyone standing in it?
  5. Has a breaker or GFCI tripped?
  6. Does the discharge pipe run through a cold area?
02

Bring

5
  • Clamp meter for a qualified person
  • Gloves and eye protection
  • Flashlight
  • Tape measure for float levels
  • Small tool for clearing a relief hole
03

Check on site

6
  1. Name the basin, pump and float type. Find the check valve, shutoffs and the circuit.
  2. Stay outside the basin. Watch a full run and the time right after it ends, and listen at the discharge pipe.
  3. Note how freely the float moves, and compare its shutoff level with the maker's table.
  4. With the breaker off and plug pulled, free the float and clear any relief hole. Confirm the direction of the check valve.
  5. If it hums and moves no water, lift it out. Look at the intake, the impeller and what it stood on.
  6. A qualified person clamps running current and compares it with the nameplate.
04

Keep on the record

5
  • Pump label and basin type
  • Cycle timing, and how the level moved between cycles
  • Float type, travel and off level
  • Photos of discharge joints, valves and vent
  • Running current reading

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.