Cleaning your sump pit is imperative to maintaining the integrity of your home’s foundation. When left unattended, a full sump pit can cause numerous issues for your property and result in costly fixes that could have been avoided if the appropriate preventative measures had been taken.
What Is a Sump Pit?
Understanding the purpose of a sump pit will help to recognize the importance of maintaining regular maintenance to protect your Oakville property. A sump pit is a hole that collects excess water in the lowest part of your basement to prevent heavy rain, melting snow, and other water from causing water damage. Once the sump pit hits a certain level, the sump pump will direct the water away from your home to a dry well or municipal storm drain. You can read more about how a sump pump works.
How Often Should You Clean Your Sump Pit?
Determining how frequently you should clean your sump pit can seem like a daunting task. On average, the bare minimum for cleaning out your sump pit should be on an annual basis, while choosing a quarterly frequency maximizes the efficiency of your sump pit.
This will help to ensure a few things:
- Debris buildup in your pit is being cleared to prevent blockages to your sump pump, ultimately preventing it from doing its job.
- The pit is maintaining a safe level of water to prevent water damage to your property.
- Minimizing odours from standing water and other debris.
While an annual clean is a bare minimum for maintaining the integrity of your sump pit and pump, here are some factors that might demand an increased cleaning schedule:
- Do you live in an area with a lot of rain? More rain means more water buildup in your sump pit, and more work for your sump pump, ensuring the pit remains at the appropriate level to prevent damage. Areas with higher saturation of rain will need to check and clean their sump pit more frequently.
- Is your pit exposed to debris? If your sump pit is located in an area in your basement where debris can easily fall into it, potentially causing blockages to the drainage line. Having your sump pit in a well exposed, or high-traffic area in your basement would result in the need for more frequent cleaning.
- Is the sump pit/ sump pump old? If the structural integrity of the pit or the pump is compromised due to age, they will be less effective at surviving their purpose. If this is the case, then maintaining more frequent cleanings and maintenance might be more necessary. We offer various services for sump pump replacements which you can visit here.
If any combination of these factors applies to your Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Mississauga, or Etobicoke home, then consider increasing the frequency of cleaning. While an annual clean is acceptable for most homes, a quarterly clean ensures peace of mind and increased efficiency of your sump system.
Contact A. McKenna Plumbing Today.
To discuss the best options for cleaning your sump pit to maintain the integrity of your home’s foundation, contact A. McKenna Plumbing today!