LANSING, Mich. — With the messy weather expected to start soon, many may be wondering how to reduce the risk of their house flooding.
Rick Ledermann, general manager of Roto-Rooter, said the most common thing people forget to do is to check their sump pumps.
Typically, the pumps have their own automatic-check value, but it's still important to make sure they're functioning correctly.
"Any mechanical device will fail because of hours of use and the more that system gets worked like it will be tomorrow, and the rest of the weekend, the more use it gets and it's just more likely to break," Ledermann said.
Making sure your pump is free of debris and the float is moving freely up and down are ways to make sure the pump is still working correctly.
Roto-Rooter said it's always best to have an alarm for your sump pump so you know what's going on ahead of time, otherwise, it may be too late.
Professionals say sump pumps last about five years in normal weather conditions, but areas that experience more rain and water tables may need to replace them much more often.
In addition to checking your sump pump, it might also be worth it to check your generator, if you own one.
The exhaust on generators contain carbon monoxide, which has no color or odor and can kill you.
The generator should be located at least 15 to 20 feet from the house to be safe.
"Generators should never be inside the home or the garage. It's internal combustion motors. So it's producing all sorts of bad exhaust," Dustin Hall, fire inspector for Delta Township, said.
Make sure you turn your generator on before you plug anything into it. Make sure to turn your generator off and let it cool down before adding gasoline.
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