Who Is Susceptible to a Clogged or Frozen Discharge Line?

As a homeowner, you want to learn all there is to know about owning a home of your own. Of course, there is quite a bit of maintenance that goes into homeownership, and the same can be said of sump pumps and discharge lines. 

• Those in Cold Areas  

Anyone who lives in a cold area such as Minnesota, North Dakota, and eastern Montana, whether their discharge line is installed above or below ground level. The winters in these areas can become so brutal that the water is likely to freeze within the discharge line itself. Some lines are too short for such weather, causing the water to stop moving through it completely and freeze. 

A part of this problem could be the result of the installation process used when the line was first put in, such as using a hose connection that is small and cheap. However, this will only become a problem during the wintertime when the temperature outside drops drastically low. 

• Sump Pump Homeowners 

Homeowners with a sump pump also have a discharge line, which allows the pump to drain the water using the line toward the outside of the house. Though located at the bottom of the house, most of these discharge lines are actually open holes in the wall or floor which have a line leading to them from the sump pump. 

The discharge line problem in these cases is that they are essentially open holes. Whether you continuously sit around the discharge line in your basement, there are possibilities of things getting stuck inside, causing the line to clog. 

• Older Homes  

Older homes are much more susceptible to clogging and freezing. Sump pumps in older homes are likely to be outdated since they only have a certain lifespan. Homes built many years ago were likely not prepared for a proper sump pump outfitting to get installed, which means the lines might be too short. 

If you’re purchasing an older home or live in one, the best thing to do is get an inspection before you get any clogging or freezing issues. Check the discharge line at the bottom level of the house to see if you can determine how old it is and whether you’re going to run into a problem the moment the weather gets cold or if something had time to accumulate with age.