Sump Pump Alarm Is Going Off. What Do I Do?

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You are asleep in your comfy bed and within the distance you hear a frightening sound. A sound that is coming from below. It is your sump pump alarm. So, what do you do when you hear the sump pump alarm? Do you ignore it? Act like it is not there? No! Immediately go and check! Your basement or crawl space could be underwater!

But, let’s say you check and there is no water anywhere. Mmmm? What could be the problem and how do you fix this annoying alarm keeping me awake during my beauty sleep? Let’s take a look at some things.

How Sump-Pump Sensors Work

Sensors hang a few inches above a certain line in your well. When the water gets too high and causes the sensor to float. That is when your alarm will go off.

Water is “too” High in Well.

Your alarm may be going off because the line has a clog or is not working. Check this and move forward.
What is “too high”. Well, that depends on the size of your well and if and how hard it is raining outside. But it is only a couple inches from the top of your well.

Back-up Sump-Pump Has Taken Over

If you have a back-up equipped with your main sump pump. Then the alarm could be telling you that the back-up has taken over. If this is the case, you either need to repair your main sump-pump or replace it.
Back-up sump-pumps run on a battery so you need to make decisions fast if you are at high risk of flooding.

Sensor on Sump-Pump Has Gone Bad

Your sump-pump could be in a situation where the sensor has gone bad. If you suspect this being the situation. Then you may want to try to clean it and watch and test it.
Do not try to take it apart if you do not know what you are doing. If you are unsure, go ahead and call a licensed plumber to come diagnose your sump pump problem.

Sump-Pump is Warning You of too Much Water

Some sump-pumps can detect if they are starting to run behind. If the weather outside is not so frightful (its pouring down rain). Your sump-pump can realize it is falling behind because the water level keeps activating the censor!
This can be a sign that you need to upgrade your sump-pump.

How to Reset Sump-Pump

This is a good way to get an official “good to go” if you attempted to fix a sensor or clog. Most sump-pumps have a reset or on/off switch somewhere on the outside of the unit.

CALL A LICENSED PLUMBER

Are you having sump-pump problems? Carter’s My Plumber can help out! We will always give you a price before any work begins. Don’t hesitate to give us a call today @ 317-859-9999. Entrust us with your all your plumbing needs!

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