Sump pump maintenance and failure prevention

Updated October 13, 2026

How to test your sump pump

1. Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit until the water level rises enough to trigger the float switch.
2. Confirm the pump turns on, moves water out through the discharge line, and shuts off properly once the water level drops.
3. Check that the discharge line outside the home is clear and directing water well away from the foundation.

Do this a few times a year, and especially before a season when heavy rain or snowmelt is expected.

The four most common failure causes

• Power outage. The storms most likely to flood a basement are also the kind that knock out power. A battery backup system keeps the pump running when it matters most.
• Stuck or misaligned float switch. Debris in the pit or a switch that’s shifted can prevent the pump from ever activating. Check the pit is clear during your test.
• Pump overwhelmed by volume. A pump sized for typical groundwater can fall behind during an unusually heavy storm. If your basement floods even with a working pump, it may be undersized for your situation.
• Age and wear. Most sump pumps are rated for several years of regular service, not decades. If you don’t know how old yours is, that’s worth finding out.

Is a battery backup worth it?

For most Elkhart County basements, yes — a battery backup addresses exactly the scenario where a primary pump is most likely to fail: a power outage during a major storm. It’s a relatively small cost compared to the cost of cleaning up a flooded finished basement.

Signs your pump may be about to fail

• Unusual noise when it runs — grinding, rattling, or straining sounds.
• It runs constantly even without heavy rain, suggesting it’s struggling to keep up or cycling incorrectly.
• Visible rust or corrosion on the unit.
• It’s more than 7–10 years old and has never been replaced.

Already dealing with a flooded basement from a pump that failed? See sump pump failure cleanup.

This site connects homeowners and businesses in the Elkhart County area with an independent local water-damage cleanup crew. We are not the servicing contractor and do not carry out cleanup ourselves. See our terms & disclosure.