A flood pump is one of those pieces of equipment you hope you never need.
Unfortunately, that also means it can spend months sitting untouched in a garage, cellar, plant room or store.
The worst time to discover that the hose does not reach, the connection has gone missing or the automatic sensor is obstructed is when the water is already arriving.
If your property or site relies on a pump during heavy rainfall, autumn is the time to check the complete setup.
The principle: Do not just test whether the motor makes a noise. Test the route from water entering the pump to water leaving the hose. A flood pump is a system, not just a motor in a casing.
1. Start with the flood problem, not the pump
Ask whether anything has changed since the pump was originally selected.
- Has a driveway or yard been resurfaced?
- Have external levels or landscaping changed?
- Has drainage work taken place nearby?
- Has the flooding become deeper or faster?
- Is water entering from a different direction?
- Has the water become dirtier or more heavily silted?
A pump selected for occasional shallow rainwater may not be appropriate if the problem has changed into a significant surface-water flow, groundwater ingress, sewer surcharge or water containing substantial debris.
2. Inspect the pump itself
Give the equipment a basic visual inspection before putting it back into service.
Check the:
- pump casing;
- power cable and plug;
- water inlet or strainer;
- outlet and hose tail;
- float switch or floor sensor;
- non-return valve where fitted; and
- hose clips, couplings and adaptors.
Remove dried mud, leaves or debris from the intake in accordance with the manufacturer instructions. If the pump has previously handled silty water, check for material that may have dried around the base or impeller area.
3. Carry out a controlled wet test
Where the manufacturer instructions allow it, test the pump with clean water before the wettest part of the year.
Do not deliberately run a submersible pump dry merely to see whether the motor turns. A dry-running test can damage pumps that rely on the surrounding water for cooling or lubrication.
Instead, use a suitable container or controlled area, connect the intended hose and confirm that water is actually pumped through the system.
This also gives you a chance to find a leaking connection, blocked valve or damaged hose while conditions are easy to manage.
4. Test the automatic control properly
Automatic pumps are particularly useful where water could arrive overnight or in an area that is not inspected continuously.
But the automatic control has to be able to detect the water.
A conventional tethered float needs enough space to rise and fall. A compact floor sensor needs to sit where the water reaches it and should not be hidden behind stored items or isolated on a local high spot.
Our FPS Engineered™ Automatic Puddle Pump Kit and SPK530A automatic kit use separate floor sensors that start at approximately 20 mm and stop at around 10 mm.
Visit the Commercial SPK530A Kit ›
Visit the Automatic Home & Basement Kit ›
During a wet test, raise the water level sufficiently to make sure the sensor starts the pump and then confirm that the pump also stops correctly as the level falls.
5. Unroll and inspect the hose
A pump can be in perfect condition and still be ineffective if the discharge hose has been crushed behind a shelf for six months.
Unroll the hose and look for:
- splits or punctures;
- crushed sections;
- loose clips;
- damaged couplings;
- tight kinks;
- sections that have become brittle; and
- anything likely to obstruct the route.
Then physically lay it out along the route you expect to use.
That answers basic but important questions: does it actually reach, can doors still close, will it kink around steps, and is the route practical when it is dark and raining? Consider the hose type and whether an elbow hose tail may reduce kinking. Read more here: Using an EVAK Residox Behind a Flood Barrier
6. Check the non-return valve if you use one
A non-return valve is intended to reduce water running backwards through the discharge arrangement when the pump stops.
Check that it has been installed in the correct direction and that it is not obviously jammed or obstructed.
This is particularly relevant to low-level automatic pumps with a rising hose run. If several litres run back towards the sensor every time the pump stops, the system may cycle more often than expected.
... and if you don't have one, consider whether it may help your setup. For instance, if you're pumping water up out of a basement or cellar, a non-return valve can be effective in protecting the pump and improving the setup. For further info please see:
Why Does My Puddle Pump Seem to Stop Working in Shallow Water?
7. Confirm that the hose can move water away from the vulnerable area
Keep this practical rather than overcomplicating it.
The hose needs to be long enough to move water away from the area you are trying to protect, and the route should not simply allow the same water to run back towards the pump.
8. Think about the electrical supply before the flood
Know how the pump will be powered before the event.
Do not wait until water is present to discover that the nearest socket is inaccessible, the extension lead is unsuitable or the circuit you intended to use has tripped.
Electrical equipment and flood water require obvious care. Do not handle plugs, sockets or electrical equipment while standing in flood water, and equipment affected by flooding should be inspected before reuse.
If your resilience depends on an electric pump, also consider what happens during a power cut. That does not automatically mean buying a generator, but it does mean recognising the dependency.
Petrol or diesel engines and generators must never be operated indoors or in another enclosed space because of carbon monoxide risk.
9. Make sure someone can actually deploy the kit
Imagine the likely conditions when the pump is needed: dark, wet, cold and possibly under time pressure.
Where is the pump stored? Where is the hose? Where are the clips and adaptors? Is the equipment buried behind boxes? Do you need a tool that is stored somewhere else?
For emergency equipment, accessibility is part of performance.
Supplying the main components together is one of the practical reasons we now offer complete Pump Kits.
10. Clear obvious private drainage problems
Where it is safe and appropriate, clear obvious debris from private gullies, channel drains and drainage features before prolonged wet weather.
Check that downpipes are connected and that drainage routes have not become blocked by leaves or stored materials.
A pump should not become a substitute for repairing a known collapsed drain or correcting a simple drainage defect merely because pumping can remove the resulting water.
11. Check whether the pump still matches the scale of the risk
This is particularly important after a previous event.
If the pump was overwhelmed, do not assume that purchasing the same arrangement again will change the outcome.
A useful comparison is between the rate at which water is entering and the rate at which the complete pump setup can remove it at the actual operating head.
If inflow materially exceeds pumping capacity, the depth will continue to rise even while the pump is running.
At that point the solution may involve reducing inflow, intercepting the water, improving drainage, increasing pumping capacity or redesigning the arrangement.
12. Know when the pump is only one part of the answer
A portable pump is extremely useful for shallow flooding and emergency response. It is not automatically a complete flood-risk strategy.
Depending on the source and consequences of flooding, a wider approach can include:
- drainage improvements;
- automatic sump systems;
- packaged pump stations;
- non-return valves;
- flood barriers or passive thresholds;
- waterproofing or flood-resilient construction; and
- a site-specific flood survey or risk assessment.
The objective is not to add complexity for the sake of it. It is to make sure the measure being relied upon matches the way the property actually floods.
A simple pre-winter flood pump checklist
- Inspect the pump and cable.
- Clean the inlet.
- Wet-test the pump.
- Test the automatic sensor or float.
- Unroll and inspect the hose.
- Check fittings and any non-return valve.
- Make sure the hose reaches far enough.
- Confirm how the pump will be powered.
- Keep the pump and accessories accessible.
- Clear obvious private drainage blockages.
- Reassess whether the pump still matches the flood problem.
A short check on a dry day is considerably easier than diagnosing the system while water is coming in.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I test a flood pump?
Follow the manufacturer maintenance instructions. For equipment relied upon for seasonal flood protection, a functional check before the wetter season and after prolonged periods without use is sensible.
Should I run a submersible flood pump dry to test it?
Generally no. Use a controlled wet test where appropriate and follow the manufacturer instructions. Running dry can damage pumps that rely on water for cooling or lubrication.
Can an automatic flood pump be left switched on?
Some automatic pumps are designed for unattended operation. Suitability depends on the model, electrical arrangement, discharge route, maintenance and the way water reaches the pump.
Do I still need a pump if I have a flood barrier?
Yes. Water can still arise from rainfall behind a defence, groundwater, seepage or internal drainage. Pumps can therefore form one part of a wider flood-resilience arrangement.
