Took me 6 weeks to realize my sump pump discharge was frozen, not broken

Last January my basement started getting that damp smell and I panicked. Called two plumbers, got quoted $800 for a new pump, even bought a backup battery unit. After 6 weeks of on and off troubleshooting I finally went outside during a warm spell and saw the discharge line was just completely iced over. The pump was fine the whole time. All I needed was a $12 heat tape kit and now I check that line before every freeze. Anyone else get burned by this or just me?

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the_amy23d ago

Ugh, that is so frustrating! I totally get the panic though, that damp smell in a basement is the worst feeling. It's wild how the simplest things can look like a major problem until you finally see the actual cause.