# Sump pump discharge line frozen? (Kansas City)

> Premier Gutters KC - NDS-certified drainage contractor. (816) 469-9563. Published pricing.

**Short answer:** The pump is running against a plug of ice - it can't move water, it overheats, and pumps die this way in KC cold snaps. RIGHT NOW: if there's a freeze-relief fitting near the wall, water escapes there (messy, safe - let it work). If not, disconnect the discharge outside and route a temporary above-ground path away from the house, sloped so it drains. Don't let the pump keep dead-heading, and don't torch or boil plastic pipe.

**Permanent fix:** a buried line at continuous downhill slope to a pop-up emitter or daylight - it empties between cycles, and an empty pipe can't freeze. $300-$700 installed (5-30 ft typical run). We install whenever the ground allows digging.

Full page: https://premiergutterskc.com/answers/sump-pump-discharge-line-frozen-kansas-city/