Spring Snow Melt = Sump Pumps

Well, we have survived another onslaught of snow!  Hopefully you and your homes are no worse for the wear.  The record-setting amounts of snow we have gotten this winter brings many of us thoughts of how our sump pumps will handle the approaching snow melt.  I was hopeful with last week's warm weather that we would have a slow, easy melt which would reduce the chance of basement flooding, but I'm now back in the worry zone. 

When was the last time you checked your sump pump?  That chore should head for the top of your home maintenance list if it's not there already.  On Sunday I spent two hours and made two trips to Home Depot to perform maintenance on ours.  During one trip to HD I was talking with a guy who was there looking at pumps.  He had lived in his house for 10 years and had never put a sump pump in the basket for his drain tile and has never had any water in his basement.  He asked if I thought he needed a pump this year and I told him yes.  With the record snowfall it is relatively cheap insurance against potentially very expensive water damage (damage from water seepage is not covered under most homeowener's  insurance policies).

If you have an existing sump pump, take the time SOON to check the following:

1.  Is it plugged in? 

2.  Pour water into the sump basket and run the pump.  Watch to make sure the pump moves the water.

3.  Make sure the water does not flow back down the pipe into the sump basket.  If it does, replace the check valve.  This was the problem we were having and I ended up replacing two valves. 

4.  In previous years if your pump has run a lot in the spring or after a heavy rain consider adding a back-up system.  If we have a sudden warm up it could possibly overwhelm your pump and you will again be thankful for the relatively cheap insurance.

5.  If you have a back-up system, make sure the battery is charged - that is on my to-do list for this weekend.

6.  When your pump empties outside, does it move the water away from the house?  When we first moved into our house the sump pump emptied a few feet into the lawn between our house and our neighbor's.  It also emptied right under an oak tree.  Not only was the excess water killing the tree, it only seeped back into the ground and had to be pumped out again!  We ended up running a pipe to the street (it was tied in when our street was reconstructed) and that made a huge difference.  This isn't something you can do now, but keep it in mind for a summer project if it's an issue.

We love our home and would never leave, but we have had our share of water worries.  This spring will definitely be a major worry.  Hopefully with a little maintenance we will enjoy spring weather with a dry basement!

Double Tapped Circuit Breakers

Double tapped circuit breakers are one of the most common electrical defects that home inspectors find when doing inspections.  They are also one of the easiest electrical defects to fix. 

Double tapping is only okay when the circuit breaker is designed to hold two wires in place.  It is not okay when the two wires are going into a circuit breaker that is only designed to hold one wire.  The problem with putting two wires in a circuit breaker designed to hold one is that the wires could come loose at some point, even if they feel very tight.  Loose wires can lead to overheating, arcing, and possible fire.

Possible fixes:

1.  The most common and easiest fix is to pigtail.  This is when you wire nut the two wires with a single wire that will go into the circuit breaker.

2.  Purchase a different circuit breaker that is designed to hold two wires as long as your electrical panel is designed to hold that type of breaker.
3.  Add a circuit breaker if there is room in the panel.  Another breaker can be added and the wires split off into two differet breakers.

Do you know where your gas meter is?

With all of the snow we have seen this winter - all 60" so far! - do you know where your gas meter is?  You should keep it free of ice and snow for proper operation.  Xcel Energy strongly recommends that natural gas customers keep their gas meters free of ice and snow to prevent the potential of dangerous gas pressure building up in your home. 

The natural gas meter's regulator vent is especially sensitive to plugging up anytime their is a combination of snow and ice build up.  A plugged vent can affect the operation of the meter preventing the flow of gas as well as a loss of heat in your home.

When you are clearing snow and ice from around your meter also check your fresh air intake, dryer vents, and exhaust vents.

Use great caution when clearing around your gas meter!!  NEVER use a snowblower and use a shovel carefully!