Sump Pump Services & Certified Backflow Preventer Testing

Torrential downpours, severe thunderstorms, and spring snowmelts are the most common causes of municipal electrical power grid failures. Unfortunately, this is the exact moment when hydrostatic groundwater levels surge into your basement weeping tiles. Without grid power, a standard 120V AC sump pump is completely useless. A dedicated battery backup system incorporates a separate 12V DC auxiliary pump and heavy-duty marine AGM deep-cycle battery. When grid power drops, an automatic transfer switch engages the backup pump instantly, providing up to 48 to 72 hours of continuous flood defense even during extended blackouts.

A humming sump pump indicates that electric power is successfully reaching the motor, but the mechanical impeller cannot spin or discharge water. Common causes include: 1) Airlock: An air pocket is trapped inside the pump housing beneath the check valve because no relief weep hole was drilled; 2) Jammed Impeller: Gravel, silt, or construction debris has entered the bottom suction screen and physically seized the impeller; 3) Frozen Discharge Pipe: Winter ice has plugged the exterior discharge outlet, preventing water flow; or 4) Failed Run Capacitor: The motor cannot generate starting torque. Turn off the circuit breaker immediately to prevent motor burnout and call our emergency technicians.

Backflow is the dangerous reversal of non-potable water, fertilizers, lawn chemicals, boiler fluids, or bacteria into the public drinking water system. It is triggered by either "backsiphonage" (a severe drop in city main pressure due to a nearby water main break or fire hydrant use) or "backpressure" (when downstream pressure exceeds supply pressure). Because backflow preventers contain moving mechanical rubber check valves and internal springs that degrade from continuous water friction and mineral scale, local water purveyors and state health codes legally mandate that every assembly be tested annually by a certified backflow tester to ensure it holds minimum required opening thresholds.

A Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB) consists of an independently acting spring-loaded check valve and an independently acting air inlet valve. PVBs are primarily used on residential lawn irrigation sprinkler systems and protect against backsiphonage only; they must be installed outdoors at least 12 inches above the highest sprinkler head. A Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) assembly offers the highest level of health-hazard protection against both backsiphonage and backpressure. An RPZ features two independent check valves separated by a hydraulically operated differential pressure relief valve that automatically discharges water to the atmosphere if either check valve fails. RPZs are required on high-hazard commercial connections, boiler feeds, and chemical systems.

Continuous leaking or spitting from the relief port or bonnet of a backflow preventer is a clear indicator that the internal components are compromised. The most frequent causes are: 1) Debris on the Check Seat: Fine sand, rust flakes, or pipe scale have lodged beneath the rubber check disc, preventing an airtight seal; 2) Degraded Rubber Diaphragm: Mineral calcification or chlorinated city water has warped or torn the flexible rubber disc; 3) Excessive Pressure Fluctuations: Sudden water hammer spikes or thermal expansion from a water heater exceed the spring differential; or 4) Freeze Damage: Frost expansion has distorted the brass valve body. Our certified technicians disassemble the valve, flush the chambers, and install OEM rebuild kits to restore factory performance.

A weep hole (also called an anti-airlock relief hole) is a small 3/16-inch to 1/4-inch hole drilled at a 45-degree downward angle into the PVC discharge pipe, located between the pump discharge collar and the inline check valve inside the basin. When a sump pump empties the basin and shuts off, air enters the discharge pipe. Without a weep hole, rising water in the next cycle traps that pocket of compressed air against the check valve flapper. The pump impeller spins helplessly against the air pocket, humming loudly without moving any water. The weep hole allows trapped air to bleed out cleanly, ensuring instantaneous pumping every cycle.

Because exterior backflow preventers (PVBs) are mounted above ground on outside building walls, they are extremely vulnerable to Colorado cold snaps. To prevent freeze damage: 1) Seasonal Blowout: Shut off the indoor irrigation isolation valve, connect a commercial air compressor, and blow out all remaining water through the sprinkler zones before the first hard freeze; 2) Ball Valve Angle: Leave the test cocks and isolation ball valves set at a 45-degree half-open angle so water cannot become trapped behind the Teflon ball seals; and 3) Insulated Pouches: Install an insulated, waterproof backflow insulation bag or heated enclosure for early autumn or late spring temperature drops.

No. By law, municipal water districts and state environmental health departments require annual testing to be performed exclusively by an ASSE (American Society of Sanitary Engineering) or ABPA (American Backflow Prevention Association) certified cross-connection technician using a calibrated differential test gauge kit. Once tested, official test reports must be signed, stamped, and submitted directly to the city water department. Handymen or non-certified contractors cannot legally certify backflow devices or submit official documentation.

Standard submersible sump pump replacement (including a 1/3 or 1/2 HP commercial cast iron pump, silent check valve, and PVC discharge hookup) typically ranges from $550 to $1,100. Dual battery backup sump systems with deep-cycle AGM batteries range from $1,200 to $2,400 depending on battery amp-hour capacity and monitoring features. Annual backflow certification testing typically costs $85 to $150. Backflow valve rebuilds using genuine factory rubber and spring kits range from $175 to $350, while full replacement of an exterior PVB or indoor RPZ assembly ranges from $450 to $1,200+. We provide upfront, flat-rate pricing before starting any work.