Spring thaw and sump pumps

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Spring thaw and sump pumps - Greg Lewis

March 5, 2009 - Updated: March 5, 2009

Spring is coming... almost... maybe... I think?!

At this time of year the snow is melting and we tend to get a lot of rain. This means more ground water than usual and more water in basements than any other time of year.

If you have a sump pump in the basement, check it regularly, is it working? If you are not sure, pull the float up gently and see if the pump kicks in. If it is not working, head over to RONA and get it working, this is the time of year you will need it!

Even if your pump seems to be working fine, I always recommend making a trip down to the basement every morning and checking it for water. If water is making its way in, it is much better caught early rather than after you have 6-10 inches turning your boxes and furniture into small ocean vessels!

-- Greg Lewis, State Farm

Tagged with: homeowner tips greg lewis

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Comments (2)

Posted by: David Wall of pillartopost.com/oshawa.
March 6, 2009 @ 11:31 am

If you have an alarm system in your home you can add a sensor at the sump pit/pump to alert you when the water gets too high. There are also stand alone alarms, less than $100. to alert you to moisture. I have a finished basement and the alarm has alerted me more than once. I also keep a second sump pump on hand as they never break down on a weekday.

Posted by: Chris Sissons
March 5, 2009 @ 2:08 pm

I've been there with the ocean vessel bit - what a mess! In 2008 we had a few flood incidents with the heavy rains. In one case the power went out and by the time we borrowed a generator the water had already overflowed. Another time the water was filling the sump pump hole faster than the pump could expel it. When a big spring thaw comes we take a quick around the house for areas where puddles might be forming on the yard next the house walls, trapped in by unmelted snow / ice. If there is such a problem we cut a drainage path so the water can run away from the house and down to the ditch.

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