Few Rialto homes need a sump pump because most are built on slabs, but below-grade rooms, low lots and commercial pits do rely on them. When a pump stalls or smells, the cause is usually a float, a check valve, a dry trap or a worn motor. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Rialto.
Why would a Rialto property have a pump?
Usually because something sits lower than the ground around it. A sunken family room, a below-grade garage, a yard that drains toward the house during heavy winter storms, or a commercial building with an elevator or equipment pit can all need one. A lower-level bathroom needs a different device, a sewage ejector, which lifts wastewater up to the sewer line.
If you bought a house with a pump and no idea what it does, a plumber can trace where the pit gets its water and where the discharge goes.
What should I do if the pit is about to overflow?
Shut off the pump circuit at the panel if water is close to the outlet or cord, and stay out of standing water. Check whether the house has power, then check the GFCI outlet. If power is fine, lift the float with a dry stick; if the motor starts, it was stuck. If nothing helps, move belongings off the floor and call for a plumber. Water service in Rialto comes from the City of Rialto through Rialto Water Services, West Valley Water District or Fontana Water Company, depending on the address, and you only need them if you also suspect a supply leak.
Why does my pump smell?
A sump pit should smell like damp soil at most. A sewer odor usually means a dry floor drain trap nearby, a pit that is actually tied into a drain line, or an ejector basin with a worn lid seal or blocked vent. Each has a different fix, and an ejector problem is worth handling quickly since it involves wastewater.
A Rialto note
Discharge from a sump pump belongs outside, away from the foundation, not in a laundry sink or cleanout. If the job involves new pipe, a new basin or an ejector, ask about a permit from the City of Rialto Community Development Building & Safety Division, which takes online applications through the city's portal. When you call, mention whether the pit holds groundwater or wastewater, how old the pump is and whether the trouble started during a storm. Those details help the plumber bring the right parts on the first visit.
Sump Pumps questions in Rialto
Why would a house here need a sump pump at all?
Why does the pit smell like sewage?
What should I do if the pit is overflowing during a storm?
How big a pump do I need?
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