How to Drain Water When the Sump Pump Breaks

A sump pump helps remove water from a basement during heavy rain or flooding. Water flows down into a pit where the pump draws the water out to outside the building or into the sewage line. In some cases the pump might fail either due to loss of power, a breakdown or overloading. Continued water accumulation can rapidly cause damage and basement flooding, and the water needs to be removed. There are a few ways to remove water from a sump pump pit if the main pump fails.

Battery backup pump
Wet/dry vacuum
Large bucket

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect the water level in the basement. If the water is still contained inside the sump pump pit and not flooding the basement, proceed to Step 2. If the water is overflowing out of the pit, skip to Step 4.
- 2
  Place a battery-powered pump next to the sump pump pit. Place the intake tube inside the pit below the main pump's intake tube. Run the battery pump's outlet tube to a large bucket or to a nearby drain. Turn on the pump and drain the water.
- 3
  Connect a wet/dry vacuum to a power supply if you don't have a backup battery pump and there is not water overflowing out of the pit. Use the vacuum to suck up the water out of the pit.
- 4
  Use a large bucket to scoop water out of the pit and out of the basement. This option is advisable if water is overflowing out of the pit. If needed, get an additional person with a bucket to help. Dump water outside away from the building or down a drain.

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