If you have a sump pump at your house, you know exactly how important that piece of equipment is in the process of keeping water out of the basement.
While the pump itself will not keep the basement completely dry and humidity free, it does keep water from flowing freely across the floor.
This task is accomplished by pumping the water outside to a harmless location or storm drain.
In order to stop the water from flowing backwards in the pipe and back into the basement, sump pump check valves are used on the line.
These check valves are usually located near the beginning of the pipe close to the pump.
Sump pump check valves are a small pipe fitting usually no more than a few inches long and resemble a big metal letter y.
The name is a little misleading because unlike most valves and the general perception of valves there is no handle.
This means it looks nothing like what anyone expects a valve to look like, so they are often missed.
Sump pump check valves prevent backflow of water, or any liquid for that matter, in the line.
This prevention is crucial to having the pump work correctly.
Obviously, with out sump pump check valves the water could flow in either direction instead of just the desired direction which is outside.
  Often when a new sump pump is installed owners have a problem with the device not pumping water.
The majority of time the check valve is installed backwards.
Check valves generally are marked with an arrow on the outside of the check valve.
This arrow indicates the direction of flow.
This arrow should be pointing along the line to outside the house and away from the pump.
Since the check valve only lets water flow in one direction, if it is installed backwards nothing flows through the pipe and pressure builds in the line.
This causes the pump to stop functioning properly.
That being said if owners are experiencing problems with a newly installed pump, one of the first things to do is to double check the check valve.
While just having a sump pump is an indication of a damp basement, using one of those units in tandem with a dehumidifier is usually enough to keep a basement dry.
Sometimes the two units are not enough and a layer of waterproofing paint are needed as well.
Homeowners should also check gutters and downspouts and exterior drains the house.
These should be evaluated to be certain that rain water is being directed away from the foundation of the house.
The idea at work here is to avoid any water in the basement that may need to be pumped outside in the first place.
When a sump pump is working correctly it is a valuable unit that often exists just in the back of the mind.
Home owners should check the unit at least twice a year preferably in the spring and fall.