Before becoming New Providence sometime around 1759, this family-friendly town on the western edge of Union County was known to the colonists as Turkey (or Turkey Town) in acknowledgment of the flocks of wild turkeys that roamed the area. Today, New Providence is better known by the outstanding reputation of its schools and its convenience to New York City by train.
Like most other northern New Jersey towns, New Providence homeowners occasionally have to contend with nature and the many challenges it can pose. When it comes to this quiet hamlet, this can mean ground water creeping into basements or the occasional flooding episode, especially if your home is located near the Passaic River. For these reasons especially, it’s good to know the operating status of your basement sump pump and if it’s in good enough shape to handle the next downpour or flood.
New Providence homeowners, sump pumps fail at the least opportune times. Don’t let it happen to you.
Your basement sump pump leads a fairly anonymous existence… until it stops working and your basement floods! If that ever happens, call Stashluk right away at 908.277.6200. Even better, call us before your sump pump fails.
Most homeowners don’t realize that the life span of their sump pump falls somewhere in between five to 10 years, mainly depending on use. So what are some of the signs of potential sump pump failure, and how can you tell the best time for a replacement or upgrade?
Did your sump pump come with your house?
If you’ve been in your home for a few years, now’s a good time to think about the condition of your basement pump. Your sump pump may be showing signs that it’s ready for replacement.
Is your sump pump often running?
If you often hear your sump pump working steadily during or after every rain storm, chances are it’s having difficulty pumping water away from the foundation of your house. Frequent running will wear on the life of the pump motor and its parts, as will the damage that is done by the constant sucking in of dirt and other sediment. If you find it running even when it hasn’t rained and there is no water present in the sump pit, there may be a problem with the switch or the float may be caught against the inside of the sump pit wall.
Is it rarely used?
If your sump pump doesn’t get a lot of use, test it regularly by filling the pit with water. If you’re not sure how to test it, call Stashluk and we’ll come to your home and test and inspect the pump.
Is your sump pump making strange noises?
If your sump pump is emitting strange sounds when it’s pumping water it could be a sure sign that mechanical failure is imminent, or that there’s dirt in the pit or something has fallen into the pit and jammed the impeller.
A damaged impeller is causing the sump pump to vibrate.
If debris gets sucked into the unit and bends the impeller, the damaged blade can throw off the balance of the pump and cause it to wobble, putting stress on the entire unit. A wobbly, vibrating pump will likely need replacement.
What if the power goes out?
A professionally installed sump pump should be directly wired into your home’s electrical panel with its own breaker switch. However, you still should have a backup system that will kick on when the power to your main pump goes out. Stashluk recommends and installs Water Commander™ water-powered backup sump pumps. These pumps use your home’s city water pressure as the energy source to pump water. Because these backup pumps do not depend on a battery to power them, they will operate at full power for many years.
For the ultimate protection when your power goes out, your best backup power option is a whole house standby generator. Stashluk installs standby generators and repairs standby generators from leading manufacturers, and we provide access to affordable financing terms, too. An automatic standby generator installed by Stashluk can keep your lights on, and your heating, refrigeration, sump pumps, air conditioning and technology purring smoothly like nothing ever happened. To learn more, give Stashluk a call at 908.277.6200.
Which kind of sump pump is best for your home?
There are two kinds of sump pumps: submersible and pedestal. If you’re into more powerful, quiet operation a submersible pump may be right for your home. Since the motor housing is submerged in water, submersible pumps typically operate more quietly than pedestal pumps, which have the motor housing atop the pedestal.
Because of their greater water pumping power, submersible pumps are better for situations where basement water is more frequently present. However, because they work harder and more frequently, the flip side of this benefit is their lifespan may be shorter than a pedestal pump.
Before the flood, give Stashluk a call for sump pump installation and repair!
A flooded basement can cause hundreds if not thousands of dollars of damage. Don’t let an old sump pump put you under water. Give a Stashluk a call today at 908.277.6200.
‘New Providence NJ House in Wintertime with Snow and Trees’ by Tomwsulcer is licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license.
