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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Central Illinois residents should brace for significant rainfall this weekend, with forecasts predicting two to three inches. This influx of water may lead to sump pump failures, prompting local plumbing companies to prepare for a surge in service calls.
“Without protective measures, your basement and crawl space are at risk,” warned Ronald Rhone Jr., the owner of T.R.U.E. Plumbing. “Water can cause severe property damage quickly.”
Heavy rain can overwhelm sump pumps, especially those that haven’t been in regular use, leading to potential malfunctions.
“When there’s a lot of water, sump pumps can become overworked, particularly if there isn’t a backup system,” Rhone explained. “Additionally, if a storm knocks out the power, the sump pump will also stop working.”
Rhone advised homeowners to be vigilant. “If it’s raining and you don’t hear the sump pump running, that’s a sign something’s wrong,” he said.
“If you don’t hear it running, that’s something to check on. Even just going down there periodically and actually hitting what’s called the float switch,” Rhone said. “If that thing doesn’t engage, the pump is bad and needs to be replaced.”
He added that having a sump pump alone isn’t enough.
“Most important thing I would say for is, with a sump pump, is really the actual having a backup,” Rhone said. “So in the event that there’s a power outage, you can have what’s called a water-driven backup.”
Rhone said that homes in Central Illinois need one. He explained how it works.
“You have a male adapter, then we have what’s called a quiet check valve, so that basically lets water go one direction and not come back in,” Rhone said.
With more rain coming into Central Illinois this week, that means more plumbers could be walking into your house, coming into your basement, and fixing your sump pump. Rhone said that a health check of your sump pump could prevent a disaster.
“Get ahead of it and maybe do like a year maintenance on it,” he said “Just have someone come out and check it. That way, you know, ‘Okay, we’re towards the end of life.’”