Crime & Safety

Faulty Sump Pumps to Blame for Some of the Weekend's Flooding

Firefighters say regular maintenance is needed to help prevent the problem.

While the heavy rain and power outages were mostly to blame for why so many residents struggled with flooded basements this weekend, local firefighters say there's another issue that came into play.

Fanwood firefighter Sean Manette, speaking on behalf of Chief Dave Clausen, said that one of the main problems they ran into when responding to calls during the storm was finding sump pumps that weren't working properly due to maintenance issues.

"When they don't run long for a time, the bearings dry out, so when they are needed they either don't work efficiently or don't work at all," Manette said.

The firefighter cited one example from over the weekend when the fire department had to address a smoke condition in a basement that resulted from a sump pump trying to work, then overheating and burning itself out.

"Residents should take a look at their sump pumps on a monthly basis, especially during this prime time when rain is forecasted," he said.

While the Fanwood Fire Department responded to all calls regarding flooding this weekend, Manette said they typically don't go to a home just to pump water out of a basement.

"When the water can raise to a level where it'll cause a gas leak or reach some type of electrical service, that's why we're going out," he said.

The Fanwood Fire Department responded to 38 flood calls this weekend. The Scotch Plains Fire Department responded to about 80. Some homes actually required multiple trips throughout the course of the storm.

 "I was out during the worst of it in the middle of the night, and some basements were saturated with close to a foot of water," Manette said. "It tended to be the older homes, but some homes are so prone to it, that as soon as we cleared it out and left, we'd get a call an hour-and-a-half later saying, 'oh, it's back again.' It was bad enough where some of the homes had fairly significant property damage."


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