Your sump pump is a vital piece of kit when it comes to protecting your basement during wet weather. It sits in your basement and protects your below ground space from leaks and flooding, which means that when the weather is wet you might be more conscious of your pump’s efforts.

However, when its warm, you could be forgiven for forgetting that you have a sump pump in your basement ready to go.

The question you should be asking though, is, ‘can extreme heat, or even warm weather effect my sump pump?’

Why Heat Might Effect a Sump Pump?

Your sump pump is, at its core, a piece of moving machinery. The pumping system itself is a motor, and obviously, a motor relies on several different factors to move.

The first is power.

If the power to the sump pump were to be interrupted or disrupted, then the sump pump may well stop working – especially if it hasn’t been fitted with a battery backup system. Why might heat have an effect here though?

Simply because in events of extreme heat it has been known and recorded that infrastructure can be effected. This means that sometimes, for no other reason than the temperature itself, there may well be a power cut in your area.

Realistically, if this does happen then a flood in your basement may well be the least of your worries. Chances are that if extreme heat has caused the power cut, then there may not be enough ground water surrounding your basement to necessitate the use of your sump pump on that particular day.

However, that doesn’t mean your sump pump isn’t going to be out of danger. You might find that your sump pump is unable to turn on following an interruption in power, or that the disruption has caused an issue with the fuse or internal wiring within your sump pump.

You may also run into a much more common and localised problem with your sump pump as far as heat is concerned, and that’s to do with the motor.

Your sump pump relies on its motor to actually pump out its contents once full, so its vital it keeps working at all times. However, if there is a period where its incredibly warm, and your pump is having to work extra hard to keep up with the amount of water in your basement you can run the risk of your motor overheating and breaking down.

Obviously there is a risk that any part of your sump pump might overheat and break, but the motor is by far the most at risk component as it is a moving part. Naturally, any motor that spins is going to generate heat, but a small motor like the one within a sump pump may not have the most well regulated thermal management, and under stress might just spin itself right into a breakdown.

This is most likely to happen during a storm, right after extended periods of heat. The hard ground makes flooding all the more likely, and the heat will only contribute to the stress your sump pump’s motor is under.

How Do I Repair a Sump Pump Damaged By Heat?

The best way to make sure that your sump pump has not suffered long term damage after any bout of extreme weather is with a visit from a qualified and experienced sump pump engineer.

A visit from a professional sump pump engineer will help you learn what might be wrong with your pump, and what can be done to fix it. If after a spate of extreme weather (hot or cold), you think that you might need your pump looking at, get in touch with our team for expert advice and quick solutions.

Do Sump Pumps Need To Be Kept Cool?

A sump pump is usually submerged within the ground, meaning that theoretically it should remain cool enough to perform its job day in day out.

However, if your basement does trap heat, your pump overheating does become a risk. Consider ventilation options, and consult with a sump pump engineer to see if there is any significant risk in your pump overheating.

How Can you Be Sure the Heat Hasn’t Effected Your Sump Pump?

The only way for you to be truly sure that what ever recent heat you have experienced hasn’t effected your sump pump is by arranging a visit from a specialist.

Only a properly qualified and well experienced sump pump engineer will be able to not only check over, but also diagnose and help to repair or replace your sump pump in instances where the heat has had an effect.

If you are interested in having one of our sump pump engineers come and carry out a check up on your below ground pump, then you can get in touch via our website, or by calling 0800 019 9949.