My Sump Pump Just Broke!

Driving home one evening, the serpentine belt on the motor of my van broke.

Wham! Pow! Bam!

The power steering went out in the middle of a turn, and the engine began to overheat.  The only thing I could do was pull to the curb and park it.  It just broke suddenly, without warning.  Or did it?

Every spring, we get calls at Woods Basement Systems in which people tell us their basements started to leak for the very first time.  People ask us all the time, “Why is it leaking now?”

Well, just as our vehicles need attention to keep operating properly, so do our homes.  Sump pumps are mechanical and will work fine...right up to the point they stop.  Or were there signs of an impending problem?  

My serpentine belt had begun showing cracks, but I didn’t notice them.  Over time, sump pumps—like any mechanical device—slowly lose their power to pump.  Unless you are there, watching and measuring the out-flow rate, how would you know?  Otherwise, it seems like it "just quit pumping."

The sump pump is the heart of any waterproofing system.  So, sump pump maintenance and replacement is critical in keeping your basement dry. Just like having to replace that serpentine belt before your ruin your engine!

At Woods Basement Systems we have a well-trained service department that can come out and check on the mechanicals of your basement waterproofing system, such as sump pumps and dehumidifiers.  Throughout Southern Illinois and Eastern Missouri, we have installed many new basement waterproofing systems, including sump pumps, drainage tracks, and dehumidifiers - all designed to keep your basement dry!