Sump Pumps in Tucker, GA

Tucker's housing and drainage

Much of Tucker's housing is 1960s and 1970s ranch and split-level homes around historic Main Street; about 48% of units were built before 1980, per census survey data. Split-levels often have a lower floor partly below grade, and that's where sump pumps tend to live. Many have been replaced once or twice, sometimes with a discharge that runs into a laundry sink because it was easy.

DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management runs water and sewer in Tucker. DeKalb owns the line from the main to the meter; the owner is responsible from the meter in. A sump pump feeding the house drain puts groundwater into DeKalb's wastewater system, so it should be rerouted outdoors.

DeKalb requires a backflow assembly on single-family irrigation systems, tested every year by a certified tester. Ask how that would apply before choosing a water-powered backup.

Repair or replace?

Signs worth a call

• A lower-level floor that gets wet after rain
• A pump that runs without stopping
• Short, frequent cycles
• Water rushing back into the pit
• Rust, corrosion or a burning smell from the motor
• A discharge line that ends at the foundation

Timing and permits

Have the pump checked in a dry month, before spring and summer storms. Tucker's Building & Permitting Division requires permits for water heater, water line and sewer line replacement, and has residential plumbing permit forms; if the work changes drain piping, the plumber can tell you whether a permit applies.

When you call, mention whether the pit is in a lower-level room or the crawl space, what the pump is doing and whether water is coming in now. If it's near an outlet, switch off the breaker before stepping into any water, and move rugs and boxes off the lower floor.