Just realized my sump pump has been running for 3 years straight

I bought a house in Edmonton back in 2021 and never thought twice about the sump pump until last week when my hydro bill hit $220. I went down to the basement to check on something and noticed the thing was humming away nonstop. Turns out the float switch got stuck in the "on" position right after I moved in and I just got used to the noise. My neighbor Pete who does handyman work came by and fixed it in 10 minutes with a $6 part from Home Hardware. Now the basement is quiet for the first time since I bought the place and I'm honestly a bit mad at myself for not noticing earlier. Has anyone else had a hidden appliance just guzzle power without you realizing?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan6581d ago

Hang on, are you sure that extra $800 was just from the furnace fan? I had a similar thing happen and the math never added up like that for me. My buddy who fixes HVAC stuff told me those blower motors usually pull like 500-800 watts, so running it 24/7 for two years would be way more than $800 in most places. Like, closer to $2000 depending on your local rates. I think people forget that furnace fans aren't exactly energy sippers when they run nonstop. Not trying to call anyone out, just saying the actual cost might be even worse than you think.

reese_hayes711d ago

My buddy in Calgary had the exact same thing happen with his furnace fan. Ran for like two years straight before his wife finally asked why the house was always so drafty. Ended up costing him an extra $800 in electricity before he figured it out.

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river9521d ago

Damn, that's brutal. Two years with the fan running nonstop without anyone noticing... I can totally see that happening though, especially if the furnace is in a basement or closet where you don't hear it all the time. That extra $800 is like a whole vacation or a few nice dinners out. I've had similar stuff happen with appliances where a tiny little switch being wrong costs you way more than you'd think. Sucks when something that should just work quietly ends up being a hidden money pit.