Patent ID: 8752587

Claim:
An apparatus for preventing ice blockage of a sump pump discharge line comprising: a housing having a hollowed interior and configured for mounting on a wall of a building, the housing including lower and upper openings formed in an externally facing wall of the housing; a discharge line connection segment at least partially housed in the housing and for fluidly coupling with the sump pump discharge line; an expeller segment at least partially housed in the housing and including lower and upper pipe segments in fluid communication with the discharge line connection segment, wherein the lower pipe segment is also in fluid communication with the lower opening in the housing, and the upper pipe segment is also in fluid communication with the upper opening in the housing; and a covering for at least partially covering the lower and upper openings in the housing, the covering being operable to be moved from an at rest position, wherein the lower and upper openings are at least partially covered, to an operating position, wherein one or both of the lower and upper openings are at least partially exposed so that fluid may be expelled from the exposed openings.