Why Won’t My Sump Pump Turn On?

If your sump pump is simply failing to turn on when needed, either automatically or when you try to turn it on manually, there are a few different issues that could be at work. Broadly speaking, however, this will either be an issue with the power supply or a total breakdown. 

Power Supply Failure 

Power loss is a fairly common issue for sump pumps and while it is inconvenient (and potentially damaging if you do not catch it quickly), it is also usually fairly easy to fix when you get the right help. Failing a full power outage in your property, the issue is most likely in the connection to your pump or the battery that powers it (if your sump pump has an independent power source). 

A professional will be able to assess your home and tell you just what is causing the lack of power to your pump. Either way, the issue should be fairly straightforward to repair; either the electrical connections will need to be repaired or replaced, or the generator will need to be replaced. In the unlikely event that this is not enough, the sump pump itself may need to be replaced. 

Complete Pump Failure 

The total failure of a sump pump is not overly common, even when they become very old. However, there are cases in which the mechanisms that activate the sump pump stop working even when the power supply is intact. When this happens there may be some options for repair, but with issues this complex, repair can be financially inefficient. What’s more, if the rest of the sump pump is also deteriorating the fix may be short-lived. 

This is why we recommend replacing a sump pump that has been subject to total failure at any time. It is generally more cost-effective in the long term and will provide a higher level of energy efficiency as well as quicker water drainage. If this is an investment that you can make, it is well worth it; the lifespan of a modern sump pump is eight to 12 years, after all, so you are investing in 10 years of protection for your home.