Fall sump pump maintenance comes down to a few checks before storm season: clear leaves away from the discharge outlet, clean the pit and intake screen, bucket-test the float switch, test the battery backup with the main pump unplugged, and make sure the check valve and power supply are sound. Plan on about an hour, and finish before the first big fall storm.

This is the fall-specific version of our routine. For the full year-round schedule, see our sump pump maintenance checklist.

Why Fall Is Hard on Northern Virginia Sump Pumps

Fall asks more of a sump pump than almost any other season. Several things tend to pile up at once:

• Heavy rain from late-season storms. The Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30, and the remnants of tropical systems can bring several days of soaking rain to the region.
• Falling leaves. Wet leaves collect around the outdoor end of the discharge pipe and can block it within a single windy week.
• Power outages. The same storms that fill your sump pit can knock out power, which is exactly when a standard pump stops working.
• A pump that’s been sitting idle. After a dry stretch in late summer, a pump may not have run in weeks, and a stuck float or seized impeller won’t show itself until the pit fills.

Your Fall Sump Pump Maintenance Checklist

Work through these steps in order. Always cut power to the pump before you put your hands in the pit.

1. Start outside at the discharge outlet. Clear leaves, mulch, and debris from the end of the pipe, and confirm the water will drain away from your foundation, not back toward it.
2. Unplug the pump or switch off its circuit before touching anything in the pit.
3. Clean the pit and intake screen. Lift the pump out if you can, scoop out silt and gravel from the bottom of the basin, and brush off the intake screen.
4. Check that the float moves freely. Make sure the float can rise and fall without catching on the pit wall, the power cord, or the discharge pipe.
5. Bucket-test the pump. Plug the pump back in and pour water in slowly. North Dakota State University Extension recommends simulating the normal inflow rate and making sure the pump turns on and off at least twice.
6. Listen when the pump shuts off. A rush of water flowing back into the pit points to a failing check valve.
7. Test the battery backup using the steps in the section below.
8. Check the power supply. Look over the cord for damage, plug the pump directly into its outlet rather than an extension cord, and confirm the circuit breaker is on.

How to Clear a Clogged Sump Pump Discharge Line

A blocked discharge line is one of the most common reasons a pump fails during a storm. With nowhere for the water to go, the pump runs against the blockage, overheats, and can burn out.

Walk the line from where it leaves your foundation to where it ends in the yard. Clear the outlet, and check any extension pipe or buried line for crushed sections. If water backs up in the pipe or the pump runs without moving water even after you’ve cleared the outlet, the clog may be inside the line. That’s a good time to call a plumber, since forcing a buried line can damage it.

A clean discharge line also matters later in the year. NDSU Extension advises making sure the discharge pipe isn’t frozen shut or plugged and directs water away from the house. Leaves and standing water trapped in the pipe in November can freeze solid in January.

How to Test a Battery Backup Sump Pump

A battery backup is your protection when a storm takes out the power. According to NDSU Extension, a typical backup system uses a 12-volt DC pump powered by a battery on a specially designed trickle charger, with its own check valve on the outlet pipe and a float set to turn on only when water rises above the primary pump’s turn-on level.

To test it:

1. Confirm the battery is fully charged using the indicator on the control unit.
2. Shut off power to the main sump pump and to the backup system’s charger.
3. Pour water into the pit until the backup pump turns on.
4. Watch that it empties the pit and shuts off on its own.
5. Restore power to both the main pump and the charger.

Follow the manufacturer’s battery maintenance instructions as well. The City of Ann Arbor’s homeowner checklist recommends checking the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions for your backup system and inspecting the backup pump for debris the same way you do the primary pump.

If you don’t have a backup yet, fall is a good time to add one. Kinnett Plumbing installs backup and battery-powered sump pumps as part of our sump pump installation and repair services.

What Your Sump Pump Is Telling You

If something didn’t look or sound right during your checks, use this table to narrow it down.

Water pooling near a basement bathroom or laundry area instead of the sump pit may be a different system. An ejector pump handles wastewater from below-grade fixtures and needs its own ejector pump service.

When to Call a Plumber

Routine fall checks are a homeowner job. Call a licensed plumber when:

• The pump fails the bucket test or the battery backup test
• You’ve cleared the outlet, but the discharge line still seems blocked
• The check valve is letting water flow back into the pit
• You don’t know how old the pump is, and it’s never been professionally checked
• You want to add a battery backup before the next outage

If your pump fails in the middle of a storm and water is rising, contact our emergency plumbing team.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I do fall sump pump maintenance?

Aim for September or early October, before leaves start dropping heavily and before the late-season storms that often reach Northern Virginia. Test again after any long power outage, and give the pump another check in late winter before spring rains. If your pump runs often, check it more frequently.

Why is my sump pump humming but not pumping water?

A hum usually means the motor is getting power but can’t move water. Common causes are a jammed impeller, a clogged intake screen, a stuck float, or a blocked or frozen discharge line. Unplug the pump right away to protect the motor, clear what you safely can, and call a plumber if it still won’t pump.

Does a battery backup sump pump need its own check valve?

In a typical setup, yes. NDSU Extension describes backup systems with their own check valve on the backup pump’s outlet pipe, which then connects to the primary pump’s discharge line. Without it, water pushed out by one pump can flow back into the pit through the other. A plumber can confirm your setup is plumbed correctly.

What should I do if my sump pump fails during a storm?

Stay out of standing water if the pump or any outlet may be energized. If you can reach the breaker safely, cut power to the pump. Move belongings to higher ground, and start removing water with a wet vacuum or a portable pump if you have one. Then call a plumber for emergency service.

Get Your Sump Pump Ready Before the Storms

A few minutes now is a lot easier than a flooded basement later. If your pump didn’t pass one of the checks above, or you’d like a battery backup installed before storm season, Kinnett Plumbing can help. We’re a licensed, family-owned plumbing company based in Manassas, and we’ll give you an honest assessment of what your system needs and what it doesn’t.

Call (703) 878-3154 or schedule a sump pump inspection online.