Protecting Your Sump Pump During Winter

Winter is not far. This is when you have frozen sump pumps to look forward to! These cause problems like ooding and pump burnouts. Here are a few simple tips that could help.

1. Use a large diameter discharge pipe

• Discharge pipes are usually outdoors and are therefore most prone to freezing. A large diameter discharge pipe is less likely to fully freeze; they allow water to flow freely.

2. Insulate the pipes

• Pipe buried sufficiently deep underground don’t require insulation. But insulating the exposed intake and discharge sections of a pipe can prevent them from freezing over.

3. Maintain discharge pipes at a gradient

• Gravity keeps the water flowing and prevents it from stagnating, which can otherwise easily freeze over.