What does this sump pump quarterly checklist cover?

13 items across 4 sections, covering float and cycling, basin and intake, discharge and alarm, power and controls. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The plumbing or building maintenance tech on the quarterly mechanical round.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Every quarter, and moved up ahead of the wet season so a stuck float is found before the first storm loads the pit.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 13 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails a sump pump quarterly inspection?

Pump assumed working because the basin is dry, when in fact the float has hung on the pit wall and never called. Check valve leaking back, so the pump short-cycles on the same few inches of water it just pushed out. Silt and gravel washed into the basin choking the intake screen, with no one lifting the pump to look.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Sump pump quarterly maintenance checklist

A quarterly sump pump round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Float and cycling

Float raised by hand to start and stop the pump
Float raised with a hand-held non-conductive rod from the rim, not a hand in the pit, to prove it starts the pump and cuts out on the way down, clear of the pit wall and discharge pipe.
On/off levels look sane for the basin
Cut-in and cut-out points leave freeboard below the inlet and don't run the pump down to a dry pit and snort air.
Pit level raised with water to prove the switch
Water run into the basin from the rim until the switch calls on its own, pump starts, draws the pit down and cuts out; nobody steps into the pit to do it.
Pump noise and pipe movement observed on the test run
No grinding, rattling or cavitation roar while pumping down, and the discharge pipe doesn't jump or bang when the pump stops and the check valve closes.
No photo

Basin and intake

Basin checked for silt, debris and standing sludge
Bottom of the pit clear of gravel and grit, intake screen not fouled, no rag or wipe wrapped on the impeller inlet.
Basin cover and inlet pipes checked from the rim
Cover or grate refitted and fastened with no gap a foot or tool can drop through, inlet pipes running clear into the pit, all viewed from the rim.
Check valve holding on the discharge
No audible run-back after the pump stops and no repeated re-start from water draining back down the riser.

Discharge and alarm

Discharge line and any weep hole flowing freely
Water leaves through the discharge on a test run, no leaks at the union or wall penetration, weep hole clear so the pump can prime.
High-water alarm proven where fitted
Alarm float or probe lifted to confirm the horn and any remote signal actually annunciate, not just that the panel light is on.
No photo
Discharge route traced to its outfall
Discharge followed to the splash block, storm connection or daylight outlet, outlet not buried, frozen or crushed, and water not routed into the sanitary line or back at the wall.
High-water alarm received at the BAS or monitoring
Monitoring company or BAS operator told before the alarm float is lifted, then the alarm confirmed received by screen or call and cleared afterward.
No photo

Power and controls

Pump cords and power connection secured and dry
Pump and float cords tied to the discharge or a bracket above the water, clear of the float's travel, plug, receptacle or junction box dry and above the flood line.
Pump control left in automatic operation
Panel selector in auto, or the piggyback float plug seated behind the pump plug; on a duplex the controller shows the pumps taking turns as lead.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Pump assumed working because the basin is dry, when in fact the float has hung on the pit wall and never called.
Check valve leaking back, so the pump short-cycles on the same few inches of water it just pushed out.
Silt and gravel washed into the basin choking the intake screen, with no one lifting the pump to look.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this sump pump quarterly checklist cover?: 13 items across 4 sections, covering float and cycling, basin and intake, discharge and alarm, power and controls. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The plumbing or building maintenance tech on the quarterly mechanical round.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Every quarter, and moved up ahead of the wet season so a stuck float is found before the first storm loads the pit.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 13 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a sump pump quarterly inspection?: Pump assumed working because the basin is dry, when in fact the float has hung on the pit wall and never called. Check valve leaking back, so the pump short-cycles on the same few inches of water it just pushed out. Silt and gravel washed into the basin choking the intake screen, with no one lifting the pump to look.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

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Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 13 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.