A pump that runs continuously usually has one of three problems. The first is a float switch that is stuck in the activated position and signaling the pump to run regardless of actual water level. The second is a failed check valve allowing water to drain back into the basin immediately after each pump cycle, creating a loop. The third is a high water table that is genuinely keeping the basin full, which is common in low-lying areas of the Lehigh Valley and the Susquehanna River plain during wet seasons. Our plumbers can determine which situation you are dealing with and address it at the source.

In Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, where spring storms can bring an inch or more of rainfall in a few hours on ground that is already saturated from snowmelt, a failed sump pump during an active storm means water in your basement within hours. The damage compounds quickly. If your pump fails during a storm, call our emergency line immediately. If the pump has stopped working and water is rising, shutting off power to the basin area and moving valuables away from the floor is the right first step while you wait for a technician.

In this region, yes. The storms that produce enough rainfall to raise the water table in a Central or Eastern Pennsylvania basement are the same storms that are most likely to knock out power. A primary pump without battery backup is a single point of failure exactly when the stakes are highest. Our plumbers can assess your current setup and recommend a backup system sized appropriately for your basin and your home’s risk profile.

A pump that runs but does not discharge water has either a failed impeller that is no longer moving water through the pump body, a blocked intake screen, or a discharge line that is blocked or has separated at a joint and is dumping water somewhere other than outside the home. We inspect the full system from the pump intake to the discharge termination point to locate the failure.

The honest answer is that you may not know until you test it. Annual testing before the spring season, which in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania typically means February or March before snowmelt begins, is the best way to confirm the pump activates, moves water at the correct rate, and that the check valve and discharge line are intact. Our plumbers can perform that assessment and identify any components that are approaching failure before the season demands full performance from the system.