Prime Plumbing technician installing a sump pump in a basement pit in a Greater Boston home

Woburn, MA · Residential

Sump pump repair & installation for dry Greater Boston basements

A sump pump is the one piece of equipment standing between a wet spring and a flooded basement, and it usually fails at the exact moment it is needed. Prime Plumbing repairs, replaces, and installs sump pumps and battery backups for homes across Woburn and Greater Boston. Call (617) 354-4545.

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How sump pumps fail

It only matters on the day it has to work

A pump can sit unused for months and be seized, clogged, or dead when the water finally comes. The cause decides between a repair and a replacement.

A stuck float switch

The float that turns the pump on and off gets caught on the pit wall or debris, so the pump either never starts or never shuts off. Common, and usually a repair.

A clog or a bad check valve

A clogged intake or a failed check valve stops it from moving water, and a discharge line that freezes or drains back sends the water right back into the pit.

A worn or dead pump

A pump that runs but does not move water, short-cycles, or has a burned-out motor is done. Given what a failed pump costs in a flooded basement, replacing it early is the cheaper decision.

Built to work as a system

The backup, and the discharge

A sump pump is not a pump dropped in a hole. The backup that runs when the power dies and the discharge that carries water away are what keep a basement dry.

Battery backup sump pump installed beside the primary pump in a Greater Boston basement by Prime Plumbing

The failure that catches people out is power

The most predictable sump pump failure has nothing to do with the pump. The storms that fill your basement pit are the same storms that knock out the power, and a standard pump plugged into the wall does nothing without electricity. So the basement floods not because the pump was broken, but because the pump was fine and dark.

That is the case for a battery backup pump, which takes over automatically when the power fails and keeps the basement dry through the outage. For a finished basement or a home with a history of water, the one time it runs usually saves far more than it cost.

Automatic handoff the moment the primary pump loses power
Worth it for a finished basement or a home with a history of water
Installed alongside the primary pump and set up to switch over on its own

Prime Plumbing technician fitting a check valve on a sump pump discharge line in a Greater Boston basement

Installed for the water your basement actually sees

Installing a sump pump well means matching it to the conditions. The pump has to be sized for how much water the pit takes on, seated so the float can move freely, fitted with a check valve so pumped water does not drain back down, and connected to a discharge line that carries water far enough from the foundation that it does not simply return.

In New England, that discharge line also has to be arranged so it does not freeze shut in winter, which is its own common failure. We build the whole system to handle the water your basement actually gets.

A pump sized to the water the pit really takes on
A check valve so pumped water does not drain straight back
A discharge routed and pitched so it drains clear and resists freezing

Prime Plumbing checks the sump pump as part of a visit in a Greater Boston home basement

A sump pump only matters on the day it has to work

For most of the year a sump pump sits quiet in a pit in the basement floor and you forget it exists. Then a spring thaw, a heavy rain, or a rising water table sends groundwater into that pit, and the pump either runs and keeps the basement dry or it does not and you have inches of water. The problem is that a pump can sit unused for months and be seized, clogged, or dead when the water finally comes, and you find out at the worst possible time.

That is why a sump pump is worth checking before the wet season rather than during it. Pouring a bucket of water into the pit to confirm the float rises and the pump kicks on takes two minutes and tells you whether the one thing protecting your basement actually works. We do that check as part of a visit and tell you honestly whether the pump has life left or is living on borrowed time.

What to expect

What a sump pump call looks like

We test the pump you have, then repair, replace, or add a backup for the water your basement actually sees.

We test the existing pump

And diagnose whether a stuck float, a clog, or a worn motor is the problem, so the fix matches the actual failure.

We repair or replace it

A stuck float, clogged check valve, or discharge problem is a repair; an old, undersized, or burned-out pump is a replacement before it fails you.

We add backup and fix the discharge

A battery backup for the power-outage case, and a discharge line sized and pitched so it will not freeze or drain back.

From our customers

Greater Boston on Prime

Great prices and good work. As plumbers go these days it is hard to find good labor that isn't doing large new builds. Rich and Rob are great at taking care of your problem for you. I've used them on rentals almost exclusively.

Nat Yong Rental property owner

Needed a plumber on a Sunday and received a call back very promptly. Robbie made some great suggestions for the problem I called about. He was nice, knowledgeable and courteous.

Pat Haley Weekend call

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Prime Plumbing technician servicing basement plumbing in a Greater Boston home

Before the wet season, not during it

Because a failed pump reveals itself only when the basement floods, the cheapest decision is almost always to check, repair, or replace a questionable pump before the water comes rather than after. A sump pump is a wear item that does not last forever, and one that runs frequently ages faster, so an old or unreliable pump is worth replacing on your schedule instead of a storm's.

We install and service sump pumps for homes across Woburn and Greater Boston, including the surrounding towns where spring thaw and a high water table make wet basements common. Prime Plumbing works out of 271 Salem Street in Woburn and holds Massachusetts plumbing license 17347. To get a sump pump checked, repaired, or installed, contact us or call (617) 354-4545. If water is already coming in, treat it as an emergency.

Before you call

Common sump pump questions.

Telling us whether the pump runs, is silent, or the basement has taken on water helps us know what to check.

How do I know if my sump pump is working?

Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit and watch. The float should rise, the pump should switch on, move the water out, and shut off when the pit empties. If the float sticks, the pump does not start, or it runs without lowering the water, it needs attention. Testing it before the wet season, rather than during a storm, is the whole point.

My sump pump runs but the basement still gets water. Why?

Several causes: a clogged intake or failed check valve so it is not actually moving water, a pump too small for the volume coming in, a discharge line that is blocked or frozen, or water entering faster than a single pump can handle. We diagnose which it is. Sometimes the fix is a repair; sometimes it is a correctly sized pump or a better discharge arrangement.

Do I need a battery backup sump pump?

It is worth it for most homes, because the storms that fill the pit are the same storms that cause power outages, and a standard pump does nothing without power. A battery backup takes over automatically during an outage and keeps the basement dry. For a finished basement or a home with a history of water, the one time it runs usually saves far more than it cost.

How long does a sump pump last?

It varies with how hard it works, but a sump pump is a wear item that does not last forever, and one that runs frequently ages faster. Because a failed pump reveals itself only when the basement floods, replacing an old or unreliable pump before the wet season is far cheaper than discovering the failure during a storm. We will give you an honest read on where yours stands.

Why does my sump pump discharge freeze in winter?

The discharge line carries pumped water outside, and in New England an improperly arranged line can freeze shut, so the pump runs but has nowhere to send the water. Proper installation routes and pitches the discharge to drain fully and resist freezing. If yours freezes each winter, the discharge arrangement is the issue, and it is fixable.

Where does Prime Plumbing install sump pumps?

We install and service sump pumps for homes across Woburn and Greater Boston, including the surrounding towns where spring thaw and a high water table make wet basements common. We size the system to the water your basement actually takes on and set up the discharge so it works as a unit, rather than dropping in a generic pump.

Ready when you are

Want your basement dry this spring?

Have your sump pump tested, repaired, or replaced before the water comes. Schedule online or call our Woburn team at (617) 354-4545.

Schedule an Appointment (617) 354-4545