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Sump pump and backwater valve failure in Anchorage

Basement flooding when a sump pump stops or a backwater valve fails, handled as a house-side failure from the first call.

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Sump and Backwater

Sump Pump and Backwater Valve Failure: what it covers

Quick answer

A sump pump or backwater valve that fails lets water rise into a basement from the drain or the ground. A sump pump moves water out of a pit, and a backwater valve stops water coming back into the house from the sewer. Anchorage Water Damage Restoration answers calls at any hour, and a crew is sent as soon as one is free to remove the water and dry the basement.

Sump Pump and Backwater Valve Failure illustration for Anchorage, AK

A sump pit collects water that reaches the bottom of a basement, and a pump lifts it away from the foundation. When the pump stops, the pit fills, the water rises and it spills across the floor. A backwater valve works on the drain side: it is a one-way valve in the house drain that closes when water tries to flow back into the house from the sewer. When it is stuck open or missing, water from the sewer can come up through the lowest drain.

Both failures are inside the house, which makes them different from a utility break. The pump, its switch, its discharge line and its power supply are the owner's to maintain and repair. The valve and the drain it sits in are also the owner's, through a plumber. The cleanup starts the same way whichever one has failed, because the water is in the basement and the question is how much of it has reached the materials.

Before the crew arrives, check whether the pump is running and whether its discharge pipe is clear. Do not stand in water near the pump, its cord or its outlet, and do not try to reach into the pit while the water is over the electrical parts. If the basement is flooding from the drain rather than the pit, stop using the drains in the house and tell the line that the water came up from the drain.

Service area
Anchorage & Anchorage Municipality
Availability
Phones answered 24/7, emergencies first
Warning signs

Signs you need sump pump and backwater valve failure

Do not reach into the sump pit while the water is over the pump, its cord or its switch, and do not stand in standing water near an outlet or a panel. Do not unplug a submerged pump by pulling its cord through water. Keep the basement power off at the panel until the crew confirms it is safe, and do not run a generator indoors to keep the pump working, because the exhaust can kill.

  • Water standing in the sump pit or rising over its lip
  • A pump that hums without moving water, or that runs constantly without stopping
  • A pump that does not start at all when the water reaches the switch
  • Water coming up through a basement floor drain while the pump is running
  • A musty smell and damp concrete in the lowest corner of the basement
  • A discharge line that is frozen, kinked or dripping at the joints
  • Water in the basement that appears only during or after a heavy rain or a thaw
Our process

How our sump pump and backwater valve failure visit works

  1. Power and water first

    Check that the pump's power is off at the panel if the water is over the pump or its cord. Keep out of the water near the pit and any outlet. The crew confirms the power is off before it goes near the pit, because a submerged pump can carry a live current into the water.

  2. Find out which part failed

    The technician checks whether the pump runs, whether the float switch moves freely, whether the discharge line is clear and whether the backwater valve is closed or open. A failed pump, a stuck float, a blocked discharge and an open valve each leave a different pattern of water, and each is noted in the record.

  3. Remove the water from the pit and the floor

    Standing water is extracted from the pit, the floor and the lowest part of the basement. Where the water came up through the drain, the crew extracts from the floor drain and checks the path of the water across the slab, because water from a drain spreads in every direction under the floor covering.

  4. Measure the walls and the stored contents

    Basement walls are read with a meter from the floor line up, because wet concrete and the bottom of the framing can hold water well above the visible tide line. Stored boxes, shelving and any furniture on the floor are assessed as they are moved, and wet contents are recorded.

  5. Dry and record the part that failed

    The basement is dried to readings, and the failed part is set aside for the plumber or the pump installer to examine. The crew records the make and model of the pump if the owner knows it, the state of the switch and the valve, and the time the water was first seen.

Job stories

Typical jobs for sump pump and backwater valve failure

Typical job
Illustration: A basement sump stops during a storm and the floor floods

A basement sump stops during a storm and the floor floods

What homeowners notice
During a heavy rain the power fails, and the sump pump in the basement stops. The pit fills, water spills across the concrete floor and reaches the bottom of the stored boxes along one wall.
What we do
The crew confirms the power is off at the panel before it goes near the pit. Standing water is pumped from the floor and the pit, the stored boxes are lifted onto dry surfaces and their contents are listed. The float and the discharge line are checked, the bottom of each wall is read with a meter, and the basement is dried in place.
What to expect
The concrete and the lower framing reach the reference readings, the boxes that stayed dry are kept and those that did not are listed for the insurer, and the owner is advised to have the pump and a battery backup checked by an installer.

5-6 hours typical visit

How does a sump pump keep a basement dry?

A sump pump sits in a pit at the lowest point of the basement and collects water that drains to it from the perimeter. When the water reaches a set level, a float or switch turns the pump on, and the water is pumped through a discharge line out and away from the foundation.

The pit only works if the discharge line carries the water well clear of the house. A line that ends near the foundation, that is blocked or that freezes lets the water return to the ground beside the wall. The crew checks the line and its outlet as part of the assessment.

A pump needs power, and the switch needs room to move. A pump that is jammed by debris or by a stuck float does not run, even if the pump itself is working. The crew tests the switch by lifting it, and it notes whether the float moves freely.

What does a backwater valve do, and how do I know if it is working?

A backwater valve is a one-way valve in the house drain that closes when water tries to flow back into the house from the sewer. It is working when it is open for normal flow and closes when water rises from the main. A valve that is stuck open, or that is absent, does not protect the basement.

The valve needs to be accessed to be serviced, and a valve that is buried or under a slab may not be inspected for years. A plumber can confirm whether one is fitted, where it sits and whether its flap moves. The crew cannot make that check, but it records what it can see at the cleanout.

A valve can be stopped open by debris, by a root or by a build-up of grease in the drain. Keeping the drain clear and asking a plumber to check the valve on a regular basis reduces the chance that it is open when the sewer rises.

Why is a pump failure treated as a house-side problem?

Because the pump, the switch, the discharge line and the drain fittings are inside the owner's property. The utility runs the sewer and water mains, and it is not responsible for a pump that has stopped in the owner's pit. The owner repairs or replaces the failed part through a plumber or an installer.

The clean-up is the same either way. The water is in the basement, the materials have to be measured, and the drying has to be carried to readings. The crew does not need to know the cause to begin, but it must know the cause to record it, and it does that before it leaves.

Where water came up through the drain from the sewer, the drain is the owner's to clear on the house side, and the utility is called only if the blockage is in its main. The crew asks which of these it is, because the answer decides who is called next.

What makes a basement flood harder to dry?

Concrete, stone and block walls and floors hold water for a long time, and the water wicks up the wall above the visible line. The lower part of the framing, the stored contents and the insulation all take water, and each has to be measured before it can be called dry.

A basement with finished walls can hide water behind the finish, and a finished floor may hold water beneath a rug or a carpet. The crew lifts the floor covering where needed and opens a small section of wall at the bottom to read the cavity.

Basement drying is set by the readings at the bottom of the walls, the floor and the framing. The equipment is moved as the readings fall, and the basement is not released until each reading is at the dry reference.

What should I do to prevent the next flood?

Test the pump by pouring water into the pit until the float lifts, and check that it runs and drains. Keep the discharge line clear and pointed away from the foundation, and check the backwater valve during a plumbing visit. A battery backup is worth fitting where the power can fail.

Clean the pit and its cover every few months, and keep anything that could block the float out of the pit. A pump that is more than a few years old is worth having checked by an installer, because a failing pump gives little warning before it stops.

Keep the basement's stored items off the floor, and move any boxes that would be ruined by a shallow flood. A flood that is caught early and the wet materials removed in time is far cheaper to dry than one that has soaked into the stored contents.

Options

Types and options for sump pump and backwater valve failure

Pump failure in a pit

A pump that stops, or a float that sticks, lets the pit fill until the water spills onto the floor. The water is usually clean and comes from the ground. The crew removes the pit water, dries the floor and the lower walls, and advises the owner to have the pump checked or replaced by an installer.

Stuck or missing backwater valve

A backwater valve that is stuck open, or that was never fitted, lets sewer water come back up the house drain. The water is contaminated and is cleaned as a sewage loss. The crew records whether a valve is fitted and whether it is in the drain, and a plumber decides whether it needs replacing.

Power loss during rain

A pump that is dependent on the house power stops when the power is cut, which often happens during a storm. The water rises in the pit while the pump is off. A battery backup, where one is fitted, keeps the pump running. The crew checks whether a backup was in place and whether it was working.

Anchorage Municipality

Why sump pump and backwater valve failure is different in Southcentral Alaska

Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility runs the sewer system that a house drain connects to, so a backup through a backwater valve starts on the house side and may need the utility's main checked if the blockage is out in the street. The owner's first call is to the plumber for the valve, and to the utility only for the main.

A basement pump in the city or in Chugiak-Eagle River, Peters Creek, Eklutna or Girdwood is the owner's to repair. Municipality of Anchorage permitting rules may apply to a new pump or valve installation, so ask the plumber whether a permit is needed before the work begins.

Power loss during a storm is a particular risk for a pump that has no backup. Ask the installer whether a battery backup or a second pump would suit the basement, and keep the pump's circuit and its switch in a dry place.

One call and it gets handled.

A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.

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Where we work

Sump Pump and Backwater Valve Failure across Anchorage Municipality

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Related

Sewer Backup Cleanup

Cleaning up sewage that backed up through a floor drain or toilet, traced to the utility main or the house drain.

Emergency Water Extraction

Pumping and removing standing water from floors, cellars and crawl spaces, answered around the clock across Anchorage.

Hidden Water Leak Detection

Finding a leak inside a wall, under a floor or in a slab, using meter readings, moisture mapping and a thermal camera.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Sump Pump and Backwater Valve Failure FAQs

Can I bail the pit myself?

Not while the pump's power is on or the water is over the pump and its cord. Turn the power off at the panel first, and bail only the part of the water that is above the pit's edge and away from electrical parts. The crew removes the rest with its equipment.

Why did the pump run and the basement still flood?

The pump may have been running but could not keep up with the rate of inflow, the discharge line may have been blocked or frozen, or the water came up through a floor drain rather than the pit. The crew checks each of these before deciding the cause.

Is a backwater valve the utility's responsibility?

The valve sits in the house drain, so it is normally the owner's to maintain through a plumber. The utility is responsible for its main. The crew records where the water came from and who needs to be called for each part.

Will the homeowner's policy cover this?

Whether a policy covers a pump failure or a sewer backup depends on the policy wording and whether a backup or flood endorsement is in place, and the insurer decides. Keep the crew's record, the photographs and the failed parts for the claim.

How long does it take to dry a flooded basement?

The time depends on the readings in the walls, the floor and the framing, not on a fixed number of days. The crew checks each visit and explains the schedule once the basement has been measured.

Should I replace the pump after this?

The pump's condition decides it. An installer can test the motor, the switch and the discharge, and can say whether the unit is worth repairing. A pump that failed once because of a power loss may need a backup more than a new pump.

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