According to The Weather Channel, Denver has a good amount of rain throughout the year. The rainiest month, according to their charts, is actually May with 2.56 inches in the spring and early summer. But, even during the fall, there is still a good bit of precipitation. For example, on average, during the month of October Denver gets almost an inch and a half of rain. Sorry trick-or-treaters, for being the bearer of what may be bad news come Halloween. But your parents who are reading this article have a bigger problem when it comes to rain, especially if you live in a home that has a basement. If you do live in a house with a basement, chances are you have a sump pump.
What is a Sump Pump?
A sump pump is basically a device that is installed below ground level that sucks up any water that gets down in your basement when it rains heavily. Many times, the water that gets sucked up by your sump pump will get redistributed into a storm drain away from your house (unlike the water from your laundry, toilets or dishwashers…that water goes to a sanitary sewer). The storm water then moves through the storm drain and into a retention pond. From there, it flows into a larger body of water.
Possible Complications with Sump Pumps
This type of pump is the most vital part of your basement’s flood-prevention. So, if you walk down into the basement of your Denver home on one of the state’s rainiest months and see a lake at the bottom of the steps, then you either need to get yourself a sump pump installed in your home, or the one that you have is malfunctioning somehow. There are a couple of reasons why yours may be acting up. One is that your pump may be clogged with something and isn’t effectively sucking the water out of your basement, hence the pool you’re now standing in. A well-working sump pump will detect that it’s raining even before water hits your basement floor and automatically cut on. But, even if it did, sometimes the power may go out because of a major storm and halt the pump’s progress, or the pump could simply get over-worked in a major storm and burn out.
What Can You Do?
According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, about 60% of homeowners have flooding problems in their houses lower levels.Sump pumps, for the most part, are pretty low-maintenance units. That being said, the only thing that you really have to do is to check your pump every now and then, about three or four times a year. For example, in Denver, when the rainiest season is approaching, get a bucket and pour a little water into your pumpspit to make sure it’s working. It’ll automatically cut on if everything is okay. If yours doesn’t (or if you need one installed), don’t hesitate to call us at It’s Done Plumbing and Heating. Our pros are seasoned with installing and fixing sump pumps, and will be very happy to help you with yours.
