It is that time of year again, and about every 3 to 4 years the flooding is worse than usual.  Over the last two days I have changed out 3 sump pumps in Edmonton for people that have had sump pump failure.  I have had two other calls but was busy on other jobs and during a time of flooding these things need to be changed as fast as possible.

Every year you should fill your sump with water to make sure that your sump pump is working in Edmonton.  In some areas of Alberta your sump pump might work throughout the year depending on the temperatures, but in Edmonton you will find that most likely the pump has not been on in 6 months and when it starts up in the spring is often the time that the pump will cease.  This is not always the case, but is true 75% of the time.

Another solution is to buy an high level alarm that will sound if the water level in the sump barrel reaches a certain level.

Your holding tank fills fast as your weeping tile flows into the barrel whenever it rains.  Then when the water gets to a certain level the pump float will activate the switch and turn the pump on and pushing the water up and out of your house.  Depending on where in the city of Edmonton you live this could flow out of your house towards the street or in some areas will flow into Edmonton’s storm sewer system that then goes to the river.

The job I went onto today was to replace a sump pump that starting to work shortly before I got there.  As the tank that was used for this sump was about four times larger than a normal sized tank we were able to add a second pump that would tie into the same line.  Since there was no check valves on the first pump I added one for that pump and a second one for the new pump.  This will allow the water to flow out of the house if one of the pumps does not turn on.  Without the check valves one pump will flow water up and then back down through the other pump.  Sort of defeats the purpose.

If you need your sump pump changed please give me a call at 780-264-0878.

Thanks,

Kelly

Kramer Plumbing and Radiant Heat