Welcome back to another edition of Inspector Pumphead’s Quick Tips! In this space I, Inspector Pumphead, will be dispensing wisdom regarding your pump, whether it be about performance, maintenance, repair parts or navigating our site to find a new product, I’m here to help!

In this edition, we will be covering how a winter storm (and cold, icy weather in general) can impact your pumping system, as well as the steps that any homeowner can take to minimize or prevent adverse effects. This topic is especially timed as much of the Northeast (PumpProducts.com’s backyard) is currently experiencing winter storm conditions today on 3/7/2018. If you’re in the area, you still have some time to follow these tips to make sure your system will be able to face the storm.

Tip 1: Remove your outdoor non-enclosed pump so that freezing water does not crack the casing.

Goulds Water Technology IRRI-GATOR pumps are often found outdoors

Many homeowners will have an external pump serving an outdoor application. Some common outdoor applications include field irrigation with the Goulds Water Technology GT IRRI-GATOR series being particularly popular for such services. Above ground jet well pumps such as the Goulds Water Technology J5 or J7S are also commonly found exposed to the open air.

This is perfectly reasonable as it is much more convenient to install and operate some pumps outside without an enclosure. The downside is that winter storm conditions will cause the water running through your pump to freeze. Depending on the temperature and the time left untended, the frozen water will eventually expand and crack the pumps casing. The worst case scenario is having to replace the pump and probably some of the piping as well.

Avoid this problem by turning off the external pump and removing it from your outdoor configuration until the storm passes and the temperature rises. It may be annoying and it will deprive you of a pumping service for a little bit, but it is far preferable to replacing that pump.

Note that pumps buried beneath the frost line and in an enclosure should be immune to freezing.

Tip 2: Be prepared for heavy waterflow to tax your sump pump once the snow starts melting.

This blog is being written in March and if you live in certain parts of the country, you know that can mean wild weather fluctuations on a day-to-day basis. One day the ground is covered in several inches of snow, the next it’s sunny, 50°F and all that snow is melting. Naturally, the melted snow will seep into the ground and create more groundwater than your sump pump (whether in a basement or backyard pit) is typically used to pumping.

The excess groundwater forces the pump to cycle more frequently and transport a higher capacity GPM than it is designed for. Naturally, this could burn out the pump.

Which ties into our next tip.

Tip 3: Have your backup pump ready.

-The Liberty StormCell series is a popular battery backup sump pump system

If your pump does fail due to overcycling, there is no better feeling of reassurance than knowing you have a backup pump of the same make and model ready to go. If it is the same pump model with the same specifications, you can simply swap in the replacement without losing much pumping service.

Of course, there is another way that a winter storm could disrupt your pumping system: power failures. High velocity winds damage power lines and cause blackouts. Some areas of Massachusetts still do not have power after last week’s Nor’easter. In such a situation, it pays in spades to have a battery backup sump pump. These battery backups operate when power is lost and give you peace of mind, letting you concentrate on staying safe and warm during the storm.

Do you have any other pump tips or general tips for surviving a winter storm? Let us know in the comments!

Pump Products sales specialists are standing by to help you find the right pump or part, as well as to provide price quotes, stocking availability and shipping information. Call 1-800-429-0800 to speak to an expert today.