How long should a sump pump last?

Roughly 7–10 years in typical Bucks/Montgomery County use — less if it runs constantly through wet seasons. If yours is approaching that and the basement is finished, replacement before failure is the smart spend.

Why does my sump pump run when it is not raining?

Either a high water table (normal in some lots — the pit just fills from groundwater) or a failed check valve recycling its own discharge. The check-valve version has a tell: the pump cycles on a regular rhythm even in dry weeks.

Is a battery backup worth it if my basement is unfinished?

Depends what the water threatens. Unfinished basement with a furnace, water heater, or stored belongings on the floor — still yes. A bare utility basement where water just sits on the slab — more optional.

Sump Pump Not Working? Causes & Fixes

The two-minute test

Pour a five-gallon bucket of water into the pit, fast. The pump should kick on, drain the pit, and shut off. If it does not start, does not fully drain, or shuts off late — you have found the problem before the storm did. Do this in spring and before any forecasted heavy rain; sump pumps fail silently and announce themselves with a flooded basement.

The usual suspects

Float switch stuck — the float tells the pump when to run. Debris, a tangled cord, or the pump shifting position pins it down or holds it up. Reaching in and freeing it often fixes everything — unplug the pump first
GFCI or breaker tripped — pumps trip GFCIs. Check the outlet and the panel before assuming the pump died
Check valve failed — the one-way valve on the discharge line keeps pumped water from flowing back. When it fails, the pump re-pumps the same water in a loop and runs constantly
Discharge line blocked — the line outside freezes in winter or silts up. If the pump runs but the pit level stays high, trace the line to where it exits
Undersized or worn pump — a pump cycling constantly during normal rain is either fighting a failed check valve or just too small for the inflow

Running constantly but the pit stays low?

That is almost always the check valve — water pumped out flows right back down and triggers the pump again. It burns out pumps fast. The valve is a $20 part but it is threaded into the discharge line under tension — a quick job for us.

Do you need a backup?

If your basement is finished or the pit takes water every storm: yes, honestly. The three options:

Battery backup pump — a second pump with its own battery; runs when the power dies or the primary fails. The standard answer for finished basements
Water-powered backup — uses municipal water pressure, no battery to maintain, but only works on city water and uses a lot of it
A second AC pump on a different circuit — cheap redundancy against primary failure, useless in a power outage

In our area the pair of failure modes is always the same — the pump dies, or the power dies with the storm. A battery backup covers both.

When to call

Pump does not start on the bucket test — could be the switch, the motor, or the wiring; we diagnose before replacing
You want a backup installed before storm season
The pit overflows regularly even with a working pump — that is a drainage problem, not a pump problem

Call or text (267) 227-8115 — or see our plumbing repairs page. Basement flooding is one of the few plumbing problems where waiting genuinely costs more.

Sump pump acting up? Here is how to check it before the next storm.