Sump Pumps in Coats, NC

How old are most Coats homes, and why does it matter?

Coats is a small rural town in eastern Harnett County, between Angier, Erwin, Benson and Lillington, and most of its houses are older: the median home was built in 1978 and about 55% predate 1980, per Census survey data. Houses from that period weren't built with sump pits. If yours has one, a previous owner probably added it after the crawl space kept getting wet.

That's where many problems start. A pit that's too shallow makes the pump short-cycle. A float that rubs the wall sticks. A pump plugged into an extension cord loses power easily. And a discharge pipe that ends at the foundation just sends the water back. A plumber can check all of those along with the pump.

Where should the discharge go?

To the yard, never into the sewer. A 2018 Harnett County presentation says the county owns the wastewater system in Coats, and that system is built for wastewater, not groundwater. If your sump empties into a drain or cleanout, have it rerouted outdoors, onto ground that slopes away from the house and not toward a neighbor's lot.

The 27521 ZIP also reaches well beyond town limits, where some homes may be on private wells and onsite wastewater systems. On those lots, keep the discharge away from the drainfield and well head.

Repair, replace or add a backup?

A stuck float or failed check valve is usually a repair. A burned-out, seized or badly rusted pump is a replacement. If storms tend to knock out your power while the pit is filling, a battery backup pump and a high-water alarm are worth adding. A water-powered backup uses your drinking water line and needs backflow protection; no Coats backflow program turned up in the research for this page, so ask the plumber what's required. On a private well, a water-powered unit won't work in an outage at all.

Permit note for Coats

Harnett County Inspections provides building inspection services for Coats, including plumbing, but the county won't issue a building permit until the town grants a zoning permit. For a simple pump swap that may not come up; the plumber can tell you.