Before you get too feisty and decide that you have to get a new sump pump because your old one isn’t working right, cleaning it should be your first inclination. That will also be your cheapest option as well. Here are some steps you can take to keep your sump pump and pit clean:

Take the pump out
Whenever dealing with anything that has an electrical source, be sure to neutralize it before working on it. After you are done with that, remove everything that is connecting the sump pump to the drainage. Be sure to keep track of all the fittings and properly let the pump drain.

Now the fun part
Now that you have the pump out, there will most likely be a lining of sludge at the bottom of the pit, with plenty of ventilation and rubber gloves on, scrape the sludge out. Make sure you get all of it because you don’t want any loose gunk going into the pump after you reconnect it. Bring the actual pump outside and douse the insides with your garden hose. This should help if there is any material lodged in it.

Putting it all together
Put everything back the way you found it and reconnect the electrical source. Test it out with some water and then you’re done.