Issue #022
Five gallons in the sump pit tells you if the pump still works
Plus the box fan filter that pulls August wildfire smoke out of your bedroom air.
Friday, August 21, 2026 · Home Safety
A sump pump that has not run since spring can seize in place. You find out at two in the morning, with four inches of water on the basement floor.
Today’s Skill
Five gallons into the pit
Carry five gallons of water to the sump pit and pour it in slowly. The float should rise, the motor should kick on, and the water should drop within a minute. Listen for grinding. Check that the discharge line outside is actually spitting water and not blocked by mulch or a nest. Then clear the pit of gravel and test it again.
On The Radar
Smoke from a fire a thousand miles away
August is peak fire season out West, and the smoke rides high winds east. Haze, sore throats, and burning eyes show up hundreds of miles from any flame. Check your local air quality reading each morning. When it climbs, close the windows, run the furnace fan on recirculate, and set a box fan filter in the bedroom. Skip the outdoor run that day.
The Drill
Two tests before dark
Tonight, do both. Five gallons into the sump pit, watch the pump start, watch the water level drop. Step outside and confirm the discharge is flowing away from the foundation. Then tape a MERV 13 filter to a box fan and set it in the bedroom. Write today’s date on the filter edge with a marker. Swap it when the surface turns gray.
Stay ready. Rise.
- Survival Rise
P.S. Tomorrow: the three day cooler plan for when the power quits in a heat wave.