5 Ways to Protect Against Sump and Septic Pump Home Water Damage

Sump pumps and sewage pumps are not the glamour systems of the average home. No one talks about them, or even thinks about them, unless something goes wrong.

By the time something has gone wrong, often there is a whole lot of water flowing into someplace it shouldn't be.

You do not want this to happen to you!

While we have experienced a warmer summer season than normal, the cold season is just around the corner now, bringing with it the ever-present threat of frozen, burst pipes and unpredictably intense seasonal storms.

In this timely post, we share information to help you protect your home investment against water damage this winter and all year long.

Is Routine Sump and Sewage Pump Maintenance Enough Protection?

According to the Sump and Sewage Pump Manufacturers Association (SSPMA), simply performing routine sump and sewage pump maintenance is no longer enough to guard against the threat of home water damage.

Here is an all too common example:

Let's say you inherited your present sump pump and sewage pump systems along with your home when you bought it from the previous owner.

So now you don't know if these systems were installed properly. You have no record of how well (or if) they were maintained in the past. You don't even know if the systems are appropriate to handle the type of effluent and current usage rate.

You may not have a good idea of how long your systems will last or how they will perform when pushed to peak efficiency either.

It is true that performing routine quarterly and annual sump and sewage pump maintenance establishes a good baseline for the health of your pumps under normal operating conditions, but what will happen if those operating conditions change?

Five Alarm System Options to Guard Against Home Water Damage

Most sump pump and sewage pump systems have some level of inbuilt sensor, meter or alarm features.

Even simple non-motor pumps typically have some type of built-in float switch to detect a change in water levels and trigger the pump operation, but what other types of water events might you need to know about while there is still time to stave off a major issue?

1. Leak detectors for water-use appliances

Sink drains, water heaters, washing machine hoses, dishwasher drains, HVAC drain clogs and other appliances and systems can all generate leaks that are frequently implicated in home water damage claims.

Broken or malfunctioning water hoses from washing machines are of particular concern - it is dangerously easy to underestimate how much water is flowing through those hoses on a daily basis.

When a pipe develops a slow leak that results in a decrease in water pressure, a leak detector can also alert you before that slow drip turns into a burst pipe.

2. Puddle sensors

Many homeowners do their best to stay out of their home's basement or crawlspace areas, especially if these spaces are unfinished and unpleasant.

This avoidance, however, makes it all too easy for tiny leaks to turn into puddles. When these growing puddles go undetected for long enough, all it takes is one weather event or malfunction elsewhere in the plumbing system to turn into a major water disaster.

Today's sophisticated, yet easy to install and operate, sump pump and sewage pump alarms and sensors can detect puddles at floor level in any indoor space.

3. Temperature change sensors

Winter weather in Canada can be notoriously unpredictable, with sudden temperature drops that can quickly lead to frozen, burst pipes.

Temperature change sensors have one vital job to do. These sensors detect a sudden, unusual drop in temperature and sound the alarm while you still have time to guard against the potential for costly water damage.

In some cases, a temperature sensor can be set up to work directly with an emergency auto-water shutoff switch that can prevent water damage even while you are away from the home.

4. Back flow prevention valve and alarm

If standing water inside the home is bad, standing sewage water inside the home is worse.

Back flow prevention valves are designed to protect against overflow or clogs stemming from city water or sewer pipes as well as other types of damage that might cause trapped water to flow back up into your space.

5. Backup sump system or power source

This last protective measure becomes critically important if your sump pump and/or sewer pump relies on electricity for power.

What happens if a seasonal storm results in a power loss?

There are a variety of emergency backup options to address this.

One of the most popular is to install a backup sump system, either a mechanical water-based system or a pump that runs on natural gas or propane.

Another popular option is to install an alarm that works in concert with a backup generator that can kick in right away to keep power flowing to your pump system.

Get 24/7 Protection Against Home Water Damage

Owning a home comes with a heaping helping of personal responsibility. It can be challenging to juggle a calendar full of annual preventative maintenance chores and routine home safety checks.

With our carefully curated line of easy-use, reliable, high-quality, smart device-enabled sump pump and sewage alarms, you can check at least one home ownership worry off your list.

Most of our sump and sensor alarm systems include auxiliary connectors. This makes them "smart home friendly" so you can manage your home's safety and security systems remotely. We also have options for indoor-only and indoor-outdoor needs.

Get in Touch With Gravenhurst’s Plumbing, Heating and Electrical Team

At Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating and Electric we are open to serve our clients during with a convenient summer HVAC combo maintenance plan complete with contactless payment options.

Contact our qualified technicians online or give us a call at 877-885-3403.

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