Video · Sump Pumps
Sump Pump Float Switch Test and the Window Well Drain Before It
To test a sump pump float switch, pour water into the pit until the float lifts and the pump kicks on. But the pump only sees water the drains deliver, which is why this clip starts in a window well.
Job footageSwiftPro
- Topic
- Sump Pumps
- Length
- 0:38
- Posted
- September 22, 2026
- Shot by
- The SwiftPro crew, Northern Virginia
What you’re seeing in this video
A tech in a black shirt and khakis kneels down inside a basement window well beside a brick house, scooping gravel into red buckets. The camera looks straight down into the round drain opening at the bottom of the well.
Buckets of gravel line up outside as the drain gets cleared, and on camera he says he's testing the pump once the path is open. In many homes, a window well drain ties into the footing drain that feeds the sump pit.
Yeah, that's what you want here. What happened is you can do something like this. We there in a minute. It's the full turn date.
All right, so what I'm doing is testing the pump.
Why it matters in your house
- A clogged window well drain lets rain pool against the basement window instead of reaching the pit. That's how a basement takes on water even with a working sump pump.
- Test the float switch every few months: lift the lid, pour a bucket of water in slowly, and watch the pump start, then shut off on its own once the level drops.
- Floats stick. A tethered float can catch on the pit wall or its own cord, and a vertical float can jam with debris. If yours hesitates during the bucket test, get it looked at.
How do I know if my sump pump float switch is bad?
Pour water into the pit. If the float rises but the pump doesn't start, or the pump starts and never shuts off, the switch is the likely suspect. Also look for a float rubbing against the pit wall or tangled in its cord. Switches can be replaced, but on an older pump it often makes sense to replace both together.
Want it done at your place? See Sump Pumps at SwiftPro or call (703) 997-9757.
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