The house you are considering has a sump pump, but does it work? You might be able to test it yourself fairly easily; if not, you may want to ask the seller to have it tested.
Obviously if the sump pipe is wet, or the ground around the outlet is wet, it has run recently. If the sump crock is open at the top, you can pour a bucket of water in and see if the pump starts up. If you can reach the float, you can raise it, and see if the motor starts running.
If the sump crock is SEALED, you may be able to test it anyway IF IT HAS TWO WIRES rather than just one.
The position of the float turns the pump on and off.
One wire is the float switch, the other goes to the pump itself. By unplugging the switch AND the pump and then plugging the pump directly into the outlet, the pump should come on.
The pump wire is plugged into the float wire.
Once you have verified that the pump is running, unplug it again and put it back the way you found it. Don’t let the pump run for more than a few seconds if the crock is dry; it could damage the pump.
