Sump Pump Repair in Greensboro, NC

Does a Greensboro home need a sump pump?

Not every house does. Plenty of Greensboro homes sit on a dry crawl space or a slab and never need one, especially with working gutters and soil that slopes away from the foundation. Sump pumps earn their keep in basements, in crawl spaces that hold standing water after heavy rain, and on lots where the yard drains toward the house. If water only shows up after big storms, have the plumber look at the gutters and grading along with the pump.

Common sump pump problems

• Hums but doesn't move water: a jammed impeller or a clogged intake screen
• Runs constantly or cycles every few seconds: a stuck float, a failed check valve or a pit that's too small for the inflow
• Won't start: a tripped GFCI outlet, a float caught on the pit wall, or a dead motor
• Water flows back into the pit after shutoff: a missing or failed check valve on the discharge line
• Grinding, rattling or a burning smell: a motor near the end of its life

How to test it

Pour a bucket of water slowly into the pit until the float rises. The pump should start, empty the pit and shut off by itself. If it doesn't, unplug it before reaching into the pit. Test before the wetter months and after a long dry spell, since floats and check valves tend to stick when a pump sits idle.

Where the water should go

A sump pump should send water to the yard, well away from the foundation, or to the storm drainage system. It shouldn't be tied into a sewer drain or cleanout, where it adds clean water the sewer has to carry and can make storm-time backups worse. Greensboro's stormwater ordinance lists water pumped from crawl spaces and foundation drains among the discharges allowed into the City's storm drainage system. If your discharge line dumps water right beside the house or onto a neighbor's lot, a plumber can extend or reroute it.

Repair, replace or add a backup?

A float, switch or check valve is usually a straightforward repair. A burned-out pump, or one that can't keep up during heavy rain, is usually replaced, sometimes with a larger unit. If your pit fills during the same storms that knock out power, ask about a battery backup pump. Water-powered backups are another option, but they connect to your water supply and need proper backflow protection.

What affects the cost

The price depends on whether the fix is a part or a new pump, the pump type (submersible or pedestal) and size, how hard the pit is to reach in a tight crawl space, whether the discharge line needs rerouting, and whether you add a backup system. Ask for the diagnosis and the price before work starts.