Plumbing Pro, Jamie Carter, Gives Advice about Sump Pumps for Local Homeowners

Jamie Carter is a Licensed Plumbing Contractor and Offers Free Advice for Preventing A Flooded Basement. Carter’s My Plumber is Owned by Jamie Carter and Provides Professional Plumbing Service.

Carter’s My Plumber is a local, family-owned, 3rd generation plumbing business located in Greenwood, Indiana, providing plumbing service to the Indianapolis, Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin, Bargersville, Trafalgar, Mooresville, Wannamaker, Beech Grove and Southport areas. Carter’s My Plumber has a special menu of services designed to meet the needs of every homeowner to provide a complete solution to their home’s plumbing system. With over 30 years of plumbing experience, their trained plumbers meet the plumbing need of every residential and light commercial need. Carter’s recently received this Angie’s List review: http://bit.ly/156QNeK

About Jamie Carter, Plumbing Pro:

Jamie Carter is a Licensed Plumbing Contractor in the state of Indiana. He has been doing plumbing and construction for over 30 years. He is a Certified Plumbing Engineer through ASPE. He is a board member for PHCC, a local Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors association. He is a member of Service Round Table. . Jamie graduated from Mechanical Skills Plumbing Trade School and became a licensed Master Plumber and Contractor after high school. He owns and operates Carter’s My Plumber in Greenwood, Indiana and provides residential service to the Indianapolis market.

How water Floods a Basement or Crawl Space:

There are many ways for water to enter your basement or crawl space, and flooding is most often caused by water build up in the soil that makes its way inside. There are many ways to prevent water entering and a sump pump is a last defense against flooding. Sump pumps pump water out from the lowest section of the basement before the water level reaches the basement floor level. As groundwater level rises it is diverted into the sump hole. When the water reaches what is called ‘the critical level’, the sump pump begins to pump it out through a pipe that leads outside and away from your foundation.

The Importance of a Sump Pump:

The sump pump has recently become more important especially in newer homes since the Federal Clean Water Act which doesn’t allow builders in many municipalities to drain rainwater collected by gutters into sewerage systems. Water collected on the roof of your home and drained by your gutters can cause flooding if it is not carried far enough away from your home’s foundation.
Checking your sump pump:
It is important to check your sump pump regularly to make sure that it is working properly.

• Remove the cover and slowly pour water into the sump tank.
• Watch for the "float" to rise and trigger the pump.
• Once the pump is engaged, the water level will quickly lower and the float will shut off the pump.

This is what is called "a normal sump cycle."

Most sump pump problems are float related. If the pump does not start, the float may be hanging on something in the tank. A simple repositioning of the pump should solve the problem.

• If this fails, the float may need replacement.
• If the pump fails to shut off when the water level drops to the bottom of the sump tank, this indicates a new float is needed.
• Float switch - The float switch is the part of the sump pump that activates the pump when water reaches a certain threshold.

If a homeowner needs further advice they can contact Jamie direct by sending a tweet to @proplumberjc.