As always Jack DeVetten, the Professor of Plumbing has the best advice on sump pump maintenance for homeowners! Not sure what a sump pump is or why it is the basement to begin with? You have come to the right place. The sump pump is the first line of defence in your home against basement floods. The sump pump keeps water damage out of your house. And it maintains the integrity of the foundation in your home. But, like anything mechanical, it needs proper maintenance to be efficient.