Frozen Sump Pump Line Send Chills Down Homeowners’ Spines

Summary:  A frozen sump pump line can be very problematic. Read on to find some practical ways to keep sump lines from freezing up in the winter.

Ah Winter, the brisk air, snow to shovel or throw (if you’ve stepped into the conventional age), car windshields to scrape, and frozen sump pump lines. Now the last item in the last may have never entered your mind. But a frozen sump pump line can be more than an effect of winter weather. They can hit homeowners where it hurts in the pocketbook.

How to Prevent a Frozen Sump Pump Line

There are some practical ways to keep sump lines from freezing up in the winter. Heaven forbid if they have already frozen up there are also some ways to get the lines working again and protect your sump pump investment. Heat tape can be placed within the non-insulated portion of the pump’s drain line. This should be done as a preparation for winter. For additional insulation place a single layer of poly along with some hay along the length of where the drain line runs. This should keep the line warm during the Winter and prevent freeze up.

Also, ensuring that the pump is placed in the right kind of ground can make a big difference between lines freezing and not freezing up. A sand-like or rock/gravel like area is best for a pump to be placed as opposed to clay like or dirt like areas.  Gravel and sand allow the water to drain more efficiently.

Products such as IceGuard are becoming rapidly popular since it’s a product that’s specifically designed to pump’s in the event the pipes in the home freeze. IceGuard is designed to permit water to escape from the pump line even if the pipe outtake is underneath snow and ice. There are no mechanisms or knobs to turn to get the IceGuard to do its job. It will automatically take over doing its job in the winter time, giving property owners peace of mind. The IceGuard is designed with openings about 1 1/2 feet to 2′ above the ground that allow the water to escape the pump.