What is a Sump Pump and How Does it Work?

Are you curious about what a sump pump is or if it is right for your home? This blog includes super useful information on sump pumps and how they work.

What is a Sump Pump?

A sump pump is a small pump that is installed at the lowest part of your basement. The pump protects your home from floods and rising waters after heavy rains or storms. Flood damage to your home can include structural damage to basement walls, floors and even your home’s foundation. In addition, flood damage can pose some serious health risks later down the line. Damp and wet areas caused by flooding are the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew, which can quickly spread throughout your home.

What’s its Purpose?

The job of a sump pump is to help keep your basement and the area underneath your home dry. When there is excess water under your home’s foundation or if your basement floods, the pump works to drain the water from the pit that it’s collected in and move it away from your home so that everything stays dry.

How Does it Work?

Sump pumps usually stand in a “sump pit” or basin, as some like to call them. This pit or basin is naturally constructed below the main surface of your basement floor. They usually measure about 2 feet deep and 18 inches wide and have a gavel base. As the pit fills with water, the sump pump turns on automatically with either a float activator or a pressure sensor. The float activator works just like the ones found in your household toilets, while the pressure sensor detects the increase in pressure from a designated amount of water entering the pit. After being activated, the sump pump then sucks in the water that has filled the pit and pushes it out and away from the home through a pipe or hose. Once pumped outside of your home, the excess water will drain in a safer spot away from your foundation.