How Can Sump Pump Failure Affect Your Home?

Sump pump failure can not only cause damage to your basement, but it can also adversely affect the rest of your home, too. 

• Constant Flooding 

 Coming across frequent floods pooling in your basement can be more than a pain to deal with. It can also signal the fact that there is major damage that you might have overlooked. Leaks and cracks do not spring up out of thin air. They are often signs of much deeper damage within your basement or even the foundation itself. 

Constant flooding can also invite other unsightly issues into your home as well. All that moisture can create stains known as efflorescence along your basement walls or floor. These streaks are not toxic, but they can be difficult to remove and spread quite fast. Mold and mildew spores will similarly spread around your basement and the rest of your home if you are not careful. Inhaling these spores can result in awful allergic reactions such as burning eyes, stuffy nose, sore throat, skin rashes, and more. 

• The Clay Bowl Effect 

Your sump pump should keep your basement completely dry no matter what. Unfortunately, if it fails, then your foundation could face grave consequences. This might be due to the clay bowl effect, a common construction mistake that contractors will make when building a home. When contractors first lay down the foundation, they will dig a large hole where they plan to place it. Once the foundation is laid down, then the contractor will backfill the soil in the extra space left around the foundation. 

This then makes the soil far looser and can easily wash out during a storm. This can cause the foundation to settle or crack, leaving your basement more vulnerable to flooding in the future. Of course, if you have a sump pump system installed, then this flood will be redirected away from your home. However, if your sump pump has failed, then your basement will flood. Therefore, you need to get a sump pump that will continuously work to protect your home no matter what.