Remember the terrible snowfalls of last year? Remember the nightmare it was attempting to get any where for days after? I do. What I remember far more vividly though is the nuisance of a flooded basement that only came as the snow melted away and began to back up sewers all over the place. I remember the annoyance of trying to hunt down a functional sump pump. I remember finding what I thought was one from a friend and having to pay for sump pump repair. With the crisp air finally making a comeback after a mild fall and holiday season I am trying to stay incredibly aware of whether I need sump pump repair this year.
After our emergency last year, (and after springing for that sump pump repair) I ran right out and bought a pump for my family and myself. Of course as the events of last year taught us that is not a one hundred percent guarantee. In fact the fact that in the hurricanes and various other torrential downpours we have managed to avoid more flooding seems to be a small miracle. However, and there is a big however, not running a sump pump for a year or more can mean you do not know how the thing will handle should flooding occur. We may get it into a four-foot pool of standing water in the basement only to discover it needs an exhaust fan repair.
With these concerns in mind the colder air has me checking my pump on a nearly weekly basis. Running it to assure that pressure reducing valves still work and everything else is operational as well. I have little interest in going through the problems that plagued us and likely countless others in 2011. Having one of these handy pumps it would seem was only part of the battle.
Of course I have taken other precautions. While times are tight I did what I could to cheaply weather proof the basement. I sealed windows with plastic and made sure our drains and gutters were completely clear of clogging debris. That said there is not much hope on my end that we could continue dodging bullets forever. At some point I will be forced to pump the basement once again. When that moment comes I will not only be ready I will feel a rabid sense of self=satisfaction about my general preparedness.