Clean Your Sump Pump in 5 Easy Steps
Did you know your sump pump should be cleaned once a year? Most homeowners don’t realize the amount of sludge and residue that can cling to this important home appliance. Like most things, if you don’t take care of your sump pump with routine maintenance, it is more likely to fail – unfortunately, oftentimes when you need it the most. 
Cleaning your sump pump might sound like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple. Follow these five steps to a clean sump pump – then bookmark this post and mark your calendar for 12 months from now so you can do it all over again.
How to clean a sump pump
- Grab all the items you’ll need – we recommend a bucket, a plastic tarp or large plastic/garbage bag, a shop vac, and a cleaning or scraping tool. Once you have these things handy, turn off the water supply to anything that empties into the sump pump and unplug the sump pump or turn off the power source.
- Remove the sump pump and wrap it in the plastic tarp or large plastic/garbage bag. This step helps to protect your belongings from any dripping water or debris that might be on the pump.
- Clean the pump. You might want to take this step outside, as sump pumps can get quite messy! Use a garden hose to spray down the sump pump, and use your cleaning or scraping tool to get the stuck-on grime off of the pump. Once you have removed all visible debris, spray the sump pump down once more with the garden hose to make sure it is as clean as possible.
- Drain the check valve to let any standing water drain. Use a bucket for this step to prevent an unnecessary mess. Once the check valve is drained, use your shop vac to clean up any remaining standing water in the bottom of the sump pit. This step is not entirely necessary, but important if you want to avoid placing your freshly cleaned sump pump back into a dirty pit.
- Finally, place your freshly cleaned sump pump back in the basin. Connect your sump pump back into the pipe and check valve, and plug it back in. Be sure to turn on the power source if you turned it off in step 1.
And there you have it. Your sparkly clean sump pump is ready to get back to business.
Sump pump installation and service
Spring is the worst time to find out that your sump pump is faulty. Be proactive and avoid a wet mess in your basement by checking and cleaning your sump pump before it’s too late.
If you need any help or think it’s time to replace the sump pump with a new one, bring in the professionals at Reichelt Plumbing – proudly serving Northwest Indiana and South Cook County. Call us today at (219) 322-4906.