Your home's sump pump plays a key role in keeping water out of your basement. It takes groundwater that would rise up above your basement floors and essentially pumps it far away from your home. Without a sump pump, you would see more problems with water in your basement. This is why it's so important that you care for your home's sump pump to ensure it is working. Do these 4 things to ensure it's working properly.

Clean Your Pump and Filter

You'll want to take some time each year to clean the pump and make sure it is not covered with debris that can interfere with its operation. For submersible pumps, you'll want to remove the submersed pump from the pit so you can get a close look at it. Take the pump outside so that you can rinse off the parts with a hose, and then clean the mesh screen found on the part of the pump that sucks in water. This screen can easily become clogged and make your home's sump pump work harder than necessary to remove the same amount of water.

Inspect Your Drainage Pipes

You'll also want to inspect the drainage pumps for the pump, since they can become blocked with debris. Remove anything that could be causing a clog, which may be something as simple as small sediment that has built up since the last cleaning. This may require the assistance of a local plumber to do if you don't have the skills to do it on your own.

Level Your Pump

When putting the pump back, you'll want to make sure that it's level. It's not something that you should take a guess at, since you'll want to get out a bubble level and ensure that it's as level as possible. This helps with the operation of the sump pump so that the water has an easier time flowing through it.

Check Backup Power Sources

A good sump pump should have a battery backup system that will kick on if you ever lose power. After all, the time that you'll most likely need a battery backup is during a heavy storm in which water is coming down quickly and you lose power. Test the battery backup by unplugging your home's sump pump to simulate a power outage. If the sump pump kicks on with the battery, you know it is working. You should then test the battery to ensure it is still holding a charge and has plenty of power in it.

If you encounter a problem and you discover that your home's sump pump isn't working, hire an emergency plumbing service to come and fix it immediately. You don't want to be caught off guard without a working sump pump.