Does your Northwest Side home have a sump pump? When was the last time you cleaned it out? If you’re like many sump pump owners on Chicago’s Northwest Side the answer may be “not frequently enough” and that’s a shame because the process is actually quite simple once you know what you’re doing. And Vanguard Plumbing & Sewer – Chicago’s highest rated residential service plumber – is here to teach you how.

How Often Should You Be Cleaning Your Sump Pump?

Before we get to the details on cleaning out your sump pump let’s think about best practices when it comes to sump pump cleaning – no matter the make and model. While your specific unit’s user manual should have cleaning recommendations listed a good rule of thumb is to do it once every year. That’s what the plumbers from Vanguard recommend and they’ll even help you handle it if you’re uncomfortable giving it a go.

So, if you’re willing to give sump pump cleaning a shot all you need to do is continue reading to find out the steps to take. Or conversely, you could call Vanguard at (773) 633-6139 instead!

Here’s Everything You’ll Need to Clean Your Sump Pump

The best way to start any project – whether plumbing or something else – is to gather the tools and materials you’re going to need to finish the job. For cleaning your sump pump you’ll need a few things that aren’t hard to come by but that you may not have on-hand. Get everything you need ready to go before you take the first step including:

• Pipe Wrench
• Plastic Scraper
• Plastic Sheeting
• Large Bucket
• Water Hose
• Shop-Vac

Do Prep Work Before You Start Cleaning Your Sump Pump

Once you have all your tools and materials together you’ll want to lay the plastic out on the floor of the area where you’ll be cleaning your sump pump. This is to catch any spatter or drips from your work to scrape away any material in the sump pump, as well as to help you remove the sump pump to wherever you’ll be hosing it off. And most importantly – turn off the power to the sump pump and make 100% sure no one uses any appliances that drain into the sump pit while you’re working. That would be bad.

Cleaning Your Chicagoland Sump Pump in 7 Easy Steps

Alright, we’ve collected all of our tools and materials and prepped our workspace to avoid messes while we work. Now we need to think about each of the steps – 7 in all – we’ll take to do the sump pump cleaning job right. The power is off – be certain of this – and no one is going to use anything that could rain on our parade. That’s good and gets us to our steps:

• Step #1: Manually disconnect the sump pump from the discharge pipe. This should be easy enough using the pipe wrench you have nearby.
• Step #2: Use the plastic you placed on the floor to wrap the sump pump up completely. Be sure it’s not leaking from any exposed folds in the plastic before carrying it to your water hose location. Grab the plastic scraper too. You’re going to need it.
• Step #3: Spray the sump pump off thoroughly and use the plastic scraper to remove any stuck-on material the hose can’t get rid of by itself. Once it’s clean let it sit to totally dry out.
• Step #4: Go back to your sump pit and use the shop-vac to remove any water from the pit. Make sure you get every bit of it while you have the opportunity. You won’t be in here again for another year.
• Step #5: If your sump pump has a check valve that can be taken apart then this is the time to address it. Being careful, take the check valve apart and clean it with the water hose. Once you’re done dry it off really well and put it back together again.
• Step 6#: Bring the dry sump pump back into the sump pit and reconnect it using the pipe wrench. Be sure the discharge pipe and sump pump are tightly sealed and back in their original positions.
• Step #7: Turn the power back on to the sump pump unit and let everyone know they’re free to once again use appliances because you’re finished. Congratulations!

Cleaning Your Northwest Chicago Sump Pump Couldn’t Be Easier!

See, what did we tell you to start this article? Cleaning your sump pump is a simple, straightforward process made even easier with clear instructions from Chicago’s top-rated residential service plumber – Vanguard Plumbing & Sewer. We’re certified installers of ION Technologies products so when you need the best sump pump plumbing, ejector pump plumbing or battery backup plumbing on Chicago’s Northwest Side just call (773) 633-6139 or submit a contact form today!