Pit full and pump silent: your first ten minutes
A sump pump that will not run while water climbs toward the rim of the pit needs attention the same hour. Start with the simple causes, because they account for a surprising share of calls.
Safe checks before we get there
- Look at the power cord. Pumps are often plugged into a GFCI outlet that trips during storms, so press the reset button.
- Lift the float arm gently with a stick. If the pump starts, the float was stuck against the wall of the pit, not the pump itself.
- Listen for a humming motor that does not move water. That points to a jammed impeller or a clogged intake.
- If the pit is overflowing, bucket water into a utility sink or floor drain only if you can do it without standing in water near live power.
Never reach into a pit with the pump plugged in. If you are unsure, step back and call. We can often tell from your description which of these four it is.
Why heavy rain finds North Chicago basements
The July 11 and 12, 2017 storm dropped 3 to 7 inches across the area. A county survey after that storm logged 10 trouble spots and 23 damaged properties in the city, three of them sewer backups. One storm did that, which tells you a pump here may run hard only a few times a year, and a failure shows up at the worst moment.
Over 50 first-floor units at the Strawberry Condominiums were damaged in each of two floods between 2013 and 2019, and the review blames small culverts along the Skokie River and Route 41. Federal grant money is now paying to upsize old storm drains around Berwyn and Bittersweet avenues. That helps the street. It does not move water out of your pit.
Six ways a sump pump actually fails
Stuck float
Silt or the pump's own cord pins the float down. The motor never gets the signal.
Failed check valve
Water drains back into the pit after each cycle, so the pump short-cycles and wears out.
Burned motor
A pump that ran dry or ran nonstop in a long storm overheats. Replacement is the honest answer.
Clogged intake
Gravel, silt or debris keeps the impeller from moving water.
Frozen or blocked discharge
The pipe outside can ice over or get crushed, so water has nowhere to go.
No backup power
A storm that takes out the electric service also stops a pump with no battery or water-powered backup.
Ejector pumps, the sealed units that lift toilet and laundry waste from a basement bath, are a related but different repair. If one fails, wastewater has nowhere to go, so treat it like a sewer problem, the kind our sewer line cleaning crew sees, and call right away.
Repair or replace: how we decide
| Finding | Usual call | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Float stuck, motor spins freely | Repair | A cleaned or reset float often restores the pump |
| Check valve leaking back | Replace the valve | Cheap part, large effect on cycling |
| Motor hums, impeller seized | Replace the pump | A seized motor rarely lasts after cleaning |
| Pump is old and rusted at the base | Replace and add backup | Parts are tired, and you are due a backup anyway |
| Discharge pipe cracked or blocked | Repair the line | A new pump into a blocked pipe changes nothing |
We will also tell you when the pit is the real problem. Homes just south in Lake Bluff get the same advice from their own village, which recommends a battery backup sump pump. A shallow or undersized pit makes any pump cycle too often, and a pit that keeps filling on dry days may mean a plumbing leak, which our leak detection team can trace.
Discharge rules: ask before you redirect
Storm and sanitary sewers are separate here
The district that treats North Chicago's sewage reports that rainwater and wastewater travel in separate pipes, so nothing combines them. A sump pump moves groundwater and rain, so it belongs on the storm side or outdoors, not tied into the sanitary line. When a pump overloads the wrong pipe, the district's system pays for it and your basement can pay again.
We found no North Chicago rule posted online about where a sump pump may discharge. Call the building department (847-596-8650) before you move or add a discharge pipe, and we will work from what they say.
If your problem is seepage through walls and floor rather than a dead pump, a pump swap will not solve it. Our basement waterproofing page covers drains and sealing, and our plumbing installation crew can add a second pit or a battery backup.
What a sump pump repair costs and why
What changes the price
Resetting a float and replacing the pump are far apart in scope, so we quote after we see the pit.
Water rising? Call for a same-day visit.
Call (847) 281-8626Sump pump questions, answered plainly
Storm nights are when sump calls spike, and the line is staffed 24/7. The dispatcher will ask what the pump is doing, whether the pit is full, and whether power is on, then send a technician as quickly as the queue allows.
A same-day visit is common when the day allows, weekends included.
Usually the discharge line is blocked, the check valve is stuck open, or the pump is too small for the inflow. We check all three on arrival.
Lifespan depends on how often it runs, the water quality and whether it is cycling properly. Pumps that run a few times a year last longer than ones in a basement with a constant seep. We will tell you if yours looks worn.
If storm power cuts are common where you live, yes. A backup keeps the pit emptying when the main pump has no electricity. We can quote one with a pump replacement or on its own.
Do not do it without checking. Rainwater and wastewater run in separate pipes here, and adding rain to the sanitary side can overload it. Ask the building department before you connect anything.
That depends on your lease and your landlord. We can write up what we found so you have a record to show the property manager, and we can bill the owner if they authorize it.
Pump down in the middle of a storm?
Describe what the pit is doing and we will take it from there. Someone picks up at any hour and can often send a technician the same day.
Call (847) 281-8626