Sioux City Water Restoration / Sump pump failure

Sump pump failure and basement water in Sioux City

A sump pump can sit quietly for months and then have to run every few minutes for two days straight. In Sioux City that happens in early summer, when most of the year's rain falls. When the pump stops, the pit fills and the water comes up through the floor, and a finished basement can take on a lot of it fast.

When pumps here get tested

Sioux City gets about 29 inches of precipitation in an average year, according to NOAA's normals for Gateway Airport. More than half of it falls from May through August. June is the wettest month at about 4.4 inches, while January averages less than three quarters of an inch. A sump pump that barely runs all winter can run constantly through a wet June.

Those same summer storms bring wind and lightning, and a power outage during a heavy rain is the worst timing there is for a pump with no backup.

The winter problem

Pumps fail here in winter too, for a different reason. Sioux City averages about 154 nights a year at or below freezing. A discharge line that runs out across the yard and holds water can freeze solid. When the March thaw or an early spring rain sends water to the pit, the pump runs against a frozen line and either burns out or pushes the water back into the pit. A line that slopes away so it drains, or a freeze-resistant fitting where it leaves the house, helps.

Why pumps quit

• The power went out, or a breaker or GFCI outlet tripped.
• The float got stuck against the side of the pit or tangled in the cord.
• The check valve failed and the pump keeps moving the same water in a loop until it wears out.
• The discharge line froze, clogged, or came apart outside.
• The pump wore out. Many last somewhere around seven to ten years.

If the pump runs but the pit keeps rising, the pump may be too small for how much water is coming in, or the discharge is blocked.

Where the water should go

A sump pump should send water out to the yard or the storm system, away from the foundation. Sioux City keeps its storm and sanitary sewers separate, and a sump pump tied into a sanitary drain sends ground water to the treatment plant and adds to backups for the whole neighborhood. If yours drains into a floor drain or a laundry tub, ask a plumber about rerouting it.

How the crew dries a finished basement

Water from a sump pit is ground water. It is usually cleaner than a sewer backup, but it isn't tap water, and it often carries silt. The crew extracts the standing water and pulls wet carpet pad, which almost never dries well in place. Carpet itself can sometimes be saved if it was only wet for a short time. Drywall and the bottom plates of the walls get metered, and the drywall gets cut where the readings say it is wet, often in a straight line a foot or two up so the repair is simple.

Then the dehumidifiers and air movers run until the slab, the framing, and the walls read dry. Basements are slow to dry because the slab stays cool and the air down there is already damp, so the equipment usually stays longer than people expect.

Before the next storm

Pour a bucket of water into the pit every spring and watch the pump kick on and empty it. A battery backup pump or a water-powered backup covers the power outage problem. A water alarm in the pit costs little and can wake you up before the carpet is wet.

Request help

This page is a request form, not a restoration contractor.

Questions

Does homeowners insurance cover a sump pump failure?

Often only if the policy has a water backup or sump overflow endorsement. Many basic policies exclude it. Check your policy or ask your agent.

Can I keep the carpet?

Sometimes, if it was clean ground water and it was only wet for a short time. The pad under it almost always has to be replaced.

How long does a basement take to dry?

Longer than a room upstairs, because the slab stays cool and holds water. The crew leaves the equipment until the meters read dry.

More Sioux City water help

• Frozen and burst pipes
• Sewer and floor drain backups
• Insurance claims
• What it might cost
• Start page: what to do first