Order summary
Pour water into the sump pit until the float lifts. Expect the motor to kick in, pump the pit down, and stop. Water should come out where the discharge line ends outside. If all three happen, you are in good shape. If any fails, fix it before the weather turns.
Numbered steps
- Check the power. Confirm the cord is in a live outlet. If it is on a GFCI outlet, press the test and reset buttons.
- Clear the pit. Remove gravel, silt or junk that might catch the float.
- Fill the pit slowly. Use a bucket or garden hose. Watch the float rise.
- Watch it cycle. The pump should start, drain the pit down and switch off cleanly.
- Listen. A smooth hum is fine. Grinding, rattling or a loud bang when it stops can mean a worn bearing, a loose impeller or a missing check valve.
- Go outside. Make sure water is leaving through the discharge pipe and draining away from the house, not pooling next to the wall.
- Test the backup. Got a battery backup? Unplug the primary pump and do the test a second time.
Plumber's tip: Spring in North York brings snowmelt plus rain on frozen ground. That is when pits fill fastest. Test in March, and again before the summer storm season.
Errors we see on site
- Testing with the pump unplugged and plugged in again, which only tests the outlet.
- Letting the discharge line freeze. In winter, a line buried shallow or running across the lawn can freeze solid. Disconnect any extension hose in late fall.
- Letting the float switch tangle with the power cord or pit walls.
- Running the pump to a sanitary drain. Toronto's sewer bylaw does not allow sump water in the sanitary sewer in most cases.
- Ignoring a pump that runs constantly in dry weather. That can point to a jammed float, or a check valve that has quit that lets pumped water drop back into the pit.
When the desk should come out
Call if the pump will not start, will not stop, short-cycles, makes grinding noises, or the pit fills quicker than the pump can clear it. Age matters too. Pumps do not last forever, and one that has served many years is better replaced when you choose than in a storm. Our sump pump replacement page covers what we do, and battery backup sump pumps explains the backup side.
If the floor drain also backs up during storms, that is a separate problem from groundwater. Read about floor drain backup to understand the difference.
Keep a short log on a card taped near the pit: the date of each test, whether the pump cycled cleanly, and anything odd you heard. When we arrive, that card tells us more than a description over the phone, and it shows a pattern if the pump is slowly getting weaker.
To book a check, call (365) 517-5705.
Quick checklist
- Pour a pail into the pit and watch it cycle
- Check the discharge outside is clear
- Pull the primary pump plug and make sure the backup takes over
Your questions on this one
How many sump tests a year?
Two a year minimum, one ahead of the spring thaw and one ahead of summer storms. Test again after a lengthy power cut too.
My pit is always dry. Do I need to test it?
Yes. Many pits sit dry for most of the year and then fill quickly in one storm. A pump that has not run in months is the one most likely to stick.