How to Test Your Sump Pump

What you need

A bucket or two of water, a flashlight, and access to the pit. If the lid is sealed with screws, you will need a screwdriver too.

The test

1. Confirm the pump has power at its outlet. If it is on a GFCI, press test and reset.
2. Remove the lid and look into the pit. Note any silt, gravel or debris.
3. Tip water slowly into the pit so the float climbs.
4. The pump should begin, empty the pit, and shut off.
5. Listen for the check valve closing; a thump is normal on older valves.
6. Go outside and confirm water came out of the discharge pipe.

Warning signs

• You hear a hum yet no water moves: gravel may have locked the impeller, or the motor is dying.
• It runs but the level drops slowly: a worn impeller or a partly blocked discharge.
• It does not stop: the float is stuck or the switch has failed.
• Water flows back into the pit when it stops: the check valve has failed.

Battery backup care

Got a standby pump? Unplug the primary one and repeat the bucket test so the backup runs. Check the battery's age and the charger's indicator. Many deep-cycle batteries last only a few years; replace on the maker's schedule.

Discharge in winter

The discharge pipe outside should slope away so it empties after each cycle. If ice has built up at the end, clear it. A frozen discharge is a common cause of overflowing pits in Vaughan in February and March.

If anything fails, see sump pump repair or installation.