In Silver Spring, where the typical home dates to the mid-1960s, a sump pump that stops working usually has a stuck float, a failed check valve, a clogged intake or a motor at the end of its life. Act quickly when water is rising, because older basements here often hold furnaces and water heaters close to the floor. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Silver Spring.
Silver Spring sits right on the District line, and most of its houses inside the Beltway went up before the region's newer subdivisions. The median home was built in 1964. Basements of that era were not always designed with a pit, so many pumps here were added later, sometimes with a discharge pipe that runs a short distance and dumps water right back against the foundation.
What to do now if water is rising
- Turn off the breaker for any basement circuit near the water before stepping in it.
- Check that the pump is plugged in and that its GFCI outlet has not tripped.
- Lift the cover and see whether the float is caught on the pit wall or a cord.
- Look outside where the discharge line ends. A buried or frozen outlet can stop flow.
- If the water smells like sewage or is coming up through a floor drain, stop using sinks, toilets and the washer.
- Move valuables and anything stored on the floor to a higher shelf.
If sewage is backing up from the public line, WSSC Water handles water and sewer emergencies at 301-206-4002. Problems inside the house are for a plumber. Keep in mind that the Silver Spring mailing area reaches well past downtown into places like Wheaton and Four Corners, so a neighbor a few streets away may have a very different basement and pump setup.
Symptoms and what usually causes them
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Pit full, pump silent | Tripped outlet, failed float switch or burned-out motor |
| Motor hums, no water leaves | Jammed impeller or blocked discharge line |
| Rapid on-off cycling | Float set too low or a check valve letting water fall back |
| Loud clunk when it stops | Check valve slamming shut |
| Rotten-egg odor | Dry trap or standing water in an open pit |
| Pump runs on a dry day | High groundwater, a leaking supply pipe or a discharge loop |
What moves the price
- A part swap compared with a new pump and fittings
- Retrofitting a pit into an older slab that never had one
- Lengthening or rerouting the discharge so water stays away from the foundation
- Battery backup and high-water alarm add-ons
- Whether the job involves a sewage ejector serving a basement bathroom
- Any WSSC Water plumbing permit the work requires
Sump Pumps questions in Silver Spring
What is the difference between a sump pump and a sewage ejector pump?
Who do I call if sewage is coming up through the basement floor drain?
Why does the sump pit smell?
Why does my pump turn on and off every few seconds?
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