Troubleshooting the Flow Controls for Basement Sump Pumps

Turn on the main power supply to the pump and watch to determine whether the pump is working. Find the float switch on the bottom of the pump, if the pump does not appear to be removing water from the sump pit, which is the hole in the ground where the sump pump is connected. The float switch is situated in the bottom of what appears to be a black cage on the bottom right-hand side of the pump. It's usually a small white device. You can reach through the holes on the side of the cage to reach and lift up on the switch.

Use a pen or other device to lift up the primary float switch, then let the switch go to ensure the switch is working and the flow control is not stuck.

Locate the check valve where the water flows into the discharge pipe and clean out any debris that might be blocking the valve or discharge pipe. The check valve is at the bottom of the right-hand portion of the Y-shaped pipe that you can see when you look down into the sump pump. It's usually a small black device.

Push up on the backup switch, which is situated above and to the right of the primary pump switch and looks like a vertical black device with a small round disk on the top and on the bottom. Release the switch to automatically activate the pump and empty out any remaining water from the sump pit. Press the red or yellow “Reset” button to turn off any alarms, if no water remains in the sump pit.