I have provided several basement waterproofing tipsand have contended that by taking these steps, you can avoid water in your basement. However, there is an old adage about basements: "There are those that are wet, and those that are going to be wet."
Most sump pumps use this basic design. They sit on a bed of gravel or rocks at the bottom of sump pump pit. The discharge pipe is hooked up to that circle-jobby on the left.
Translation: Your basement WILL get wet eventually. There is a difference between wet and under water though.
One way of preventing the latter is a sump pump. Depending on a variety of things: where you live, your area's water table level, the age of your home, you may or may not have a sump pump. Here in the Chicago Burbs sump pumps are pretty standard operating procedure.
Your sump pump pit, if designed properly, collects all the excess water surrounding your house.
Some water will always sit in this pit, but when the water level gets to a designed threshold, your sump pump springs into action, and pumps the water out away from your house, keeping your basement dry!
Luckily, I don't have a lot of first hand experience with sump pumps, as I've never had one fail on me (cross my fingers, knock on wood, open an umbrella indoors... wait, what?), but I want to outline how critical they can be with a sidebar story.
Sump Pumps Story Time
This past April, we recorded over 10'' of rain. Now that might not seem like much to you readers in Seattle, but that's about our entire Spring season average most years. There was one stretch in particular of about a week straight where, "it started raining, and it didn't quit. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night..." Yes boys and girls, we had a real Forest Gump situation on our hands.
Streets and basements were flooded, and sump pumps were sold out at every Home Depot, Ace, Lowe's, and Farm & Fleet. I heard several stories about people waiting outside of home centers for sump pump delivery trucks and upon there arrival, people fighting - literally fist fighting - ala Black Friday specials. Only replace talking Elmo's with sump pumps! Lots and lots of sump pumps!
Anyways - back on topic. This blog is not going to talk about how to install a sump pump. Our good friends at This Old House have a great video and instructions on installing a sump pump. Plus, 90% of you reading this already had one when you bought the house.
So why am I reading this? Good question! Because I want to share some of the pitfalls to sump pumps that can lead to water in the basement, and how to avoid/prevent them!
Sump Pumps Mistake #1 : Lost Power!
Sump pumps run on this fancy form of power called electricity! See Jason's extensive section of the blog on unraveling this mysterious form of power and harnessing its capabilities.
Usually, when your sump pump needs to be running is during heavy rainfalls. Often that rainfall is accompanied by other weather phenomenon, namely lightning and wind.
Lightning and wind like to knock out power and when that power is the same power running your sump pump, what do you think happens?
Spoiler Alert - Your sump pump stops working when you need it to be working the most. How can you avoid this?
Sump Pumps Battery Backup
Battery backup pumps kick on when your primary source of power is killed. They typically run on a 12-volt deep cycle marine battery. An electric charger keeps the backup fully charged and ready to spring into action. They cost between $300-$500 and can be installed relatively easily, or so I'm told. A couple common sense tips...
- Don't install the battery on the floor. Use a plastic case and/or build a stand or wall mount. It'd be a shame if power went out, your sump overflowed and the overflow fried your backup battery, wouldn't it?
- Make sure the outlet for your primary system is mounted near your system and well above floor level. Don't run extension cords from a sump pump motor to an outlet across the basement. Same rationale as common sense tip #1.
Sump Pumps Mistake #2: Not Testing Your System
I'd say there are 3 levels of need for sump pumps.
Level 1 - Homes where drainage is poor and sump pumps run constantly, even with little to no rain. In these homes, it is absolutely critical to keep your sump pumps well maintained. Testing is probably not needed because it's going off every couple of days. You should keep a spare pump in your home for quick replacement in the event of a failure.
Level 2 is probably the ideally designed system in which more often than not, your sump pump isn't "normally" running. Your sump pump will kick on during heavy rains for a brief period and right back off. These will require occasional testing to ensure proper performance.
Level 3 is thankfully where I reside - I've never heard my pump go off even during our week long Forest Gump rainfall marathon. I suppose I can thank the city of Oswego for excellent civil engineering (or dumb luck). If you are like me though, you'll want to test your system at LEAST annually to make sure your pump is still working for the rare instance you really need it.
How to test your system
Simple! Pour water in! Get yourself a 5 gallon bucket of water, and slowly (about the rate rain water might enter) pour the water in until the float triggers your pump to activate. At this point you are hopefully watching the water level drop, and successfully shut back off when your float drops back below the shutoff level. If that's not what happens, troubleshoot and repair/replace as needed.
Sump Pump Mistake #3 : Bad Discharge Pipe
One of those sad but funny because it didn't happen to me stories here - During the aforementioned Forest Gump rain, 
my buddy at work walked into his basement to find his floating floor... floating.
The root cause - his discharge pipe.
It leaves his house, makes a right angle into the ground, then another right angle to travel away from his house. The right angle below ground had broken. He thinks this was due to tree roots and has now resolved the problem but it was a difficult one to diagnose as you can imagine.
His pump, meanwhile, is in quite a predicament, trying to combat both the natural water flow, plus the backflow of everything its already pumped. Ultimately it couldn't keep up. Basement flooding ensued.
Luckily his basement wasn't fully finished so casualties were minimal. On top of fixing the discharge pipe issue, he pulled his best Tim "The Toolman" Taylor, and installed a 3/4HP bad-mamma-jamma pump. More Power! Aarrghhh argh argh! (they are usually a 1/2 or 1/4 HP).
Moral of the story - inspect your discharge pipes as well. Most people have a simple piece of PVC sticking out the side of their house. Some have additional tubes running away from their home. Others like my buddy, have underground lines. Whatever your design, ensure they are working properly.
Bonus Sump Pump Failures to Be Aware Of
This articles getting a bit long but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention 3 other ways a sump pump can fail.
- Stuck float valve. Sometimes you can just stop on the top of your sump pump pit and it will dislodge it.
- Failed Check Valve. This is quite common actually.
- Someone unplugs your pump - Well... yes, this happens. Basements don't have a lot of plugs. Someone runs an extension cord from your sump pump outlet and forgets to plug the pump back in where they're done. Check it!
Got any questions about sump pumps? Leave them in the comments section below!
- Adam
Don't even get me started about SUMP PUMPS! They are a nightmare. Long story short, new house, less than 1 year in the pump fails. We don't notice until we go down stairs to get something out of the freezer...FLOOD! Home warranty covers 150 bucks for the pump cost, that's it! Second flood the power was out for 6 hours in a heavy rain. Third flood the pump was just overwhelmed. So we spent 2800 bucks on a Super Sump System. 2 of the best pumps you can buy, plus a deep cycle back up pump. Now I can start to finish the basement! Cheers!
Yes, yes you can. That sucks about the pump failure(s). Sounds like you hit all of the major failure points. At least you rest easier now. Good luck with the new basement, I'll drink one for you tonight! - Jason
What is model of 2 super pump systems you bought n super back up system. I have high water table n need to find same system. Thanks.
One thing not mentioned in this article is, you can purchase a water sensor /detection alarm for like 10 bucks on Amazon or Ebay. This will help you to avoid any major damages which will cause due to the sum pump failure.
Good point, I think I mention that somewhere in another article. I have a couple of water sensors near critical areas in my basement. Here is a three pack from Amazon, great price, good reviews. - Jason
Our house is 30 years old. Poored concrete walls. Weve owned for 5years. Sit on a ridge with good natural drainage. There is a "sump crock" with no pump. As far as i know there has never been any water in the basement. Should i still install a pump, before finishing?
Hello Pat - I would say no, you're probably fine without the pump. If the house is 30 years old and hasn't had any water issues it's unlikely to start anytime soon, especially if you're on a ridge with good natural drainage. Good luck finishing your basement! - Jason
We just bought a house with a similar situation. We have a sump crock but no pump and we've been *told* there's never been an issue with water in the basement. It's been raining somewhat heavily for the last few days and expected to continue for the next week. We've been keeping an eye on the pit, how high should we let the water get before we rush out and buy a sump pump? We're currently around 2-3 inches from the top. Before the rain it was around 10-12 inches from the top. Thanks!
Hi Sara - I realize I'm a few days late answering your rather time sensitive question. How did it turn out? Any flooding? My advice would be to get a sump pump. If you're 2-3 inches from the top and it's moved up 10 or so inches - it will just be matter of time before it starts to spill over. Keep in mind, you'll also need the pipe to carry the water out and a check-valve for that pipe - I'll have to do a different article on how to install a sump pump.
It's quite possible that it would take a 100 year storm to cause any flooding in your basement - the sump pump may not be necessary - but once it starts - I'm not sure you'd have enough time to react fast enough once the flooding begins.
Hoping your basement is still dry -
- Jason
I'm surprised no one mentioned this, but if you are 2-3" from the top, then that means your lines are full too.
If your 2-3" below the DRAINAGE inlets, I wouldn't worry about it. If your 2-3" from the top of the sump, then your lines are full and if you get any cracks in your concrete, your likely to get seepage into your basement.
I say no question about it- go get a sump pump. Small ones are about $100 or less, and they'll take about 2 hours to install including the plumbing, and then you can rest easy.
Good catch. Flood insurance is extra and normal insurance calls it an act of God and won't cover you if a real big rain or snow dissolve, over both with power lots happens, you're stuck with a message and mildew. Get the pump with back up and add the flood insurance for general purposes.
Dumb phone. Lol. That was heavily loaded with typos.
If there is standing water in the sump pit- can I remove it? We have a sump pit and no sump pump. The water in it stays at the same level and there has been no water issues in the past. I just think there is an odor due to this standing water. Is there a reason I would need to have some water in the sump pit?
Nope - you can remove it. Shouldn't hurt a thing. Probably creeps in there ever so slowly. - Jason
I have a house I'm selling (as an agent) and we've lost 2 contracts because of inspectors going to the house right after it rains. Theres water in the basement, but it's gone within less than 24 hours. The sellers have had 2 basement companies out that have checked it and there's no mold, standing water or leaks, just after a rain. The basement is not finished and I have it disclosed that it is not a finished basement and it does have a sump pump. What else can I do?
Hi Laurie - You need to figure out where the water is coming in prior to determining a solution. Let me know.
-Jason
You can also buy tablets that can be put into standing water to remove the odor. I know for a fact that Home Depot sells them, as I am sure all the other stores should as well. Usually in the swamp cooler area. As swamp coolers use the same water over and over to blow cool air into your house. When the water has an odor its NOT fun lol.
Another 175$ on a 40000$ project seems like cheap peace of mind
Agreed!
I had sludge dumped into the pit, now the sump pump won't work. Is a sump pump designed to handle sludge coming from a pipe that has been rodded out?
Is it possible that a sump is not running because the water is not making its way into the sump did to a blockage or other problem. SnD if so, would that cause water to stay near the foundation and possibly enter the basement? We are getting some minor seepage on one wall and our sump rarely turns on even though we've tested it and replaced the valve and pump (plumber did it). Still rarely comes on.
Rick - A blockage is a possibility or perhaps a break in the pipe leading to your sump pump. It will only on when the sump pump pit has enough water in it to push up the float trigger. And water will only go into the pit if the drainage around your house is intake and unblocked. If it was working before and now isn't, something is probably compromised. Sorry dude. - Jason
Hey there,
My basement flooded this past October, it was finished. Turns out the float was bad in the sump pump. We put in brand new, high powered sump pump. So contractor just finished re-finishing basement this week and now the sump pump isn't even going on and the pit is full of water. Is it possible that rocks are getting stuck in the pump? Should it be on a grate of some sort?
Thank You
Alicia - Uhhggg, I feel terrible for you, I know personally how frustrating sump pumps can be. First, check to see that the pump has power. Check that a breaker hasn't been flipped - you can try plugging a radio or something into the sump pump power outlet. Second, make sure the new float is working it, if it has floated to the top then the pump should be going off. It's possible that it's clogged, but you should still hear the pump trying to work. Keep in mind that some water is fine, it will only come on if the float is pushed up to the top. See if you can manually trigger to pump to come on by manipulating the float. Did you get a Zoeller pump? These are the best on the market and the only kind I recommend.
I have electricity but my sump pump keeps switching over to battery even after I reset it. I shook the float thinking it was caught on something and it still kicks over to back-up battery.
We had a lot of rain on top of snow melting and the sump pump flushes about every 45 seconds.
Hi Nancy - Hmmmm.... the float or frequency of the flushing should have nothing to do with the battery backup coming on. The only reason that should come on is if the main power source is unavailable. Perhaps you have a loose connection somewhere?
A sump pump going off every 45 seconds is too frequent over a long period of time, you will have a pump failure at some point. When you have the chance I would upgrade to something that can displace more water at once. Or better yet, make sure all of your downspouts are routed away from your house and your landscaping is graded away from the foundation. Good luck and stay dry! - Jason
Hello,
My boyfriends garbage disposal got a crack it 2days ago and it caused a leak down to the basement so I shut off all power down In the basement as safety measures. Well I unplugged the sump pump and it's been off for two days as well as we haven't ran the dishwasher or use the kitchen sink for two days due to the leak. Issue: we realized the sump pump had been unplugged and he plugged it back in. When he did the pump (zoehler) is making this air sucking sound and we don't know what it is.The water levels are lower than usual and we don't know what to do??
It sounds like your sump pump is kicking on (for some reason?) when it shouldn't be. Because the water level isn't at a level high enough to normally cause it to kick on, the sump pump has no water to suck and therefore is litterly sucking air. Many people report this same problem near the end of a normal cycle. Check to see if your float is stuck or needs to be adjusted to prevent it from kicking on when the water level doesn't call for it. Good luck! - Adam
Mine was sucking air, too, loudly for several days. After checking online one of the responses said to pour water into the pit and see if it is pumping. Yes it did pump out some water. However, once the levels got lower the same sucking started again and I poured more water. And the pump went quiet. It's been 2 days and I haven't heard anything nor can I see where water has been pumped. The floater - if its the bobble piece per your picture hanging on the right side - appears to have a slight amount of water on it. I haven't checked it in 2 days and will look again tonight to see where the water level is.
I recently bought a new home and was looking around the house this past Sunday and for some reason I went to check on the sump pump. I noticed that the pump is bone dry and it looks like it has never had any water in it. Upon further inspection I noticed there are no drain lines running into the sump pump. So my question is for a sump pump to work properly wouldn't you need foundation drain lines running to the sump pump? If not how would water find its way to the pump pit? Should I be worried about water intrusion down the road?
Lance - Thanks for the comment. Not all houses have sump pumps and not all sump pumps have foundation drainage systems leading to them. Your sump pump can still help to releive any water pressure that would otherwise build up under your foundation slab (if you have one). Also, if you ever get active water in your basement (for whatever reason) it will help pump it out. An IDEAL sump pump system would collect drainage water from around your foundation like you are alluding to, but some, like yours, do not. My guess is your sump pump is not going to see a lot of action most of the year because of that. Make sure you take precautions with your gutters and grading around your house. Check out my exterior waterproofing article if you haven't already! - Adam
Adam, I was going to ask you quite the same thing but without having the pump yet. I live in Fairlawn OH and my home is the seventh house on a street that is kind of uphill but in a 10 to 15 degree angle, not much...yet, both my next door neighbor and my back yard neighbor are higher than me and their downspouts drain to their yards because they are sloped, yes, TO my home and MY YARD, ha! In other words, my entire West side receives their tsunamis. We don't have a sump pump but we had one to two inches flooding in the basement before. I blamed the gutters and got new ones, they were 4" and now I have 6" K Guard gutters, much better...but, watching This Old house Tom Silva went to a house that was downhill from a higher leveled neighbor and they installed a sump pump as a backup. I noticed they didn't have weeping tiles connected. This is something I can afford as before I though it was needed and the $6K they asked me was out of reach. So now I want to do it. My question is: Would I have gravel under my concrete slab so it can work? My home is well built but it was in 1931. They moved it to where it is now in 1954. It is a brick house and the basement walls are 12 inch thick, a fortress.
Tony
First time with a sump pump in a home, and first winter dealing with the noise it makes knowing that at some point it may stop working and we'll have a problem.
Not knowing anything but what I can find online - my main question is this: outside the discharge comes out of the house and then directly into the ground underneath landscaping rock. There is also a few feet of loose piping that's just sitting there, unattached.
So, with this major thaw in Minnesota after a record snowfall, combined with going from above freezing to below daily now, do I need to attached the loose pipe to the discharge? Or is it safe to assume (can't even believe I'm writing that) that the discharge goes directly down into another piping system that moves water away from the house, underground?
Hey Josh - I feel your anxiety man, I felt it many times myself. I hate that noise for what it might represent. Do NOT assume it's attached. If you don't see water flowing out the end after the pump goes off then you can assume it's going straight back down to the foundation of your house.
Now, depending on the grading of your lot that may not be an issue, for a lot of homes it doesn't matter if the discharge just pumps a few feet away. But, for a good "chunk" of homes (including mine at one point) that was not the case. I had my discharge pipe extended to 25 feet away and into the woods.
My advice is this. 1. Make sure you have a backup sump pump and a water alarm 2. Extend your discharge pipe at least 10 feet from your house and make sure the water is flowing down grade. 3. For a long term solution that MAY keep your pump from ever going off, extend all of your gutter down spouts at least 5 feet from your foundation. AND, have an experienced landscaper come over and make sure your land is graded properly, away from your house.
Good luck!
Jason
Hey Jason!!
First time homeowner here with a new home. It is winter and we have an underground extension for our pump for the extra water. It is now winter and starting to freeze. No rainfall, so I am thinking (assuming) that it maybe safe to turn off the sump pump at this time? Sorry if this seems like common sense, but this is alllll new to our family. Our extension pipe dumps the water onto our sidewalk (no where else to dump) and we do not want anyone falling or us hitting the ice as we drive into our driveway.
Hmmm... good question, I can see how you might think to turn it off, but you really shouldn't. The sump pump is there to keep your basement from flooding. If you turn it off... you risk flooding your basement. I also appreciate your concern for the ice - is there any other way to direct the water or mitigate the slipping risk? Does your pump activate often? In the winter - if it's cold enough to freeze - then my guess is that you'd have snow instead of rain and thus your sump pump will not be pumping out water...??? - Jason
Josh - I agree with Jason, and not to scare you, but your situation is the exact same setup my buddy had. His discharge came out of the house, down underground and while underground traveled away from his house. Problem is, his underground 90 failed and the discharge water was leaking out of it right back towards his house. The sump pump couldn't keep up. I think many people burry these pipes because it can be a bit of an eyesore having them visable in your back yard. I recommend following the steps Jason recommended and you will be just fine!
Thanks guys! I went out earlier today when I heard the pump working and felt water coming through the pipe back into the underground system - so at least it's not freezing and water is flowing out of the sump pump bin. But I'm just going to be safe and pull the discharge so it's heading out away from the house.
We have a crawl space with a sump pump. It's been going off very often (every 2 minutes) the past couple of days with a loud noise. We're assuming it's due to the great amount of snow we've had this winter and it's starting to melt. When I went to check, there isn't much water, but when it rises a little (only to 1/3 of the sump pump), the sump pump goes off sucking out water very quickly, then stays on making a loud noise (sucking out air?). There's no floater of any type. Do we need a new sump pump?
After the water is sucked out, the sump pump stays on for another 2 minutes sucking out air and making a loud noise doing it. What's making the sump pump kick in when there's not much water and why doesn't it shut off after the water is sucked out?
Either the float is stuck or the switch that the float is attached to is broken. Either way, it's a sign the other components may not be far behind. Replace ASAP. - Jason
For the last few years, my basement gets wet when there is heavy rain, maybe an inch or so. My husband says that a sump pump would not help with this amount of water. A wet vacuum cleans it up. Any ideas?
Hi Pat - Its hard to say without seeing pictures of what type of basement you have and how the water entered the basement whether a sump would be an effective remedy. If it doesn't leak when you get a long steady rain, then it may an issue with your gutters or your grading. It me back with some additional details and I'll see if I can help. -Jason
Ahoy Anxious - Yes, you probably need a new sump. At the very least a new float, it sounds like yours is broken. I highly recommend Zoeller pumps, they are fantastic! I like this 1/2 HP one, seems to have the right amount of power and can handle a lot of volume. - Jason
Hi Jason,
We live in an area of Virginia with bad drainage. My sump pump comes on every ten to fifteen seconds after a rain and will pump that way for five to seven days. My house sits low, and I have raised the sump pump about a foot in the pit. I am considering raising it even more to the bottom of the discharge pipes where the water is coming in. Would this help to alleviate some of the work of the pump turning on so often? Any advice on how to deal with the amount of times the pump kicks on? My neighbors pumps don't run hardly at all. Thanks. Any advice is appreciated.
I would not recommend doing that. Raising it to the inflow pipe will put added strain on your weeping tile, especially during heavy rains, which can lead to weeping seepage. You can adjust your float to a longer run time if you are concerned about the pump wear.
Tom - I agree with Eric 100%. While raising it may keep it from going off as often you are causing damage to your other structures by not letting it do it's job of removing the standing water under your house.
You have 2 options - 1. Buy a bigger pump and piping so you can clear out more volume per pump. (not recommended) 2. Find and fix the reason you have so much standing water under your basement.Your sump pump should not be going off that much. Definitely not days after a storm.
Make 100% sure ALL of your downspouts are extended away from your house. Read my post here on downspouts. Your issue seems really similar to mine. I also live in Virginia and that red clay dirt is a bitch! You may also want to look at your neighbors house - is his/her roof run-off heading straight for your basement? If so, combined with yours - you are talking about over 1,000 gallons of water for every inch of rain. You just won't be able to pump that much water out fast enough. You've got to redirect it away from your house.
Good luck - let me know how it works out. Feel free to post more questions here. - Jason
We moved into a newer home in MI last August and the sump pump did not run at all. We probably went through our worst rain event in a very long time (receiving 5 inches of rain in about 3 hrs) and still, the pump did not need to run. It wasn't until December when the snow started falling that the sump pump started running. By January it was running about every 15 - 20 mins, and by the end of February through currently it is running every 3 mins. The previous home owners built the house in 2005, so it is about 9 years old. I called a plumber to see if they could replace the sump pump (for piece of mind) and also check the city water back up sump pump (for additional piece of mind). I was amazed to find out that the previous owners had re-routed the sump pump to drain into the sewer line (illegal). The plumber couldn't put in a new sump pump but quoted me on re-routing to the exterior of the house. My property is on solid clay with very poor drainage. I am questioning where to direct the discharge pipe after it exits my house. I do have a low swail area towards the back of my property, but it is probably 150 - 200 ft away. Is that my best option? I have a wood lot on the side of my house with the discharge pipe, but i do not know how well it would support that qty of water being pumped to it. I am also concerned about the discharge pipe freezing up in the winter. I would like to run it underground, but do not have enough slope to run below the freeze line of about 3 - 4 ft. Should I try to run it with rigid 4" pvc through my back yard and into the swail area?
Hi Brett - There are several questions here, I'll do my best to answer. I'm more of a basement expert than a sump pump - but I've personally dealt with these same issues - so I'll try to contribute.
First, I feel like something must have changed in either your house or a neighborhoods house for you sump pump to suddenly start going off like that. Make sure all of you gutter and downspouts are hooked up and haven't come loose. Take a walk to your neighbors house - make sure his are good to go as well. If it was no going off with 5" of rain, it shouldn't go off because of some snow melt.
Second, that sucks about the discharge pipe being illegally routed. You officially have my sympathy on that one.
Third - You'll want your discharge pipe to be at least 6 feet away and preferably sloping down hill. With a heavy clay soil it will not absorb water very well and could easily run back towards your house if it isn't sloping down and far enough away - I had to have mine extended a good 30 feet to reach the rear of the yard.
Given the expensive proposition of dealing with a flooded basement if your sump pump fails - I would recommend paying for a super reputable landscaping company to come out and install the discharge pipe and any downspout extensions. They'll know how to handle your frost line issues - that's above my pay grade.
Good Luck!
Jason
Our home is 9 years old and we do not have a sump pump. This week we received 1.5 inches of rain one night and 5.5 inches of rain the next night. This is the first time that we have had any issues with any water in our basement. It actually came up where the drain pipe is elbowed in a gravel pit (about a foot by a foot) under the bathtub. We are considering putting in a sump pump. Here are my concerns: 1. We have never had issues, is this really necessary? Literally, almost everyone I know had issues this time around because of the amount of rain in such a small time frame. 2. I am unclear on how putting in a sump pump at this point will be of any help...without digging around the entire foundation to put in drainage pipes. 3. Our basement is mostly finished with the exception of the furnace room and a storage area. The storage area is a walk out area...this is where the sump pump would be installed (this is about 30 feet from where the water actually came in). This is not necessarily the lowest point in our basement that water will run to. Does that matter? 4. Because we have now had issues and water has traveled under our home...does that now mean that we are at higher odds for having more water issues in the future?
I honestly know very little about sump pumps and probably know just enough to be dangerous. I just don't want to jump into installing a sump pump because we have had one issue with water.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Ranae - Sorry to here about your basement flood. I'm not a sump pump expert myself - but here is my two cents. It sounds to me like you got close to having a flooded basement - but did not actually take on any water. Am I reading that correct?
If this has never happened before and it also happened to many neighbors (meaning it's more than likely directly due to amount of rain received in such a short period of time) then I (personally) would do nothing. Wait it out.
Your odds of a flood are NOT increased now because of this.
Installing a sump pump is a fairly big job and may be quite expensive depending on your basement setup.
I'm totally answering this based just on this comment so take it for what it is, but it sounds like you have great drainage but in this case it just couldn't keep up. If the water went away fairly soon after the rain stopped, I would just wait and see.
If it's really worrying you - have a firm come out and get an estimate and maybe their opinion on whether or not it's worth the effort.
Good luck - Jason
Hi,
I bought 50 year old house that has a sump pump. It kind of rained all day long here. I see the pit is wet, but no accumulated water. Should I be concerned? Thanks.
Dilip
Dilip - No concern, you should be fine. The pit may get some water in it but if it's not high enough to trigger the float switch then pump doesn't need to come on. You would have to have close to 6 to 8" of water in the pit, in most cases, before your sump pump should kick on. - Jason
My dirt/sand floor walkout basement becomes wet near the walls after a lot of rain. The walls remain dry, but the moisture seems to come up from the bottom of the walls. I have been leveling the floor and covering it with concrete blocks to create a workshop with storage. I need the area to stay dry, even though it will not be a finished space. I was planning on digging out a French drain around the perimeter and adding a sump pump, but the hardware store worker says that system won't work because I don't have standing water. He said to cover the entirety with vapor barrier and ignore the problem underneath. Your thoughts?
Well "A" - I'm never big on going with answers that include the words "ignore the problem". If the water is just near the perimeter, then to me, a French drain is exactly what you need. That being said, I'm not a waterproofing specialist. I think you should get one or even two more opinions and not from the hardware store guy. Have a water proofing company come out to give you an estimate on resolving the issue - they'll usually do the estimate for free and will tell what they thing it would take to solve your basement perimeter water problem.
Good luck! - Jason
Great advice. Thank you so much!
I have a pump that runs quite often leading to a short switch life . I recently purchased a Levelguard electronic pump switch . My question is , can I jump out the switch and use the Levelguard ? The pump works fine and is maybe 3 years old .
Yo Kev dog - I have no idea. I got a headache just reading your question. It's not you though, it's me, I'm just not familiar with levelguard sump pump switch. But... I never let my dumbness get in the way of getting an answer - I've tweeted them your question - if they answer back I'll post it here.
UPDATE: Heard back from @LevelGuard - they seem to think you can definitely bypass it. Here's what they said "@JasonMorgan77 You could fasten the float in up or "on" position and bypass the mechanical float. LevelGuard recommended for pumps <=1/2 HP." - Jason
Sub pump in my basement generally runs every 10-15 minutes. We have a pipe that needs to be connected to the sewer so we've been getting some water coming back in and then back out again. This is suppose to get done in the next few weeks by the town. Had heavy rain today and I get little puddles in my back yard. Pump is running every 1-2 minutes non stop now and I can see a stream of water coming into it. Should I be concerned? First house, first sub pump. Thanks
Hey Nick - Well... yes. Every 1 to 2 minutes would be considered excessive use and the pump may eventually burn out. It all depends on how long it continues to rain. It's been pouring here (in VA.) as well - insane amount of water. If you have a temporary piece of pipe maybe you could hook it up to your sump pump outlet pipe and at least push it 10 or more yards from the edge of your foundation? Also, check your downspouts/gutters (all of them) and make sure they aren't dumping water within 3 feet of your house.
My sump pump also used to run every 10-15 minutes during a storm, sometimes for hours on end. I extended all my downspouts 10 feet from my house (under ground) and today, during the biggest rain storm in years, not a single drop is coming into my sump pump pit - bone dry.
Good luck, let us know how it works out.
Jason
Greetings-
We live in an old semi-detached house in Toronto, dug out the basement 6 years ago, poured a new foundation & placed weeping tiles throughout, including a sump pump with 2 drains: one from the back yard and one from under the length of the house. We've got a very small backyard and we're 3 ft. away from the next semi-detached house. We've got a French drain in the back yard, waterproofed the exterior 9 ft. down, relocated our downspouts to the best location possible and in the late fall had the backyard and laneway professionally graded and hardscaped. The sump pump had to be connected to drain into the sewer line (I know it's illegal but there is no other option for anyone on our street due the size of our yards).
As of yesterday, we woke up to the 4th moderately flooded basement in 6 years. To date, it had been the same story thing every time: the sump pump is near full, usually the drain blocked by debris from the foam installation and it's rained heavily. 15 ft down the "dry" hallway is a pool of water seeping up between the floor boards. And then you turn a corner and the water is pool in a 5 sq. ft. area. I know water finds the path of least resistance.
Different this time was that the sump pump has been going off every 2min.25 sec. for 2 weeks now. We haven't had any rain for 5 days and there is constant water coming into both drains from the house and backyard with the sump pump emptying when it's about 6 in. high in the pit. The pit typically is 1/2 to 2/3 full and empties about 10 times a day. My husband found the typical 2 wet areas 15 feet away from the dry room where the sump pump is. The pit was full and he had to reach in to activate the floater. The tub then filled to almost overflowing 5 times while my husband unplugged and plugged the sump pump 5 times, the pit staying absolutely full as the tub drained the water. Finally, on the 6th time of unplugging the sump pump, the water level in the pit finally went down to 5-6 in. A lot of water was backed up draining into the sump pump pit!
Water is still continuously coming in both drains into the sump pump and it's still draining every 2:30 min. Any suggestions on replacing the sump pump in a really tight space, where all this water is coming from if it hasn't been raining and how to figure out why it's flooding in very specific, limited areas of the basement with no obvious trail of water from the sump pump area? Thanks much!
Is it ok to connect your sump pump to am existing drainage system in the basement. .. like a washing machine drain?
Greetings - we are just about to buy a 1950's house and have been told that it does not have a sump pump. Also, we were told that there was water in the basement only once in 2011 during Hurricane Irene. Do you suggest we should consider getting a sump pump. Also, does it require any structural changes, for example, creating a hole in the ground or something like that?
Thanks for all your help.
Hi GK - Yes, it requires quite a lot of structural changes, including a hole. It's rather expensive. If you've only had water once, during a major hurricane... I personally would not go through the expense of adding a sump pump. Just too expensive and for a major hurricane situation - may not even be enough.
Hope that helps.
Jason
Jason, I'm hoping you could shed light on this sump pump mystery. I noticed standing water in my basement during a storm last night, which made me wonder if my sump pumps were working. So I poured 3 buckets into each one, and neither went off. But just now, in the dry light of day, I poured another bucket down each one, and both worked fine. What could explain why my sump pumps didn't work during a storm but did work when I tested them under less stressful conditions? (What besides a power issue, I mean. We definitely had not lost power last night.)
Hi EBuz - Well... thinking... it could be a stuck float. Sometimes some "slime" builds up on the top of the float and when it gets wet it sticks to the top. Since it won't go back down the pump shuts itself off to avoid burning out. When the float / slime dries up (after the storm) it drops to the correct position and hence it good to go. If this is it, replace the float or clean the "slimy" stuff off the top.
My only concern is that it would be unlikely that BOTH pumps had a stuck float, though not impossible.
Jason
Hi Jason,
You've got lots of great info on this page but I noticed you haven't mentioned water powered sump pumps as a backup option for home owners with dependable municipal water. Here's a 1 minute video I made that explains how they work. Maybe some of your readers will find it helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E33soAR0Nts
Nick
I love this solution. I wish I had it as a backup. If anyone has installed something like this water powered sump-pump, please let us know. Thanks for commenting Nick. - Jason
After several pump failures (not electrical outages) over the last 5 years, we installed a Basepump RB750. We'll see how that works in due time. Meanwhile, we pulled up all carpet in the basement and had the concrete stained. We must have a high water table and the house is next to a creek!
Hi Jason, I hired a drainage and erosion contractor to help me with fixing an exterior sump pit issue I was having at the bottom of my basement stairwell. The issue was the seal around the pit of the circular pit was spitting up sand and water which was causing a mud bath and flooding. The contractors solution was to regrade the area around the steps and put in French drains at the top of the stairs and the surrounding area... But the problem is still occurring. There was a large eroded cavity under the steps which the contractor filled up, but it's only been a week since this work was done and we still have the same problem. Would pouring concrete around the circular edges of the pit mitigate my mud issue or could that make other things worse? Looking for suggestions.
An exterior sump pump? Cool. I've never heard of that. But, I'm sure it's a thing, I'm not doubting you. Unfortunately I have no idea if that would help. It would seem to me (just based on a gut feeling) that it would help. The root of the issue though seems to be some weak soil that's eroding away. Sorry I couldn't offer more guidance. - Jason
Hi, Jason- I know this is a reply to an old post, but when we had our foundation repaired due to sinking. My contractor was worried about how flat our yard is and didn't think there was sufficient drainage, so he installed a sump at the front corner of the house with the gutter from the rear draining directly into it and pumping out to the swale near the street. Been about 7 years with no problems, so seems to be a viable solution.
Does it hurt a sump pump to sit in a totally dry sump?
Bob - No, it doesn't. In fact I would hope that most of the time the sump is dry. The pump will only going on when the water comes in an lifts the float switch into the on position. Otherwise it's just sitting there, waiting to save the day.
Jason
Hi
We recently had a plumber come out because our sump pump was draining water onto our patio rather than flowing through to the exterior underground drain it is connected to. They found blockage and worked hard to snake the pipes. They later flushed water through and used cameras to view pipes and everything went through clearly. Three days later though it is doing the same thing-pouring water out on our patio when it comes on. Suggestions?
Dee - It's hard to say without seeing it in person but I'm wondering if your drainage pipe is getting re-clogged with mud/dirt. There may be a hole or break in your pipe. When the ground is dry and you've cleared out the blockage you're good to go but as soon as the rain comes it loosen dirt which falls back into your drainage pipe block your sump pump water drainage path.
Hope that helps. - Jason
When the rain gets heavy ,say 2" or more in one storm, my check valve seems to quit working , I can hear the water flow back into the sump , I replaced the check valve thinking the valve was old and failed ,then the 2" of rain storm came again and the same thing happened again, I'm confused why is my check valve Failing only during heavy rains could it be the empty pipe may be under water during the heavy rains causing this ,if so can I buy a better check valve that will handle the bigger storms.
Rob - I also would have guessed bad check valve but if you replaced that and it's still happening then it might be an under powered pump. You may need to bump up to one rated for a higher number of gallons "flushed". Look for something like this on your sump pump "3500 GPH at 10 ft. of discharge lift" then check online to see if your pump is rated correctly for how long your discharge pipe is. - Jason
I've noticed my sump pump was completely dry the last time I opened the cover despite us experiencing quite heavy rain fall. I filled it with water and the pump kicked in and drained the water. I've checked it every few days and noticed the water is not staying in the bottom I'm worried the pump will burn out without water in it but I can't keep adding water. Should I be concerned?
Jason
Jason - Nope, you should be relieved that water is not building up under your foundation and that your sump-pump is working as it should, if for some reason water does start to build up. When the water goes down, the float switch should be falling with it and during off your pump. As long as this is happening you're good to go.
Jason
I have a house built in 1968 here in the Twin Cities, MN. I have a sump crock under my stairs which is under the front entryway of a split level home. There is a clay pipe that runs into the crock, however there is no pump and nothing to indicate there ever was one as there is nothing but a light bulb & light switch (no outlets) and no holes in any wall for a discharge pipe. I bought the home in '08 as a foreclosure. There has never been water in the crock as long as I have known until the last few months with some heavy lengthy rains. I have wet vacced it out & it would just pour back in, but never overflow. Why? I took more than enough water out that would have caused it to spill over. It had come to within 2 inches of overflowing & I hooked a utility pump to keep it drained. I assume I should seek a sump pump install, but my main questions are why did it never overflow & why after 45 years of the home being here would there never have been a pump. No evidence to show basement has ever been wet, again it was a foreclosure so I had no previous owner to ask. My neighbors have gotten water in their basements but I have not, only a full sump crock. Suggestions/Thoughts please?
J.R. - It's possible that the water is finding another way to drain out. Some will come in to the sump crock but as the pressure builds up it ultimately finds another way "out" of your basement. As long as the way out remains in place you should be fine. It's very possible that your neighbors yard grading or just the lay of their land prevents their overflow water from escaping and thus they need a sump pump.
If it was me... I would probably want to install a sump. Because I'm a bit paranoid and I worry about stuff like that, even though the house has been dry for it's whole life (it would seem). Of course that means you'll have to install some electrical and an outlet pipe, which is no small feat.
Good luck, let us know what you decide / find.
Jason
Well the inevitable happened. Heavy rains yesterday morning overflowed the sump pit causing water to get some carpet wet, all in all not too bad, but I also had water on the opposite side of my house that appeared to seep in where the concrete block met the slab. Why does this happen? Did the drain tile just get overwhelmed? I bought a 1/2 hp Flotec sump pump yesterday at Home Depot and used the garden hose adapter and am running it up the stairs and out the front door so the water runs down the driveway. I've got a plumber coming Monday to check things out and figure out how and where we can run discharge pipe for a permanent install of a sump pump in the pit. I appreciate your advice.
Hi J.R. - Sorry to hear about your basement flood, even if it does sound like the damage was minimized. It actually sounds very familiar to mine mini-flood. Like yours, the regular drainage setup (drain tile) got over-whelmed and the water had no where to go but "up", up into my basement. Leaks by the support beams, leaks where block meets foundation, most flooding from the sump pit. The good news is the sump pump AND discharge pipe that you're installing should be more than adequate to handle the next major storm.
Let us know how it turns out. Especially what your plumber charges you and what he does / recommends. I'm sure everyone would be curious to know.
Good Luck ! - Jason
My house is about 10 years old. I purchased it 5 years ago. It is in Gaithersburg, MD. I have never heard of in my neighborhood two sump pump pits (crocks) in a single basement, but my house does have two. I also have a septic tank (not in a public sewer system).
I read on another forum where a person had a 2nd pit which he referred to as "sewage ejector pump". That post was written in 2011 and that forum is currently inactive.
Where as, thankfully, I see Jason and others keep this forum active and live, so I figured I should post my dilemma here. I know my 1st pit gets water from the rain.
The first one fills up only when its raining and the sump pump kicks in. However, my confusion (thus, the following questions) is with the 2nd pump pit. It also gets water during rain (from the small holes around it in the pit bucket).
But, I have been noticing when my yard is really dry and has no rain for days, it still gets some water and the sump pump has to eject them.
On further analysis, I noticed when we have the dishwasher (or the kitchen sink water draining line sending water out) or the Laundary washer is running, this 2nd pit gets some water into it.
Few days back, I put a water tracing dye into the kitchen sink (please note, that line is also connected to the dish washer), sure enough that color appeared (though not as bright, may be due to filteration thru soil) in that 2nd sump pump pit. It surely not the entire discharged water, but more like a over flow from another drain pit in the foundation or a leak in the sewer line.
I also put a different color dye into another sink drain (on another day), but I didn't see that color in the sump pit water. The pit has some bad smell as well, but it also gets lot of mud from the foundation. So is it possible it could be the smell of mud?
Taking into account the situation I am in, if you could answer my following questions, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and help on this; I am completely lost and extremely worried.
(1) Is it possible the building code would allow a builder to send dish washer / laundary washer water into a separate pit in (or near) the foundation (instead of to the septic tank) to avoid washing soap with bleach destroying the septic system? I am guessing, as a precautionary measure, the builder had used such a stratedy, may be?
If so, then is it possible when such a pit fills up and overflows, that water is directed to this 2nd sump pump pit?
Or
(2) Do you think this is more like a leak in the main sewer line, before the line goes out to the septic tank? In such a case, that leaking water seeping into the foundation and flowing into this sump pump pit.
OR
(3) The septic tank is in a lower level (grade) than my house is. But, is it still possible sewer water from the septic system backing up to my foundation?
(4) With respect to the Sump Pump in the Pit# 1 (the other pit), I have lately been hearing water dripping noice from its backup pump, what could this be? (I am sorry, this is an unrelated quesiton to my above dilemma). The water level in the pit seems to suggest that the main pump worked (not the backup), so can the backup pump still drip any water down?
I thank everyone for keeping this forum going, it educates home owners like me and is very helpful!
Thank you,
Rich
Rich - WOW! Water dye, second sump pump pits, septic tanks... the works! Your situation is the Willy Wonka Factory of sump pump questions/ issues. My main area of expertise is finishing basements, but let me chime-in with a few comments on sump pump / basement flooding.
1. I had a contractor (at one point) recommend adding a second sump pump to my basement to help with my water flooding issues. It was going to be very expensive and in the end my landscaping and roof drain changes ending up being the solution to my basement flooding. But, the point is, it's not so uncommon to have two.
2. The only appliance I've seen drain to a sump pit are the hot water heater and the HVAC (both of which would not have "grey" water). Sometimes, if the laundry room is on the second floor, you'll see them route the overflow emergency drain pipe to the sump pump - but for regular use the water should go to the sewer. (if someone reads this and knows I'm wrong, please chime in, but this is what I've seen).
3. As for the septic, I have no idea. Definitely not my area of expertise in anyway. I can tell you that with building and government... ANYTHING is possible.
4. Water may drip into the pit from time to time, even the backup. Unless it triggers the float switch, that's normal. If you're backup sump pump is actually "going off" before your primary (and the primary is full) then in that case you may have an issue with either the primary pump or the drainage somehow bypassing the primary.
- Jason
Hi Jason -
Our second sump pump was accidentally unplugged. Just plugged it back into the outlet and now there is a steady flow of water from Sump Pump #2 into the drain. It's been draining steadily for hours. Should we turn it off or is this the proper thing for the pump to do? First time homeowner with little to no clue...
Thank you!
Sorry if this is a little late. You can let your sump pump run. Most will shut themselves off if they start to overheat. Let those babies do work! - Jason
We bought a home last August with a sump pump, our previous home didn't have one. We never heard it go off once until this month. We've had a lot of rain! Problem is, it's been running non-stop, but doesn't seem to drain any of the water (t's up near the top). Until my husband pours a bucket of water in--- then it drains. He said there's a lot of sludge and sand at the bottom. And the water smells like chemicals :( HELP!
I'm not sure what to tell you about the chemical smell, could be something washing in from the run off. But the sludge and sand at the bottom of your sump pit could be clogging your sump pump. The pump should be sitting on bed of medium sized rock or gravel. Any sand or dirt that comes in with the water should then settle to the bottom of the gravel and the sump pump should only be pulling in relatively clean water.
If it's clogged it can't discharge the water. You may have to flush it first with clean water, be sure to turn off the power (unplug it) if you're going to work on it. - Jason
Hey the there! Im your neighbor in Aurora :) killer storm last night, right? Anyway- we were out of town last week and while we were out my neighbor dug a trench on our side of the house and stuck an extension gutter to our sump pump spit out valve ( i dont know plumber jargon, sorry) and said he did it bc there was a shit ton of water spewing out from the bottom pipe?? Ive never seen it so I thought oooook now I have this crazt muddy trench on the side of my house.... thanks??? Anyway, with the storm last night, I found that in between our house is SOPPING WET! It running into the lawn and sidewalk and everything. Okay, so I thought 'makes sense, there's an extension running from the sump pump spitter outter to the sideyard". My bf checked it out last night and said he saw the water go in just fine without the extension on there. He was concerned how much it had been going off while we were in the house (buuuuuzzzzzz CLANK sound) but I told him its always been like that? I checked out the tank in the basement today and dont think I had enough light, to tell but nothing was leaking out (thank god). We live where there is a man made lake (Harbor Springs subdivision) and I'm wondering if that's why it's running more now with the rains??? Im blabbering now. The fact is this- we didn't see what my neighbor saw that prompted him to dig this trench and it looks like a Louisiana swamp in between our houses. Wtf do I do?????
Well Theresa... I love my neighbors as I love myself, which is what the good book says to do. But I would never want them digging anything in my yard or adding anything to my perfectly fine sump pump outlet.
When there's a big storm, yes, your sump pump may discharge a lot of water - that's why it's there. If it was fine before he did whatever he did and now it's not, I would undo it. Take it back to way it was before and ask to please leave it as is. If the water run off from the pump is bothering his yard, then I would call in a landscaper and get a recommendation from them on how best to drain it without causing a huge swampy mess.
Good Luck! - Jason
Do you do house calls?? :) maybe just come over and help PLEASE!! Im right next to you :))
Theresa - If you live in my neighborhood - email me at jason@ifinishedmybasement.com with your address and I'll stop over. - Jason
I'm having a flood control system installed. They installed double check valves. Should the overflow tee be open and on the same level as the top of the pit? They connected a pipe going up into the pit. Can i email a picture of how the set it up and tell me if this will work?
Thanks
Hi Jason,
I moved into a house built on the former Grand Kankakee Marsh. Why o why would you build a basement under a house on the great marsh?
Anyway, two sump pits in the basement and in the Spring there's a period of a couple weeks when the pumps run nonstop. And you'd better hope they do.
I'm replacing one of them and I've discovered that the bottom of the pit is far from level and I think it's plastic as well. Maybe I could wait until it's drier and lay down a few pounds of concrete mix to flatten it out. What do you think of that plan? Or I might load it with a layer of bricks and hope the weight was enough to flatten things out completely. Maybe gravel or river rock that is bigger than the openings on the bottom of the pump?
A friend has his sump pump run every 4 min. It is cold clear water. This has been doing this for years. The city denies any leak from the water pipe entering in. Towards the opposite side of basement the extra sump pump does not come at all. The city will not do anything ., I have seen this. I think there is a leak from city to near foundation. This goes on 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Rain nor dry spells does not make any difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Help
I think there IS a leak as well. My advice... take an in person trip to the office where they handle the water - find the person in charge NOT a field engineer or a field manager, the TOP or assistant TOP guy - talk to him/her in person and explain the situation. Have a one page handout you can leave with them with all the relevant details, include your name and phone number. It may seem a bit extreme but with about 2 hours of work you could have this solved.
Good luck!
Jason
I had a dehumidifier draining into my sump pump. Now the water will not go out of it. Did I put the water in the wrong side of the sump pump? I put it into the hole with the pipe running from the wall down into it.
Hmmm... it's hard for me to picture what you're describing. Maybe email me a picture of your sump pump setup and the dehumidifier. You shouldn't have any trouble draining to the sump pump pit. - Jason
Have a sump pump installed outdoors in plastic pit. Drain tile runs water into the pit. Since it's outdoors the pump is removed every fall and reinstalled in spring so it won't freeze. The pump is plugged into an electrical outlet that is located in the pit. So in spring the level of water in the pit is above the outlet. Can't be good, right? Are there outlets rated for underwater? It looks just like a "weatherproof" outlet with covers over the plug. Thank you.
Jim - An outdoor sump-pump, interesting. Going out on a limb here and classifying the outlet under water as "bad". Definitely bad. I'm not sure about underwater outlets, I'm sure there's a solution for you out there, but a standard outdoor outlet cover is not good. Remedy asap! - Jason
I just bought a 6 month old home and there is a sump pit with no pump. The previous owners said just pull the lid off occasionally to check if there is water in there and pump it out if there is. No Thanks! So I recently purchased a pump and was getting ready to install. However the lid to the pit seems like it is sealed by the concrete surrounding it. What is the best practice here? cutting out the plastic lid of the pit? or breaking up the concrete surrounding it to get the lid off? Obviously option A sounds a lot less labor intensive. Also the lid looks like it is about as big around as a 5 gallon bucket. This seems small compared to other pits I have seen being installed on the internet, does size matter in this situation? Let me know what you think
Size always matters Ryan, always! That does seem a bit small, can't say that I've heard it before. Anyway... I would break up the concrete. Once you've installed the sump pump you're going to want to have a decent seal on that pit to keep smelly smells and such from creeping out of the ground and into your basement.
Good luck, check back in with us when you're done, I'd love to hear the final word on the smaller sump pump pit lid. - Jason
the pump seems to running constantly but there is no water in the pit
If it's not pumping out water AND it's running - you probably have a stuck or broken float switch. Replace ASAP or you will burn out your motor. - jason
My sump pump is 18 years old and think it's about done. It sounded like it was trying to kick on constantly, thought the float was stuck. I went and repositioned the float, and it started again. Tried some extra water in there to see if it put water out. Didn't work. I didn't have a lot of time to play with it but last time this happened the pipe was lodged off slightly so there wasn't any suction, but the bottom of the pump looked like water was coming out from under it like there is a seal broken? Not sure if this is the way they work, or it's done. Plan 1 - I was going to put additional water in there while the pump is unplugged to give it enough water to cover things to see what is does. If this doesn't work, Plan 2 - New pump. If I need a new one, I have clay soil that washes into the pit also. Can you recommend a size (horsepower), material of the pump (cast iron, aluminum) and maybe a manufacturer. I notice Wayne is a common mfg for these. I also don't know what is a good pump, versus a cheap pump. I don't want to pay $30 for one and know it can heard down the street and need to replace it next week, and also want it to work. I also plan to do this myself. Any suggestions?? Thanks for your time
Hi Sandy - Yes and yes. I absolutely have a recommendation and it's Zoeller Pumps. 1/3 horse power should be fine. Here's the exact one I have at my house, and it's awesome. Do not go with anything else.
Note that it has a "Non-clogging vortex impeller design" which is just a super bad-ass way of saying - we try to handle the dirt "or clay" that might get suck up into the pump.
If you're getting sediment or clay bits that can definitely clog up your sump pump and keep it from working properly. When you install the new sump pump be sure to clean the bottom of your pump pit and then put down an inch or two of medium gravel as a base. The clay will settle below the rocks so the pump only pulls in water.
Good luck! - Jason
Recently im building up a construction for commercial purpose. But the basement proved to be failure as the water from drainage overflowed and filled up the entire basement, which turned out to be a huge disaster for me. My basement is waterproof, but is of no use if this happens every year because of heavy rainfall. Please suggest me what should be done.
Hi, a sump pump was installed in my house. I thought it only works during heavy rainfall and there is water intrusion in the house. However it works everytime we use water in the house. It appears when we use water in the shower, it goes to the sump pump? is that how it works? Did they redirect the pipes to the sump pump instead to the city sewer?
Hi Brenda - How old is your house? Running the shower discharge to a sump pump is fairly old technique and almost never used when a house has city sewer hook up. Either your house is old or someone took a shortcut that they shouldn't have.
I'm assuming you're talking about an upstairs shower? Sometimes a shower in the basement will utilize an ejection pump system - but that would still be pumping it to the sewer and not the outside (like a sump pump would). - Jason
Hi... we had floods for years and finally put in a sump pump. End of problem. But now for the last several months, it's been running a numer of times a day, yet it hasn't rained for days. My husband doesn't seem concerned, but I am suspicious. The other problem, which is recent, our bedroom (in the basement) smells musty. Any idea where the excess water could be coming from?
The PVC pipe leading directly into my sump pump is leaking. When the pump cycles, the water streams at a steady rate and almost 1 gallon of water leaks every 45 min. I'm concerned the water level is too low and may cause damage to the sump pump. I know its an urgent matter; but, is this an emergency? It's 1:45 am and the soonest my plumber can come is tomorrow afternoon? Is there anything I can do?
I am considering a house (with a finished basement) for purchase but have some worries regarding the amount of water coming into the sump pit. I have gone by the house 4 times (at various times of the day) and have noticed that the sump pump turned on every 75-80 seconds each time. The neighbors mentioned that their sump turns on a couple times a week on average. During the recent visit inside the house, I noticed that there was a continuous flow of water into the sump pit and the water just keeps on rising even after I moved the sump pump float up about 2 feet. Even though the house has a primary and a battery backup sump pump, I am concerned that the continuous flow of water poses a greater risk of future flooding. Other than there being too much ground water coming into the house, what else can be the cause of all the water coming in to the sump pit? A couple plumbers I showed it to seem to think that the house most likely has a high water table. Should I be concerned? Thanks.
PM - YES! You should be very concerned. If it's a high water table, there's almost nothing you can do to prevent the water issue. You would have to makes sure that all of your water bailing systems are in ship shape. Literally, since you would basically be living in a sinking ship. What happens when the power goes out, what if a pump fails or gets overwhelmed, what if you're on vacation? Worries you do not want.
Now... I'm guessing that besides the sump pump issues you really like the house. IF it's not the high water table it could just be pour runoff management. In other words - you just need to spend a couple grand to have the grading redone around the house and have ALL of the downspouts extended away from your house. My basement sump pump used to go off ALL THE TIME until I took these steps - after that - not once. So it really could be that.
The problem is, how do you know which it is? If neighbors also have the same issue, that leads me to lean towards water table. Look for a house in the area that has all of their downspouts extended, ask them if they have any issues.
Hope that helps. Cheers - Jason
I have a sump pump tank in my back yard, no basement. Recently we have had bouts of no power but didnt notice anything bad happening. Then one day i was outside while someone inside flushed the toilet, and lo and behold water started coming out. Since then, everytime we run water it comes out of the top of the tank. What should I do? This is all new to me. Please help!
Nina - A sump pump tank? Are you sure you're not referring to a septic tank? Which would be in your backyard (if you're not on city sewer) and does need to be emptied from time to time. Sump pumps for basements do not have tanks in the back yard. If you can clarify a bit more, I'll try to help. - Jason
My sum pump well is wet and a little dry it's spitting water out a hole inside. If it fills it empty's but then the spitting water starts if I wiggle it it stops. I filled it with a bucket if water and it does it's job. Is the spitting water a problem? It also looks like steam comes off it when it's dry? Please help!
Hi Connie - it's hard to say for sure without seeing it but it sounds like you might have a bad seal somewhere on the pump. It shouldn't spit water. It's great that it's still working, but these issues my be a sign that a new sump pump is in your future. Not to go all magic 8 ball on you, but all signs point to yes, you have an issue a-brewin'. - Jason
We have had to fully pier our house of just three years old. The builder did not lay the drain tile properly and water sat under our house. The foundation sunk and our new home cracked everywhere as though we had been in an earthquake. We are in our eighth year and still fighting water issues. Not flooding of our basement (thankfully), but water remaining under our house expanding the clay soil and lifting up our basement floor. We have installed two sump pits and have backup sump pumps in each. My concern is that the main pump is sucking in air for 5-7 secs longer than it should and then when it stops it makes a gurgling sound. Water is being released into our dry creek bed so at least the water is being removed. Any ideas why the pump has started sounding like this. Thanks so much!
Hi Marsha - Make sure your float switch isn't sticking. Sometimes, especially with pumps that are used a lot, the float will get some slime on it and will stick in the open or "up" position. It sounds like it drops back down after 5 secs or so but it make stay stuck and then you would risk burning out your motor. This happened to me, I just had to clean off the "gunk" and it was good to go for another year or so.
Good luck!
Jason
Hi, I recently bought a house and we noticed that our sump pump is somehow spraying water into our well and it shoots out into a 3 foot radius surrounding the well. As far as I can tell we have good drainage and the house sits on a hill but I was wondering if you knew what might cause this to happen. I was thinking maybe a clog or something... Let me know if you experienced anything like this before.
Jason A
Jason A - That's a new one to me. I guess it makes sense that the sump pump dumps into the well?? It is ultimately rain/ground water after all. I'm not sure why it's spraying though - sounds like a clog in the output pipe somewhere near the end. Maybe stick something in there if it's accessible, you may be able to dislodge it.
Let us know how it turns out, I'm curious.
Jason
How can I quiet down my sump pump motors. I have two sump pumps in the crawl space underneath my house. During heavy rains, they kick on and off maybe every 5 min. They both seem to be loud motors. Our bedrooms are above the pumps. I don't believe the pumps are bad, just loud enough to be heard. How can I insulate the noise? Thanks for your assistance
Hi Ari - I would recommend building an insulation box to put over top or around the sump pump pit. I bought a box of these acoustic foam tiles to line my refridgerator "cove" because it was too loud. They definitely helped muffle the noise.
The noise from your sump pump should emanate straight up. If you can just capture some of that sound it will really help reduce it. If those tiles are too expensive, try just starting with a box covered by a thick old blanket or an old rug - anything that will absorb sound.
Good luck!
- Jason
My wife and I are looking at buying a house that does not have a sump pump? Is this common to not even have the crock that the pump would go in. The house is 20 years old and sits across the street from a lake. I assume that the reason there is no pump is due to water tables but I have never seen this before. Any advice or comments would be helpful. Do I just stay clear of this house?
Hi Adam -
Perfectly normal for a house to not have a sump pump or crock (a.k.a. hole in the ground). The developer / builder may have determined that there would be no chance of a water issue and therefore left them out. If there has been water damage - you should be able to spot some of the signs (staining, mildew smells, etc.). If you don't see that, good to go. Enjoy your new house!
Jason
I need to reroute my sump pump, no drain system or anything to hook up to. I plan on running the pipe through the foundation underground sixty feet to a cement wall, the lowest area. It is downhill most of the way then flattens out. I know about the frost line about three feet below ground(Michigan) but do I need to go this deep. I plan to use 1 1/2" pvc, drilling holes in the bottom the last fifteen feet. I could go to a 4" pipe these last fifteen feet if I need to. What else do I need to worry about? When I dug 2 1/2 feet down at the end it was damp which has now filled in with water that is closer to the surface.
Hi Andy - I'm afraid this is outside of my "knowledge zone". In other words - I don't know. I could take a guess but it only be that, I don't want to mis-lead you or the group. - Jason
Hi.
I own a 30 year old home with a sump pump in basement. About 5 years ago we never got "enough" water in the pit to trigger it, but the walls occasionally get wet.
Any thoughts?
Thank you.
EDIT from TR previous post:
What I meant to say was that STARTING about five years ago the water level never rose enough to set off the pump.
TR - You should be fine as it relates to the sump pump. The wet walls though are an issue. Even occasionally, a wet wall will lead to mold once you close it in. Depending on the amount of wetness you may just need a coat of dry-lock on the wall to solve it. Regardless, solve that first. Don't start finishing your basement if you have moisture issues.
We just bought a new house; several years ago they had water intrusion issues (we think related to improperly connected downspouts, dirty window wells, poor grading, etc) - and had a tile dug out around the houses, and a sump installed (the other houses in our neighborhood don't have sumps, and we live on a hill so not sure how necessary that was).
Now that we moved in, we see the pump runs very rarely, but has standing water at the bottom (? because it isn't running) and it smells AWFUL!! I mean, throughout the house. Any ideas if this is normal - how should a sump act in areas where it is rarely needed? How do others avoid that awful odor?
Also, when we pour water in it, it makes a grinding noise for 30 seconds before it starts pumping - does that mean it's failing?
Thanks!!!
To clarify - the standing water is only at the bottom 1-3 inches
Hello Holly - 1-3 inches is normal, not a big deal. The grinding noise is usually bad, you may have dirt or sediment in your intake. Your sump pump should be sitting on a bed of large gravel.
Now let's get to the smell (never thought I'd ever type that) - Your sump pump "crock" (the pit" should have a cover on it. In the middle of that cover or just off from the middle should be a 2 inch pvc pipe that leads out of your house - that pipe is to let air and gases escape. If it's lacking either of these things - the installation is incomplete.
I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I'm sure it's very frustrating. At least it sounds like your main flooding issues are under control.
Let me know how else I can help.
Jason
Hello,
I have a new sump pump that is doing fine. But I would like to get notified every time it goes off. Any suggestion?
Thanks.
Hmmm... well there are quite a few alarms that will text you if they sense water on your basement floor or if the power goes out, but I haven't heard of anything that will let you know when your sump pump activates. I'll look around a bit more and report back here if I find something.
Thanks, Jason.
I have had a zoeller m53 backup pump brand new in the box for six years never used it, is there any thing that can dry up such as seals if i do not run the pump. Thanks Larry
Help! I dont get it. Just bought a house. They completely...just didnt give two craps about how they finished the downstairs as long as it was.finished...and the sump pump backed up and left a small pool in my laundry room, thank God its not around any of our stuff. Weird thing is the toilet was.acting.nutty in the basement then whoever did that did a shit job as the bolts are useless and the seal around the toilet is.spewing water. I went upstairs someone used the bathroom n the toilet upstairs.kept running!!! No big deal i fixed him n it stopped. Then thats when i walked.downstairs and there.the pool was! Then the downstairs.toilet was.spewing water even more.
Help!
Hi Kylee - Aaarrggghhh! That drives me crazy. I'm sorry to hear about your "crappy" toilet and sump pump backup. Re-installing the toilet shouldn't too big of a job - my guess is that the floor is uneven. You'll need to make sure it's fairly level so you get a good wax seal at the bottom.
As for the sump pump - let me know how I can help -if it "backed up" then I'm guessing some component of the system failed. Is it the pump? The float switch? The check valve? The outlet pipe? Or perhaps it was just overwhelmed by volume?
All hope is not lost. Time to turn a poorly finished basement into a masterpiece! - Jason
Jason,
We bought a house last January. We were told that the sump pump had only gone off twice in the 20 years that the previous owners were living here. After two months, we got water. We basically need a full drainage system put in because water was coming in through the foundation everywhere.
A few weeks ago it was raining pretty heavily, and the pump started going off. It kept up with the water and there was no flooding this time. The pump has stopped going off, but there is still water in there. Do you think the water will eventually dissipate into the earth, or will our New England winter keep it from going away? We are just concerned that there will be stagnant water in the sump area all winter.
Thanks,
John
Hi John - It will "eventually" dissipate. Unlike a puddle of water on a hot day swarming with mosquitos, this water in your sump pump will be fairly benign. Just leave it as is, you do not need to worry.
Jason
My sump pump crock fills every hour and the sump pump kicks on and does its job. Why with no rain for days or weeks does the crock fill with water every hour? Could it be the check valve or could blocked or cracked downspout pipes also cause this problem?
Hello John - It's surprising isn't it. I had a similar issue. No rain for days or a week and yet that sucker was still filling up and pumping out water. This issue is most likely your downspouts. Make sure that ALL of them are diverting water at least 6' from your house AND to a down-hill slope that ensures the water won't be seeming down into the ground and back toward your foundation. In some cases this may mean a 10' foot or more, it all depends on the slope of your yard.
The check valve is probably not the issue. Those do fail on occasion, if it is that you'd hear the pump eject water and then the crock would immediately fill up with water from the top and not the side. If you take your crock cover off and just watch it as it pumps out the water you should be able to see if that's happening.
Good luck!
Jason
Hi Jason. Thanks for the information. If the downspouts are cracked or blocked, could this be causing the crock to keep filling every hour?
Hi all....looking for some advice....my question is actually 2 parts. Recently our sump pump stopped and you know the rest (ripping up carpet and trim boards), When i unplugged it and just wiggled it around a bit and plugged back in it started and drained the excess water. This was NOT due to any power outage, fuse, etc. Then it happened again the next day (stopped) and i wiggled it and plugged back in and started...it didn't reflood the second time as I was watching it regularly. I know I need a new pump and will get one (with 2 motors) but I'm curious if anyone knows why it would do that ? Does it sound like a faulty wire or something ?
Secondly, and the bigger question, is it seems like we have a lot of water coming out...there is usually a steady drip. Now obviously this wouldn't surprise me during heavy rains, or melting snow conditions, etc....but this happens even when its dry out or if it 0 degrees out where no snow would be melting. It makes me wonder where it is coming from and I recently started questioning if there could be some broken pipe. Last year we had a radon mitigation system put in and when they drilled the circular hole through the concrete slab, standing water was visible beneath. I was always under the impression that water was a result of poorly installed drain tile, but I'm now wondering if it could be related to a cracked pipe underneath and that is why the sump pump has a continuous drip.
Any advice/thoughts are appreciated
So I just recently had a new sump pump installed. When I bought the house apparently the sump pump drain line did not meet code which I was unaware of sence the house was sold as is. Well to make a long story short the plumber reattached the sump pump line to the pic the headed put side of my house. The pipe only expenses about 3 feet from my house. Won't the water just filter it's way back in and continue the cycle of pumping it out? I'm already in a pretty low lying area. Sump pump kicks on almost ever 5 min or less.
Hey Jeremy - Technically yes, some of that water will go back down and into your pump, but not that much. How much depends on how well your land swoops away from the foundation at the location where your outlet pipe exports the water.
If your pump is going off every five minutes or so, and not just during a heavy rain, then your most likely cause are your down-spouts. Make sure ALL of them are extended well away from your house and towards a downward slope. Some of mine are 10 feet away, because that's how far it takes to get to a point where the ground slopes away. Down spouts carry WAY more water than the sump pump pumps out.
Once I did this my sump pump, which had been just like yours - going off every 5 mins for hours, stopped completely. No more water, hasn't gone off a single time. Not promising you'll get to that but it should do the trick.
Good luck! - Jason
My pump is turning on but not turning off. If I unplug it ans plug it back in it resets and is quiet for up to a day but is back at it again. There is water in the pit and when I unplug it I can hear it run back down the pipe. My discharge is all inside the house so no blockage because of freezing. Not sure it it's a quick fix of needs replacing before the next big thaw.
Hi Mary - Listen, it sounds to me like your pump is not strong enough to fully eject the water. It's basically eject the same water over and over, the water isn't making it all the way out - or perhaps only a small portion is. You'll probably need a new pump - or you will shortly. - Jason
I have a sump pump in my basement, and it overflows when my wash machine is on rinse cycle. And also the water has an horrible smell!
Hi Annie - Well it would seem that your washing machine drains to your sump pump. Not really ideal, that's a shortcut some builders take to avoid running pipe to a drain or if they can't get to a drain. The water smells because it's dirty laundry water. Based on your description it sounds like your sump pump is either not working or not working very well. I would suggest troubleshooting the sump pump - and perhaps installing a new one. Hope that helps, I'll need some more detail to help further. - Jason
We have been in our Illinois house for nearly 17 years. We have gone through like 5 sump pumps (zoeller). The water continues to flow in 365 24/7. It never ends, drought or freezing temps it continues to flow. I had the guy from the city come out and said there was no problem from the Dbox. I have the discharge running to a drain tile at the end of the yard that is connected to the storm sewer. I had a plumber here the other day that said I cannot fight ground water. The water reached it's own level just at the top of the inlet. He raised the new 1/2 horse pump on pavers and it hasn't gone off once. I am concerned about leaving the drain tile full. The level of the water is a good 8-10 inches from the floor. What do you think?
Hi Melinda - That's interesting. It sounds like you're saying that a bunch of water is basically sitting under your house - but never get high enough to trip the sump pump? Am I describing that correctly? If that's true, I think you're ok. The water is probably self-draining and unless it starts to rise to the trip the sump-pump float then you won't hear it kick on. - Jason
ps. Do you have gutters? Have you extended all of the downspouts at least 10 feet from your house?
I basically have the same problem Melinda has here in NJ. I am not connected to public water/sewer (I have septic and well water). My downspouts drain into a pipe that runs out to a drainage ditch by the road. My house sits about 80+ feet from the ditch. The sump pumps pump into a separate pipe that dumps into the ditch as well. Water pours in the crock continuously from all 3 corrugated pipes and only slowed during the summer months when we had little rain (never stops). When I unplug the pumps (3 - Zoehler model 53s set at different heights), water rises to just slightly above the 3 corrugated pipes entering the crock and stops (about 9” from the basement floor). I’m wondering if this is the natural level of the water table and if I should raise the pumps above this mark like Melinda did to prevent them from cycling? Would this hurt the corrugated pipe system under the foundation if they stayed filled with water? My only fear is if we have a 100 year rain that the crock will already be mostly full to begin with. The lowest pump does all the work maintaining the water level. Currently the cycle rate is 19 seconds pump on and 1 min 18 seconds off (total cycle = 1 min 37 sec). Thanks for any input.
Also.. I was doing some research. Would the Zoeller Long Cycle Kit – Model 10-0001 help with this situation? I am not sure exactly what it does but what I gather there are 2 floats. Top one for "on", bottom one for "off”, adjustable up to 32” apart from each other. I could set the top float slightly above the high water level and during a heavy rain it would trigger and pump it down to the low point (app 3” above bottom of pump) creating a lot of available space for any extra inflow of water…in theory. My crock is quite large. Almost like a 55 gal plastic drum with the top cut off (24”dia. X 32”high). Also FYI, I do have check valves in place and I get no water back flowing into the crock. All the water comes from the corrugated pipes. There is slow flowing water (3-6”) in the drainage ditch at the road but its below the pipeline. There is no current secondary backup system but I hope to install one in the future. The previous homeowner had wired up a 2nd receptacle for a generator connection in case the power went out but that will do no good if I am away. I hope I covered all angles of what is going on. Thanks again!
I have had some minor spillage from my sum pump recently . The pump is operational but the strangst thing is that the well will fill up covering the floater and sump pump without the pump draining the well, but when I remove the cover to the well the pump kicks on draining the well.
I am thinking that it could be an issue wth the float, but what does the covering of the well have to do with it kicking on?
It shouldn't have anything to do with it. The cover is to keep "stuff" from falling in and to prevent smells from getting out. - Jason
Hello! Is there a sump pit made that allows for the discharge pipe and electrical cord can come out the side of the pit rather than running straight up? The best place to locate a new pit in this area of my basement is in an area where I would prefer to not have the discharge pipe coming up out of the floor... Thanks!
Hi Brian - I haven't seen one yet that doesn't discharge from the top. Sorry. - Jason
I have a ten year old house with lots of cracks in the basement floor. just had a new sump pump installed as the original 10 year old one had burned out and quit working. We had unusually heavy rain this spring and my yard is poorly graded for drainage. Had several inches of water come in through floor cracks in the part of the basement away from the sump pump.. The plumber suggested a second pump at that end of my 30' basement to keep either one from overworking. Does this sound right?
Hello,
I have a question about my sump pump/pit. We moved into my house about 2 years ago and my sump pit has ALWAYS looked to be bone dry. I have never heard the sump pump go off, nor have I ever seen a drop of water in it. There is a pipe coming into the pit, but that too has always looked to be bone dry, even after it has just rained like crazy for several days straight. Is this normal for it to always be bone dry?
Also, my sump pit is sealed (it was like that before we purchased the house). Because it is sealed, I cannot test my pump to make sure it actually works. Should I break the seal and crack it open to make sure it does work, or does the fact that I've yet to see a drop of water in there make it OK to leave it as is? Any suggestions?
Thank you for your help,
Kyle
Hi Kyle,
We just looked at a house with an obvious water issue. There were 2 separate pump pits with several pumps. The pits were deep and there was about 20 inches of water in them. It seemed the pumps turned on about every 2 minutes. The housing inspector told us that we needed to get a civil engineer and possibly a landscaping engineer to look into it. My question, and obviously you couldn't give a definitive answer without seeing it for yourself. Is it possible that the pumps are positioned too deep, below the water table line, and the pumps are pumping water that wouldn't need to be pumped out. I read something about that being an issue and I'd like to see about getting another opinion.
Thanks
I agree. You don't HAVE TO remove all the water under your house. It may be impossible in fact. You just don't want water seeping up to your foundation. It's quite possible the current owners were sold on a solution they didn't need. Water mitigation for basements can be a slippery business. - Jason
My sump pump broke down in the winter and the underground discharge pipe froze so I had to rig up another discharge pipe across the snow which didn't freeze due to the amount of water the sump pump has to pump every couple of minutes or so all the time. Now I want to rent and excavator and dig and trench so lay a new 4" PVC pipe under the frost line at an incline for a length of about 20' away from the house. We live in very low lying land and the water table is very high. If I have the PVC pipe draining at a level that is below the water table will get absorbed or might it just back up? I am thinking the 2nd half of the pipe should be perforated covered by landscape fabric so the water coming out is more distributed. I am far from the road so don't think running the pipe all the way to the culvert is an option (under the deck and around the house and another 40' to the road). Is there any point in making a gravel bed at the end of the pipe if it is under the water table and how to do that if the water just keeps seeping into my trench. I hope this makes sense to you! First house with sump pump and not enjoying it!
Hi Stella - Well now we're talking about "outside" the house. And unfortunately my domain is limited to "inside" the basement. You have used many words that I do not understand. I'm afraid I don't have much advice to offer here except that you sound like you know what you're doing. A good option might be to pay a pro firm a small fee to do some consultation work for you - have them review and comment on your design. It will be worth the money to get it right before you start digging up your yard. Cheers - Jason
Do they make any kind of a platform for the sump pump that you can place in the bottom of the sump pit to raise the pump off the bottom of the pit? My pump goes off all the time and if I raise it a little it won't turn on as much-only when the water level starts rising in the pit. This should increase the life of the pump and will not be as annoying as it is now since it won't be turning on as often.
Hi Brian - Yes, they definitely do. Here is the link to a good from Zoeller on Amazon.
My sump pump is running well, but it has become noisy aftr this winter. When ever it discharges water it is making a loud motor sound (vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr), but it is remvoving the water quickly. My sump is in my cemented crawl, and when I went down to check on it the well was fairly empty and the sump pump was mostly sitting on the water, not submerged, so i am not sure if I am just hearing regular sump noise or not, but I have never heard this noise before. Any thoughts?
Sounds like it might (MIGHT) be running after the water has been discharged. What should happen is the float switch should drop down and turn off the pump. Your float switch may be sticking. Sometimes grime or sludge causes it to stay up longer than it should (consult your Doctor for a float switch that is up for more than 4 hours)
That was a joke. If you can access it, you may just need to wipe down any gunk on your float switch. Hope that helps. - Jason
Hi, I live in an area with a high water table so everyone has sump pumps. My 50 year old house actually had two sump pits in the floor, basically just concrete rectangular holes about 18" deep. One of them is close to the foundation wall and that was where the original sump pump was installed and discharged outside. The other pit was dug about 8' away from the wall, more in the middle of the floor and about maybe 12" away from the first pit. Always seemd like a strange place for a pit. People I bought the house from never had a pump in the 2nd pit and I never gave it much thought. The one pump seemd to handle any water coming in OK. I just made sure I covered the top of the other pit with some 2x8s so I wouldn't fall into the darn thing walking across the cellar. We had a really wet period after winter thaw here and I was going away for a few weeks. I was concerned that if my pump failed, I'd come home to a disaster. I decided to quickly throw another pump into that 2nd pit. I just temporarily connected it with that flexible discharge pipe and put it out the basement window extending out into the yard about 15' away from the house. I figured if the first pump failed, at least the 2nd would continue to keep up with the water coming in. Both pumps worked well and they always seemed to come on at slightly different times. I felt better about going away with the two pumps working. Now, I need to do something more permanent to discharge the 2nd pump with 1.5" pvc to the outside. I was going to make another hole in the foundation for a 2nd discharge setup, but one of my friends suggested I just tie the new pump into the same discharge pipe as the first one. So, my question is "will this work and if so, how to do it and where would I install the check valves"? I assume I would need two of them- one in each pipe just before they are connected with a tee or Y to keep the water from backing up into the other pit?? Hope this makes sense and you can give me some advice.
Correction to my previouse comment. Second sump hole is 12 feet away from the first one, not 12", and out towards the middle of the floor.
What if the comes in the sump pump not through drainage pipe,but underneath it
It's raining and water is draining into hole outback to go to pump. The water level hasn't changed I checked discharge pipe and no water has come out. The basement is dry. I am confused. Any ideas?
Hi Jill. Uhhhh... it's now June 12 so I'm guessing it stopped raining but I thought I'd answer anyway. It's possible the water is just draining naturally into the soil underneath and around the house - so it may NOT raise up enough to trigger the sump pump. Nothing to worry about, it's perfectly normal. - Jason
Just had battery back up installed in pit with original sump pump last Summer. Plumber spliced the pipe so that both pumps will push water up to through the one exterior exiting pvc pipe. Differences noticed since the addition of the back up pump is that the original pump will now run continuously during hard rainfalls (up to an hour and a half) and seems not to be as loud or as strong when pumping water up to the PVC pipe. Before a person could really hear the pump kick the water out of the house with force and it usually would leave a 10-15 second break between run times even during heavy rainfalls. Question: Is the presence of a second float/pump in the pit causing the original pump not to be able to gather as much water or by splicing and connecting another secondary pvc pipe is there now an air pocket which results in a lesser efficient (less thrusting power) from the original main sump pump pipe? Ideally should we have had to run another separate exiting pipe for the back up pump instead of connecting it to the other one? Most plumbers say that's atypical to do? Really worried about the original pump either burning out or not being able to keep up. The back up pump has yet to kick in but there has been a trace of water from one of the corners of the house where one of the gutters was unfortunately blocked by the lip of landscape edging even while the pump never stopped. Please see what you think. Thanks.
Hi Greg - Yes, you're right to be worried. It's most likely the splice causing the issue. A standard pump is only designed to push up water with a single pipe setup. By introducing the extra air it's now only able to eject 50%-60% of the water. So the rest of the water falls back down, causing the pump to go off more often.
Since it's going off more often, the pump will wear out sooner. You can install a second pipe, or install a more powerful pump as replacement for the first one and leave the pipe setup as is. The water in the corners is probably a result of the pump being unable to keep up with the volume, again, you'd need a stronger pump or more efficient pipe setup. My guess is you have a 1/3 HP pump - consider going to 1/2 or 2/3 HP. - Jason
My sump pump is now running/flushing every couple minutes whereas it used to run only when the sump was full. What might be causing this? I don't want it to burn out. If you can give a clue, I'd appreciate that. I have no idea how old it is since I just moved into this 1961 house a few months ago. Thank you.
You could have a broken float or float switch issue. If that's the case the pump will burn out prematurely. I can't really advise on how to fix the float or switch but perhaps that gives you a starting point. At the very least, I like having a backup sump pump in my basement (not installed just ready to go) just in case. There's a link to a very good Zoeller brand in the article. Cheers - Jason
I have a submersible pump and the sump has a water level about 6" above the pump but is still about 18" from overflowing. Should the pump come on or could it be set in some way for water level to get even higher before turning on. It has an exterior float.
My basement is finished with laminent (and what Lowe's told me was 'waterproof') flooring in all areas except for my laundry room. The house was a flipped house that finished the basement so I have no idea what real shape it was in before. I am having problems with water seeping through the floor and then pooling around where the flooring stops in the laundry room. I don't know what to do - I do not have a sump pump and am about 2 blocks from the official flood zone. Help!
Hi Julie - Well... you're not going to like my answer. That flooring needs to be removed. You need to solve this water issue. The flood zone has very little to do with your basement water issues. The water is either weeping in off the walls or, more likely, coming up from under the concrete floor.
In the later case you need to either have a sump pump installed (very expensive if you don't have the drainage in place) OR you need to try some much less expensive methods for keeping the water from reaching your basement floor to begin with. Very briefly, add or extend your roof downspouts, regrade the soil around your house foundation (call a pro landscaper they'll know how to do this is help keep water out). Start with that.
- Jason
I have lived in my home 9 yrs. During heavy rains, I used to hear water pouring from both incoming pipes, into the crock. Since the winter, I have not seen or heard a drop come through either pipe. It's raining severely now..I went down and looked into the crock..not a drop of water is draining into the crock!? I can't understand this, and am concerned where all this water is going. Or stuck?? Are my basement walls going to cave in? What is going on? I'm grateful my basement isn't flooding. .but this can't be right. Help? Thank you for your time.
Hi Robin - It's freaky isn't it. The NOT knowing. First, you're walls will not collapse, at least it's very unlikely. Something has likely changed that is not taking the water a different route. It could be as simple as a single roof drain or a some shifting soil or change in grade due to landscaping at either your house or your neighbors.
I used to have tons of water come into my sump pump - I added two down-spout extension and suddenly nothing, no water at all, even during uber heavy rains.
So two steps. 1. Remain vigilant, watch for any issues 2. Count blessings.
Jason
We have an old sump pump that is no longer working or hooked up because we had a new system installed. We are about to have our basement refinished and a bathroom built where the old sump is. My question is, do I need to back fill or close off the old sump before walls and floors get put in? It currently has a plastic cover with a few holes cut out so you can open it. And if it needs to be sealed, what would you recommend sealing it with? Thanks!
Hmmmm... ok, interesting. Hi Jenn. Personally, I would seal it since the bathroom is going "over" it. If you weren't building a room over it I guess I would just leave it as is. You could fill it with gravel and then a top layer of concrete. Just grab some bags from Home Depot and recruit someone with big muscles. - Jason
Hi. We recently moved into our house. It's 10 years old - large ranch with very big basement, with 9 foot ceilings. It is bone dry, even though it's been raining heavily for weeks. We are up about 10 feet higher than the street. Our development has septic tanks and well water - no city sewers.
So, we have a sump pump - submersible style and it works fine. It rarely goes on, and the brine water from the water softener hose empties into the sump hole.
There is one, 4" horizontal drain pipe entering the sump pump hole - it is about 6" higher than the water level of the sump pump, and even though it's been raining a lot, there's no water coming out of it at all.
Ok, my question is, the sump pump plastic 'tube' is built into the concrete floor - typical installation, except that the concrete floor is raised up about 4" higher at the top lip of the sump pump hole than the rest of the basement floor. They did a nice job of taking an area of about 6' x 6' around the sump pump hole and slanting the concrete from the basement floor up to the lip, so it's hardly noticable.
My concern is that if we ever did have water in the basement, it would not enter the sump pump hole to be pumped out until the water level was about 4" high.
Is this some kind of 'code' to do it this way?
Thanks for the help!
I suppose I could cut a floor drain into the area where the 4" pipe is running horizontal under the floor at the normal basement floor level but this seems like a lot of work.
Hello Wayne - I had to use all of my mental imagining powers to visualize what you described but I think I got it. My advice would be "first do no harm". In other words, I'm not sure I'd do anything. You don't have water issues, the sump-pump works if you ever did. The slight incline will not be a problem - that water will find it's way to the lowest point (which is your sump pump basin). Hope this helps.
Jason
The concrete floor around the top of the sump pump basin is leeching water. A specialist told me that mud is collecting around the outside of the basin and water is unable to empty into the pump basis and is rising up through the stone and mud to the floor, which is why it is leeching into the floor. He suggested removing the basis and filling around it with rock and installing a catch at the top to catch water that does rise through the rocks. The only problem is that they want to install their propriety system (and new pump) even though I just bought a brand new pump and installed it myself. The pump cost about $400 so I don't want to replace it if I don't have to. Any other ideas? I thought about drilling some more holes in the top 6 inches of the pump basin.
Hi Tom - Well, it sounds to me like they have the correct diagnosis. Sediment build up around the perimeter of the basic. I can't for the life of me see why fixing that requires a new pump or their proprietary system. The ultimate solution is to probably rebuild the basin with the proper sediment control, I can't see how drilling a few holes would hurt if you want to try that first. - Jason
Just moved to Denver. Due to record rains, my sump pump is going crazy. I'm estimating a discharge of 7,000 gallons per day since I moved in 2 weeks ago, with no change in site. The pump is running every 30 seconds or so. I've been told by neighbors that an aquifer runs under my house. The basement is about 9 feet deep and the soil report from 2008 showed water at 13 feet filling to 11 feet immediately after.
I'm worried that my sump pump with eventually fail. Trying to have a second pump installed with battery back-up. Anyone have any recommendations? Should I test to see if the sump pump is just set too low by temporarily turning off the pump and seeing if/where the water stops rushing in?
The house has an outer perimeter drain fyi.
is there any type of hand powered water pump that would be reliabe for use if we were to have an EMP attack?
Hi worried. I'm sure there is a hand pump variety, though flooded basement would be the least of my concerns if we were attacked with an EMP. Try not to worry so much, it's known to cause heart disease. (but don't worry about that either)! - Jason
Hi there I ran into your site as I googled "_got new sump pump and its not running" "as the sirens are going off here at 4:30 am in Appleton Wi and your page was the first to come up. Well here is my issue my basement flooded back in may when it wouldn't stop raining ! Me and my sis own a duplex over old swamp land (as what I've been told) so the pump I had was the old fashion ones and I had gotten the one you showed on your blog the one you put in the water valve let me digress in May my sisters side broke or something happened to it which made mine to go on overload which in turn flipped the switch well so I got the ones to put in the water well. My basement is finished but we put indoor outdoor carpet and that was a nightmare so from the time I put the new one in till just two weeks ago it was running like heck.... Wouldn't stop! So I rigged it I put a piece of block to make the pump higher and that didn't seem to work so I pit a mother little one on top, it stopped shortly after. So here we are today I was awoken by heavy wind and rain so I went to go check on it I look in the water that was left on there from being under the boogie was black and smelled like death... So I got all my Kidd in the basement I'm thinking well why isn't rain water coming through? And it's now 5:11 still not a drop. Side not the pump I had in prior to the heavy may rains here in WI witch may be the rain you were talking about by Chicago as were 3 hours away barely went off so my question is why the black moldy water? Should I just take the bubble and release it and if my sump pump that I had before may never barely went off would be because well..lol it never went off? And why the heavy flow from may to end of June? Well I'm going to check again to see if the pump is going . ( called my sis and hers is going off) I'm afraid IDF I fall asleep the waters going to come through the walls or the floor eeeeek. "Coming from a 32 yr old women who knows nothing about this kind of stuff) appreciate the vlog helped a lot to understand more! Have a good night /morning while I bight my fingers off with no sleep. Oh the joys of sum pump's and living in the mid west!
Just moved into our new home 2 weeks ago. After moving yo Ohio from the south a sump pump is entirely new to us. During our inspection the sump pump was bone dry and the inspector noted that as a positive. However, 2 weeks of steady rain has caused my sump pump to come on. House is less 3 years old and it seems to be working as I "assume" it should be. One note to mention, I left my outside spicket with leaky hose on which sits directly on the outside of sump pump wall running for 2 days like an idiot on top of the large amount of rain. What I am seeing now is when the sump pump turns on water is pushing out of two connected gutter downspouts on the same side of the house. Should I be concerned? Or is just from an abundance of rain? Thank you in advance!
Hello Rookie Homeowner - Very good questions, I myself was also once a rookie HO with the same questions. 1. The leak from the spicket almost definitely did not cause the sump pump to start working. 95% chance it was just the abundance of rain.
It is very possible that dumping the gutter water and discharge water close to your foundation causes the sump pump to work a bit longer than needed. If you see that it comes on during most heavy rains I would recommend extended your downspouts a good 6' from the foundation. It "could" prevent the pump from coming on at all. - Jason
I am looking to purchase a home with known drainage issues. I've noticed that the neighbors lots on either side each have about 6-10 inches on the height of my lot. my contractor has stated that if we simply add dirt to the lot on all sides and regrade(to what is unfortunately a beautiful lawn) to bring me up to speed, it will then solve the issue and if we waterproof- with special material sheet around the house in addition to it, the previous owner apparently made his own sump pit, half way too short, with pipes into it that no one can seem to explain, one of which is 6 inches wide looking like a sewer exit.
I am told it should just be filled with cement and forgotten about and if i want a pump, i need to then put a rock moat completely around the house and add drain pipes to it. what if water goes down those pipes after filled with cement? would i likely still need to add a sump pump with the regrading?
Hi Bill - Here's my take on it, understanding that I'm only gauging this comment on what I can infer from your comment. 1. Regrading your lawn is the right move. This "may" prevent the water issues entirely and make a sump pump and all it's prep work unnecessary. 2. I agree with trashing the old sump pump and starting from scratch with a professional installation, the pitch of the pipes and the depth of the sump crock is critical.
That facts that two yards drain to your lot is not ideal in terms of water issues but it can be solved. Consider it part of the purchase price of the house.
Good luck!
Jason
Hello All,
I have a question. I recently bought a new house with a sub pump and pit the pump was running last night so this morning a decided to check it out. I notice that there is a draft coming from the 4" drain pipe is this normal.
thanks
sebastien
Hi Sebastian - Yes, that's most likely normal. There's basically a big pipe under you basement, it could certainly form a suction from time to time if the conditions are right. - Jason
Hi:
We bought our house in 2006 and discovered that the previous owners had covered up the fact that the basement had suffered several flooding events. One of the root causes of the flooding was that the builder was allowed to run a pipe from a small floor drain outside the basement door in our walk-up, into the sump pit inside the basement. Any time there was heavy rain, the water gushed into the sump pit. We fixed the problem by installing a new, more powerful sump pump with battery backup in the pit. In addition, we installed a second sump pump and pit outside where the small floor drain was in our walk-up. It's worked great for several years, but i've noticed lately that the pump is running all the time now. It has to pump the water up 12 foot pipe, before gravity takes the water away from the house. Now, when it's not raining, I hear it pump the water up the pipe, but most of it comes back down, starting the cycle over again. Is there an adjustment I can make to the pump so it isn't trying to pump all the time?
Why don't sump pumps just drain down the sewer line? My yard is swamp-like where the sump pump is pushing water out.
My sump pump is newer ( less than 6 months). Been running fine. Had a dry spell then heavy rains. It ducks out the water but when it does, it's blowing bubbles in the bottom of the tank. Any ideas why and how to fix? I already pulled out and cleaned the tank and the pump. Thanks in advance
Well... that's a new one. Bubbles at the bottom of the tank??? Ok, this is just a guess, so take it as such... but you might want to "check" or replace your check valve. There could be a gap in the seal and it's allowing air (and probably some water) to get forced back down into the pit and through the pump.
Eventually that will fail completely and you'll have a burned out pump and a flooded basement. I usually recommend buying a high quality check valve such as this Zoeller model. For about $15-$20 you get complete piece of mind. Hope that helps, come back and add a comment here if that did end up being the issue. - Jason
Thanks Jason for the reply. I replaced the check valve....thought that was a good idea as well...but the pump still seems to be blowing air out, like it takes longer to push out the water but it's still pushing it out. I'm wondering if it's just the pump?? Any other thoughts, suggestions appreciated. Thanks
Hi there, I love your article regarding the sump pumps! I just had a new pump installed about 6 months ago. This thing typically goes off a lot, regardless of weather conditions. However, it does go off much more frequently with heavy rain as expected. Last night I noticed that a red warning light came on the backup pumps battery pack, which was notifying me that the backup had been activated and to "check main pump for failure". My dad suggested resetting the box which I had done, and now the light does not come back on anymore so I feel it is fine. My only concern now is that I haven't heard the pump going off at all over the last 24 hours. May be time to pour water in the pit and see if the floaters will
recognize the water levels changing. Thoughts or suggestions?
Hey Scott - Yes, I would run a test. You'll be kicking yourself if you don't and end spending days and days plus lots of money bailing out a flooded basement. Once you get that squared away I would make it my mission to see if you can't eliminate the need for that pump on a regular basis. You shouldn't have to live in your own home constantly wondering if it's going to flood!
Jason
Our ejector pump, for the basement bathroom, won't run automatically. We have a piggyback cord and have to run it manually. I assume that the issue is a float switch stuck against the side wall of the pit/basin. (This happened before) I can't remember if the float was on a tether, but I think that it is, because I would not have this issue if it was a vertical switch. Is there some way to keep the float away from the sides of the pit? Does anyone make a "bracket" or something to accomplish this? I really don't want to switch out the pump...for obvious reasons.
Just got foundation wall fixed and added a sump pump June 17th 2015. It has not rained in 7 days and the pump has continued to release water, casuing a lot of standing water in front of my driveway and 2 of the neighbors drives. what do we need to do? Neighbors not happY!!!
I'm sure it's too late now but why would you have the sump pump drain water to front of your driveway?? I would suggest adding an extension pipe to the "out spout" of your sump pump and direct the water to downward slope - and away from you and your neighbors driveway. - Jason
My sump pump will sometimes kick on when it's supposed to other times I have to hit on it do you know whay thanks
My sump runs almost non stop when it is raining, and only slows down when we have not had rain for awhile. My question is . . . I notice that after the pit empties, the water immediately rushes back in but not just from the pipe coming into the pit but also from all around the pipe. I do not think this is normal, is it? Also, the plumber set the float a fair amount above the pipe coming in so that the pump will run a little less frequently and hopefully not burn out as quickly. In the recent storm of mid June, the pit water was just a couple inches from the top. The pump was having a hard time keeping up. I prayed and the rain slowed down a bit and finally was able to empty the pit without overflowing. Thoughts . . . help, please?
Joanne - It sounds like this is really stressing you out. I'm with you, a flooding basement is stressful. Let me see if I can ease a few fears
1. I don't think the water coming in from the sides is an issue - the pipe coming into the sump pump pit is likely directing water from a drain at your basement entrance, but water will still collect under your basement floor and find it's way to the basin, around the pipe.
2. You probably need a stronger sump pump. You may currently have a 1/3 horse power and a 1/2 or 3/4 horse power would be better. This way it can pump water longer for each cycle. Moving the float was probably the right decision, I believe your pump might have burned out had you not. (given the amount of water you are describing).
3. Finally, you need to stop this water from collecting under your basement in the first place. Be sure to ready my post on adding downspout extensions to your rain gutters. Critical! Otherwise you WILL eventually have a pump failure or power outage or who knows what and you'll have a flooded basement.
- Jason
I installed a sump last summer and it has sat this summer for a while and when I tested it the motor hums but doesn't seem to pump any water. What do I do?
Hmmm... not a lot to go on here Cory. So you're saying it's a brand new pump? And when you pour water into your basin the float triggers the motor to start but it doesn't pump the water out? Sounds like maybe something not engaged in the motor housing. In other words it's kicking on and doing it's thing but that actual part that does the sucking it's engaging. Basically - your sucker is broken.
As you can probably tell I'm not an expert on the inner working of sump pump motors - it would appear to me though that you have a faulty sump pump. At the very least you should hear it trying to push water up the pipe - doesn't sound like that's happening.
Return the pump.
Jason
When our sump pump was installed, the cover was completely sealed and caulked around edges that I believe was for Radon remediation. How can I test that the sump pump is still in good shape before getting surprised during a heavy rainfall?
Hey James - There should be a drain near your HVAC room or at the exterior entrance to the basement. This drain probably leads straight to your sump pump basin. If you pour a couple gallons of water you may be able to test it that way. Second option - break caulk seal and test away - not that hard to reseal afterwards.
Cheers - Jason
We need to install a back-up system and have 2 options. Either the battery operated system or the Sump Buddy which works with water pressure from the city. We would prefer the Sump Buddy since we don't need to worry about a battery but when I called the City Hall in our area to see if the water pressure was strong enough, (which it is) they did not recommend this system. What would you recommend?
Hi Denise - I've also heard of "sump buddy" but I haven't been able to find any reviews. The problem that I've seen is that the pressure can be sporadic. If there's a storm and the city has some issues (which is apt to happen during a major storm) pressure may drop and the one time you really need it isn't there.
Battery back-up, to me, is the only true option where you can control all of the variables. It's just a slight pain in the ass to check and change the batter from time to time.
Good luck! - Jason
My sump pit is between 30 & 40 yrs. old. It is poured concrete. There are 5 places along the bottom edges where there is no concrete & you can see soil/gravel. Water creeps in at these locations. Are there suppose to be openings or can I fill them in?
Hey Vicki - Sounds like you have a very old fashion pit. I would not fill those in. They may very well be inlets for the water to get in. - Jason
Hi Jason,
Have owned this home for 10 years. It is 45 years old and has a sump pump in the cement floor crawl space. Normally during the spring melt off and when we have several days of very heavy rain I can hear it come on periodically and while we do have some seepage moisture on the floor along our back wall it is very modest and does not ever reach or come any where near the sump pit. However, since I have no Idea how old the sump pump is and during this past winter during which we had very heavy snow melt off and more recently a period of heavy rain I have not heard the pump kick on except for a couple of times. Not near as often as it seemed to before and decided to go down and test it out by pouring water into the pit to be sure it was in fact working. I poured 2 five gallon buckets into the pit and the water level never even rose and of course the pump never kicked on. In Fact, the water just seemed to drain right out of the bottom of the pit. My Question is, Where did it go? Also, there is a pipe that comes through the cinder block wall and sometimes drains water slowly from outside into the pit as well but in spite of all the recent rain the pipe looked dry around the end of it. My wife says she has heard the pump periodically all winter but I really haven't very much and certainly not as often as usual. Maybe that's a good thing, But, is it possible that pouring two five gallon buckets of water into the pit could drain off that fast without raising the water level at all? Don't know how deep the pit is there seems to be some standing water at the bottom of it and the pump sets on top of a couple bricks.
Thanks Ed
Hi Ed - You have excellent drainage AND a lot of water. Yes, it quite possible that your sub-soil is handling a lot of you water drainage issues and only occasionally is your pump need to handle some overflow of water when the soil is highly saturated.
The moisture along the back wall would be more of a concern to me. It sounds like you may have some soil in that area that is compacted and is not draining properly. It probably won't flood your basement but it may make it really difficult to ever put carpet in that area or to get it completely dry. Hope that helps. - Jason
When ever I run water there is a stream of water going into my crock...Does that mean I have a leak in my well line or in my sewage line? When the washer filled up it was trickling but when the washer drained the stream got stronger...so I am thinking there is a leak in my waste line because the sump pump and sewage line are right next to each other. What do you think??
Hi Tracy - Hmmm... I'm really not sure why water would be running into your sump just from running the water in a faucet. Very weird and definitely not normal. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. - Jason
I live in New Jersey. My sump pump always has some water in it. We haven't had much rain this year, so I kind if thought that the water table is way low.
What do you think?
Gayle
Hi Gayle - Some water in your pump can be normal. The question to ask is how often is it going off? Yes, you could very well have a low water table - but that shouldn't be an issue - just something to be aware off. Cheers - Jason
Hi Jason,
I have lived in my Wisconsin home for 7 years and the sump pump used to run every time it rained. I recently had some landscaping done and added longer down spouts and now the sump pump never runs. I tested the pump recently and it worked, but little to no water is accumulating in the well. Should I be concerned that there is a problem with the drain tile? The basement has been dry. Thank you
Congrats Jason! You've probably solved your problems with basement water. Just be sure those downspouts stay in place and you're good to go. My sump pump used to run for days after it rained and sometimes even when it wasn't raining. I installed down spout extension (just like you have) and blamo.... no more sump pump activity. None. Not even one single time in over 4 years. Celebrate! - Jason
I have an unfinished basement with a sump pump. (Living in the great state of Iowa, we get more than our share of moisture.) Would love to make a raised or false floor so I can utilize the area. Am I just dreaming, or is that something that could actually be done? I figured I should ask a man since I'm a girl, and girls have smaller brains. It's science. Thanks for anything you can tell me.
Hi Beth. I'll type slowly, so your small but beautiful woman brain can comprehend. (attention future haters - please know that I'm using sarcasm here, similar to what Beth used in her very astute question). Yes! You can absolutely do a raised floor and that can certainly help with moisture. I haven't installed one personally so I don't have a blog post on it but it can and has been done quite often in basements. Good luck! - Jason (a very smart science man)
It it better for sump pumps to be plugged in or hard-wired? If they are hard-wired, should they have a disconnect? And what kind of disconnect should their be? Thanks!
Hi SS - Plug-in sump pumps are the norm and perfectly fine. I haven't run across any that are "hard wired". Of course, I'm not a worldly person, so it's possible they're out there. - Jason
I recently had a company do the interior water proofing with a sump pump. I then added a water powered back up pump with a separate discharge. My question: Both pumps came with integrated check valves. This makes me nervous. Would I be hampering the system by adding Campbell Clear 1/2lb check valves in the discharges? The total rise from the pump is 8'6".
Hi Robert - Yes, you would be hampering. If the check valves are integrated then you should not added an additional external one. Integrated would not be my first choice. I prefer to be able to select and maintain each component distinctly. But... it's not unheard of and should be fine. Stay dry! - Jason
When my sump pump runs, it spits water out of two holes located on the vertical part of the pump above the water discharge outlet. This causes puddles on the floor. Why is this happening? Thanks.
Hi Liz - Can you send me a photo of these holes in the discharge pipe?? There shouldn't be any holes exception the ejection hole that sends the water outside. - Jason
I had a lot of water coming through my walls in my garage. After a lot of work, it is hopefully fixed. We put in a sump pump. Used to have one when we moved here, but since then we got city sewage and eventually removed that sump pump. So we put one back in and now every time the sump pump runs my kitchen sink spits water out. Sometimes it does not actually spit water, but every once in a while I can see the water. I really don't think this is a good thing. Can you tell me if something is wrong? Thank you.
Hi Mary - Yes, something is wrong. Not sure if it's critical but you should not see any water coming out of your kitchen sink just because your sump pump goes off. I'm afraid I'm not sure WHY that's happening for you. Plumbing issues above the basement aren't really my area of expertise. Good luck - Jason.
I need to install an all in one unit to discharge the laundry water from the basement up to the septic line. I need to go up 7' then over 20' then up another 1'. Will a typical system handle this or is this total distance considered the lift height?
Hey Ken - This is going a bit outside my area of expertise but my suspicion is that this distance and the two bends will require something strongly that your typical sump pump. I would consult a professional plumber on this one. - Jason
A few years ago I had water in my basement, plumber came, he told me our tile outside (around the house, underground) was unclogable and not working, he said I should put in a sump pump, he put it in my shower drain (in basement), ran hose thing so it goes out in the yard, it kicks on every five min. even now with the cold weather, and leaves big buddles in yard all the time. And worse thing is if sump pump, electricity goes off, yes batter back up is good idea, but should they have put in new tile, should I do it now, I live on very limited income, or what can I do to improve this situation? I have had a lot of trouble with drains, one plumber that came said look at this big piece of pipe I pulled out of your drain pipe, well after I thought about it, I don't think it could have came out of there, he took it with him, I have spent thousands of dollars on plumbing, I really think there are not plumbers you can trust. Help. Thank you.
I put a sump pump into my crawl space which was filling with water after the heavy rains in Portland this week. It doesn't have a floater installed because there was no way to dig a pit right now. How do I know when to turn it off. Can I wait until I see the intake pipe part way down the pump?
Hi Jason,
I have a sump pump in my basement and it was working fine for several months. However, one weekend it was making a lot of noise for about two days and since then it seems to not pump anymore. The sump is filled with water and I do not see the water level going down. Is this something I should be concerned about? If so, how might I go about fixing the problem?
My sump pump is only a couple years old. Should I be worried if the tank is half full?The sump pump has been on for a few days but it's not lowering the tank. I hear it's working but the water is dirty and it's not getting lower.
Hey Roy - Half full should be fine. In order for the pump to activate the water has to rise high enough for the "float" to rise up and trigger the pump switch. If the water isn't getting high enough to trigger the switch then the existing water will just sit there in the sump crock. Not a big deal, should be fine. If you wanted to test it you could pour a couple of gallons of water in and make sure the pump activates once the float rises. - Jason
Is water suppose to run into the sump pump bucket continuously after 2 or3 days of hard rain? I'm worried, don't know a lot about sump pumps.
My sump pump is working just fine. But it does go off even when it is not raining and there is usually about 4 inches of standing water. I am going to have my husband extend the downspouts out like you keep telling everyone to do. We have a backup system through out water line which also has been a huge relief when we lose our power, a plumber installed it years ago after our city experienced a major flooding of basements. My question is why every now and then do we get a rotten egg smell, and some black sludge come from the pvc pipe where the water comes in from in our crock? We do not have a lid on our crock as I see you keep mentioning. Our area has major city sewer problems which causes many homes to flood because of their failure to update the sewer systems. This past summer when the rains came non stop we had back up water/sewer from our drain where our washer water exists out. Our sump pump worked fine but the backup flooding was due to the city's poor sewers. It was a major problem throughout our city. They suggested for residents to install a check valve which costs around $1500 but someone who did said it caused water to come through their basement windows because it had no place else to go and it also caused more water problems for their neighbors who did not have a check valve. Can you tackle the odor and sludge issue first then give me your opinion on the check valve they are asking us to install underground which would be costly? Thank you~
Hi Marie - Well.... the check valve is little beyond my level of knowledge so I'm afraid I can't reliably comment. Check valve for your sump pump, no problem, I've got answers - check valve for your entire house.... not my area.
My guess on the odor is that's it's related to your town/city sewer issues. Where do you live with all this stink???
I'm not sure about the sludge issue, it's the first I'm ever hearing about that. I'll do some digging and see what I find.
Hopefully the extension help out, I certainly think they will. Cheers - Jason
Hi I just bought my home it is 25 years old my question there is a dump pump but the last owner run a hose out on the lawn in front of the home I was wondering when it is cold and the water freeze it is on the side walk that is not good so how can I fixed that thank you
Our sump pump is constantly going off this winter. We've lived here for 3 winters now, and this is the first winter where it's gone off consistently. Is it ok that it's going off so much in the wintertime? I know it's pumping water out because the driveway is covered in ice where the tube drains out - and I can hear it. We're a little concerned about it overworking lately. Is this a problem?
I have a sump pump that also works when the power is out. There are two pipes going in. When it kicks on and draws out the water, it "thumps" thereafter each time. I saw a quiet check valve B-0823-15C. I ordered one and planned on putting it inline. When i went down there to look, i saw two pipes and instantly I found my dilemma. Which would this get installed on? or do i need one of these on both? thanks!
Hi Derek - The check valve would only go on the discharge pipe, to prevent water from fall back into the pit. - Jason
Is is mandatory to put plastic basin in the natural pit where sump pump is to be installed? Can not putting the basin create problems in the concrete pit? Thanks.
Well, I can comment on whether or not it's mandatory but I'd say it's highly recommended. The pit is usually deeper than your concrete foundation - which means you'll be into some dirt or rock - the water would most like start to erode the pit. Strongly suggest you use a basin. - Jason
Hi Jason,
After any heavy precipitation our sump pump will discharge anywhere from 10 to 15 times per day for a week or so. It's a new pump but our concern is what happens if the power goes off for half a day during this frequent discharge period? Does the situation warrant installing a battery back up? Thanks .
hello....about 4 months ago someone discover my sump pump was off (probably for at least 2 years) and they turned it on . ever since then my yard where the drain pipe is has been extremely wet! is it ok to turn it off??? it was off for so long without a problem or maybe we need a new one??? thank you from central ny
I have two sumps (working) and French drains around entire basement in and outside, today it rain hard for 1 hour and I have water not a little but significant .. Guys came by and said it was normal?? I don't think so and it has never happened before.. I hate basements lol
Hi Maria. Do you have gutters? Have you extended your gutter downspouts at least 8 feet away from your basement and on a downward slope? That amount of water is excessive, see if you can keep it from getting there to begin with. You shouldn't hate basements! But I understand with this water situation why you would. - Jason
Hello, I bought a new "used" house that is about 10 yrs old, and the pump was going off a lot and water was coiming in quck even several days after a storm. The experts said that was good, showed that the drain tile was working. It also looked like the previous home owners took the battery back up sump pump with them, you could see where it once was. So I had a plumber install new pumps, but he adjusted the floats so that the pump isnt going off all the time, but now it looks like water is just pooling up in the drain tile and just collecting and backing itself up, instead of flushing away. When I questioned this change, he said it is easier on the pumps and take less time for them to wear out. But that can't bee good for the drain tile and the house for water to just be collecting and pooling up before enough pressure triggers the float. The drain tile is just plastic right? I am sure 10-20 years of water sitting in that plastic would start to ruin the tile, right? Any thoughts? Should I adjustthe floats so that the pumps work more often, but it will at least be emptying out the water in the drain tile? Am I over thinking this or worrying about nothing?
Probably... worrying about nothing. Your plumber was right, you don't want your float set to low, it will burn out the motor, eventually. Although if you have a high quality sump pump that should take quite awhile (years). As you've probably read about or in other articles I highly recommend trying to keep the water out of your basement to begin with, be sure to extend all downspouts and check your yard grading. - Jason
Hi Jason, our home is in Chicago and would like to know if it is legal to point the kitchen drain to the sump pump located in the basement. Just recently, 4 days ago we had a leak in one of the rooms and searching for the source , found it is the dishwasher and kitchen sink drain causing it. We requested estimates and the recommendation was to open the basement floor , repipe and cement the floor. Before agreeing to this project, would you share us your expertise on this. Thank you for your soonest feedback.
My sump works fine. ...but tonight is has sprung a leak. It's leaking between the exit pipe in the basement (inside) and the foundation. So the little crack between pipe and concrete/foundation it's leaking into the house. What's my next step? This seems expensive. ...
My house currently has a sump pump pit that has a 4 inch drain line sitting above the pit on the side of my house where uphill runoff is likely. I definitely see it working when we get a sizable storm or any type of snow melt in the spring. The drain pipe is working as expected.
The problem I'm having is the wall on the other side of the sump pit has no drain. When we get decent storms water builds up on this wall and seeps in.
Should i look to have a drain line running under this wall to the sump pump installed or should I investigate from the outside? There's no indication of water hitting the wall above this spot so my assumption is that it's groundwater and could be diverted to the sump pump pit rather than building up against the foundation.
Thoughts? Thanks!
Hi, I live in Markham ON Canada. My pit has 2 pumps and both failed which I noticed only after basement flooding. I have changed one and it is running now. I am going to change the other one also. My questione are;
1. Is it common for the pump to work every 4-5 minutes around the year?
2. Can I plug on both pumps at the same time? Or one at a time and connect the other one only after the other failed and flooded.
3. How can I reduce water coming inside the pit?
Hi
Long story short . When I bought my house the pump was illegally installed to main house sewage drain, about 20 feet long. I couldn't put it out the front of my house cause of driveway so I ran it out the back. My question is do or should I install a check valve since I had to add about 30 feet extra pipe to run it to backyard ? It seems to run longer now with the extra pipe. Thank you !
I would like to know if filthy water from a laundry tub that is draining into a sump pump pit can destroy the proper and safe operation of a sump pump? The dirty water would contain shampoo, dog hair, sand, dirt, etc. thanks.
Hi Pam - Yes, it's likely to shorten the intended lifespan of the pump. They're weren't designed as ejector pumps. They should have no problem with Shampoo or dirty water but the dirt and large amount of hair could definitely be an issue.
You could rig up a rough mesh filter at the end of your intake pipe (the one going into the pit). This would at least keep big chucks from getting in but you'd have to remember to clean it out. Hope that helps. - Jason
Zoeller just installed by a professional plumber. Existing sump had failed and there was 6 inched of flood water. The zoeller ran for over an hour and near the end of pumping the flood waters it pick up about 2-3 cups of pea gravel. Made some crazy noises but is pumping clear water now. Did all the pea gravel just do a number on my new 1/2 horsepower Zoeller ?
Well... that's hard to say Mike, without looking at it personally. If it's still working then my guess is you're in the clear. You bought the best sump pump I'm aware of, so I'm not surprised when it's able to handle some unusual use situations. - Jason
I just bought a house and it has two sump pumps. The basement is divided by a partician. With one half used as an entertainment area at one time. It also has a full bathroom with shower and the washer and dryer is also in there. So there is a sump pump on either side. I found out from my neighbor that his and my house have a stream running under them. He said my basement has flooded many times even with the sump pumps. I am really worried about this. They don't runs constantly, but I can hear them running every half hour or so and then shut off. Also, when I run the shower the water must drain into one of the sump pumps because it will run for about 10 minutes. What would I need to do to stop the water from flooding the basement.
Well.... in your case, assuming it's true about the stream (which, that is possible, rare but possible), there's not a lot you can do. Your basement will flood anytime the level from the water source rising up. So.... you'd have to look for the source of that stream's water and see if there's a way to divert it or let it spill over to a different path when it gets to high.
Not a lot else I can offer. No amount of pumps will be foolproof in that scenario. Have you considered moving? Good luck! - Jason
How could a sump pump float up in its container
Yo Kev - Well, that would mean that the pump did not trigger and the entire basin filled up. It also probably means your pump is an off-brand and doesn't have a heavy cast iron base - do you know what brand it is? Either way... get a Zoeller pump! - Jason
Only issue with 12V battery back-up pumps is they pump at a much slower rate. In a heavy flow situation, they will not keep up. I had one and replaced it with a AC inverter system and 2 100Amp hour batteries that can run a full 1/2 hp pump every 2 minutes for 8 hours. Guess what, we had a power outage during heavy rains for 2 days and even that was no good ! So I just installed a whole house automatic generator .. Even with this, you still need to keep an eye on things and maintain the pump. Lesson learned .. never buy a house with a sump pump. Simple.
Our sump pump goes off very frequently. We recently had to replace it due to running and will not stop. This is time to adjust. Can you raise the pump so that it does not eject often. What is the typical height the pump should be raised
Hi Karin - I'm not sure of a specific height but yes, you can raise the float limit so it doesn't go off as often. Consult your sump pump's manual though, there may be a point at which the pump can't keep up with incoming water if it's waiting a long time before activating. - Jason
I can't think of anything worse than thinking my house was safe from flooding only to find out that it wasn't. So, I try to test my sump pump every year. Normally in the spring when there is more rain. However, I have never thought to check the discharge pipes. It might be time that I did that. Thanks for the heads up.
Hello , my question is... In our house there used to be a Functioning sub pump, (the pump is still there with the piping as well) Since we have lived here for the last 5 years we were told that It was no longer used..I guess they replaced it with whatever Is needed To not have it? I don't know LOL...Alvin and having now is For some reason Any water from my kitchen sink Is backing up into The pit.?.?I have not put the pump in to see if it Would suck up The Water I have just been Sucking it up through a Shop-Vac.Because I Wasn't for sure If it could be used.I've kind of asked around and Somebody it said that it might be A blockage From my kitchen sink drain And So it's backing up into the sub pump?? Please help me
Hi Laura - I really, really want to help.... but I'm not sure without being there what could be causing your sump pump problem. From your question it sounds like you're saying your kitchen sink drain to your sump pit? Any you currently empty that with a shop-vac? I do not envy you. It's HIGHLY unusual for a kitchen sink to empty to a sump pump so I would assume you have a blockage somewhere - but it's also highly unusual to have a blockage overflow system such that it then goes to the sump pump... so here we are... I have no idea.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help - Jason
I unplugged the sump pump and forgot about it. It rained last night. Now the pit is FULL of water. I plugged it in and it didn't kick on yet. Am I in trouble because the pump is submerged?
What up triple J. The motor should "should" be sealed (meaning water shouldn't hurt it) but if it's old and water got in you might need to let it dry out. You might also check the "float" make sure that isn't stuck - the float is what tell the motor to kick on - some times they stick - a little wiggle might free it. Hope that solves it. - Jason
Hi there, is water supposed to constantly drip into the tub? I've replaced the sump pump a few years ago when my basement flooded so I check it all the time! Also, there is sand and dirt on the bottom because when they fitted the pipe the hole was too big--that may be why the pump fails after a few years. Any suggestions?
Hi Grace - Constantly? That seems a bit extreme. Often... sure. It's whole job is collect water so it's possible to have some dripping in for days and days. About the sand and dirt at the bottom of your sump pump pit... I would want to clean that out. It's probably not an urgent, urgent thing but it's possible for it to get stirred up and then begin to clog up your pump. Hope that helps - Jason
I am getting mud in the bottom of my sump pump hole. what does this mean?
Relocating sump pumps? hi Adam and Jason, Nice Job and service that you guys are doing to novice like me. Thank You! Anyway, my house is 30 y o with 2 sump pumps. I am really tired of the sp's. Can i have professionals move them out of my basement? Best wish to your endeavors!
Hi clelland - I'm assuming by "sp's" you mean sump pumps. Well... if they're not being used, meaning they aren't pumping out any water and keeping your basement dry - sure - I don't see why you couldn't remove them. Move them to another location other than the basement is a no go, they need to be in the basement in order to pump water out of the basement. Perhaps I'm missing the a nuance in this question - ping me back here if I mis-understoond. Cheers - Jason
Drainage tile pipe us at lowest level same height as brick that pump sits on. Water level rose to 3/4 pit flooding in basement. Reset float to lower. Bought new float. What level does water have to be at? It rises to above pump. What level should be max for water height
My sump pump is actually bubbling as if air is going into the water. It's only a year old. Is this normal or a possible problem??
Yo Stan - aaaahhh bubbling is not part of the design. I suspect there's a small break in a seal somewhere. If it's still under warranty I'd return it. If it isn't, prepare for it to eventually break. Sorry. It may be fine for awhile... but that's not normal. - Jason
Can a submerged sump pump sit in a dry pit (no water at all) for a long period of time without doing any damage to the pump? I thinking if there are seals in the pump, they would dry out if the pump was not kept submerged. Please give your advice? Thank you
I just moved in my house about a month ago. My sump pump started making this noise about 2am this morning. About every 10 minutes it comes on and makes this like buzzing sound for 30 seconds then stops and I hear like a bang and vibration like something is knocking. I think its the ball. Do you know what may be causing this? I really do not want to call a plumber.....please help.
Hi Doris - The buzzing sound is most likely the motor of the sump pump kicking on. The bang sound is the "check-valve". It's a one way valve that closes to prevent water from falling back down into your sump pump. The vibration is coming from the vertical flush pipe. When the water is pumped up and the check-valve catches some of the back fall water it can shake the pipe quit a bit.
Mine does the same thing. It's annoying and loud, but it's working the way it's supposed to. - Jason
Can a sump pump sit in a complete dry pit in my basement for a long period of time with out doing any damage to the pump or should it be submerged in some water so seals will not dry out.
Hi Marvin - It can sit for a very long time with no water and still work fine. - Jason
My husband's cousin bought a new house in Stratford, Ontario. I had done an amateur research on rocks and passed on info to him, like, "the lake use to come right up to Stratford and you are below sea level so you should pay the extra money to have a sump pump installed although it was not in the schedule by the construction company. He did so. There was a flood that hit Stratford and all the new houses were flooded except his. A one in a million chance they thought. It was worth the $300 + cost.
Hello. I came across your website today while searching about sump pumps. I just had a well known nationwide company install drains around my entire parameter on the inside of my basement; keep in mind my house is from 1923. They also installed a sump pump with a back up battery. All looks very nice. My issue was I had puddles coming up through cracks in the floor. Never really any water on the walls just here and there on the floor. Overall it has seemed to help significantly; however I've been dealing with this company since October 2015 and still as of last week had a few puddles coming in my basement?? I told the worker I never hear the pump kick on even in heavy rain. he reassured me that it worked and said they pride themselves on how quiet their system is. he poured water in the pump but it never kicked on. the water just ran back under the floor back into the drains along the parameter of the house. Does that sound right? I thought if you pour water in the chamber it's suppose to kick on? he did manually move the floater with his hand and then you could hear it running. I'm just not sure what to believe with this company. they came out and put a lateral line in and that didn't do the job so now they want to come back and extend that lateral line to the sump pump. I still don't think that's the problem. Any thoughts??
I just discovered my sump pump was not plugged back in after the painters finished. It's been a week. The carpet just above the sump pump is saturated but it didn't spread to the rest of the room. The toilet was not used much and I don't know that the water softener impacts the pump. The only other water was when the painters were running water in the basement sink to rinse a bucket. It ran for about 20 minutes or so. Do I need to be concerned at this point other than drying out the carpet? Thank you
Hi Ruth - Well... if the pump is now plugged in and working then you don't need to be concerned about future water issues. I can't really comment on the clean-up procedures - that's a whole different website! Good luck! - Jason
I have 3inch flex line running out og my house. In winter during very cold weather it freezes up and i am going to replace with pvc should i use 3 inch or 4
Hi Tony - 3 inch and you should bury it underground to try and prevent freezing. Good luck! - Jason
My wood sump pump cover (home made) has slipped down approximately 8 or 10 inches from the top of well. I am a widow and tried to lift it back up but it is too heavy.....wood is at least 1 inch thick. Can I leave it this way or do I need a plumber? I do not want to damage the pump!
The sump pump in my house is for the foundation drains only. I have noticed the pipe draining into the sump pump pit is building up with a black sludge. Is there a way to clean the foundation pipes under my house, and to keep this from causing a problem in the future?
Hi Shawn - Ironically a friend of mine just had this same issue. He tried to clean it out himself with a "snake" but that didn't work. He did end up calling a professional to come flush out the line. Eventually the sludge will cause water to backup into your basement. -Jason
So the pvc pipe sticks out back of the house but the ground is always saturated even if it hasn't rained. Someone said extend the pipe out longer away from the house. That didn't work, now the sump pump has constant flow of water running in it...any ideas???
I had a bad electrical storm with lots of water. I have a sump pump that is 1 1/2 years old and a battery backup. I checked the pump before I went to bed and turned the light on above the the pump area. When I awoke in the morning the alarm was going. My basement was completely flooded and the light was off and the outlet wasn't working and neither was the pump. The battery backup was on. The fuse was tripped. When I switched it everything went back on but the pump. Could lightening have caused this? What could have happened?
My sump pump is 37 years old. It has hardly ever come on during these 37 years. I dumped water down in the pit to see if it would come on to test it. It didn't come on. So, I took the wet vac and got the water out of the pit. Just a little water left in there. I noticed the next day the water was very warm and the sides of the pit are warm also. I unplugged it as I thought it might be a fire hazard. Should the water in the pit and the sides of the pit be very warm?
Hmmmm.... that's a weird one. To my knowledge the pump itself should not be putting out any heat, especially if it's not in use. Sorry, not really sure why that water would be warm. - jason
Hey we have lived in our towne home for 14 yrs and have NEVER heard our sump pump go off or have never seen water where it would have come out of, in the last 2 weeks it has gone off 3 x's what could this mean????? we just put our house on the market and I dont understand why this is happening , PLEASE HELP ME
Donna - Your house is angry at you. It's acting out because it knows you're trying to leave. You may also get reports of bad behavior at school (home school of course) and the occasional loud outburst from your furnace.
Have you done any landscaping to prep the house for sale? Has your neighbor or even a neighbor a few houses away? Something could be re-routing water to your basement. - Jason
My washing machine water overflow is going into the sump pump is that a bad thing
Well Audrey - it's not as bad as drinking a Slurpee to fast and getting a massive brain freeze, but it's not ideal. This is a cheap and easy way to not do the proper plumbing for your washing machine. Technically it's fine but you'll just want to make sure you watch for any issue with your sump pump. If it ever fails (which they all do eventually) then you could have some minor water issues - it would be much those as your washing machine probably doesn't use enough water to do a lot of damage. Hope that helps! - Jason
During heavy rains I do get a bit of water in my basement. Trouble is that it has always been at night so I don't really know where it's coming from exactly. I suspect it's coming up from the bottom and not through a wall. Could I place my pump anywhere since it's under the floor?
Hi Joe - Sump pump installation questions are really above my pay grade and above the topic of this websites. From what I've gleaned though - you need to place your sump pump at the lowest point of the basement and also have drainage pipes directed the water to the pump pit. Again, this is not my area - I've never installed a sump pump system (just the pumps themselves)
We had a sump pump installed recently in our crawl space and when testing it this afternoon before an anticipated storm, we're baffled. It has electricity, and if we pull the float it kicks like it wants to go on. However, after 15 minutes of trying to fill it with the hose on full blast, the water just kept disappearing. We know it's scored- could the water be leaking into the surrounding soil and that's why it's not being collected in the pump enough to engage the float? We got flooded a while back and really don't want that to happen again!
Isn't that always the case, you don't want a basement flood and you get one, then you want to simulate a basement flood and it's near impossible! The water is seeping into the ground, it's probably overly dry (especially since it's August). Wait for a couple of days of rain in a row, then try your test again. - Jason
Hi! Our sump pump is constantly working, even on the most driest and hottest day. Is this normal??! I thought it should only work when it rains or so?
Hi,
Our 7 year old home had a minor flood after a large storm last spring. The builder replaced the sump pump (apparently it had burnt out). 4 months later there was another storm and again water came in and the sump pump failed and was replaced again. Almost exactly a year to the day of the latest pump replacement, the basement has taken in water again from a storm and the pump again has just been replaced. This is our 3rd pump in 18 months. We have been told that some pumps are just faulty and don't last long. I can see this happening occasionally, but I think after 3 times there is a larger issue. What would cause the pumps to 'burn out'. Since the pumps were not working, we have now been left with water seeping up through the cracks in the floor. What can we do to resolve this issue? Thanks so much for your help!
How can we have a shower in the basement when the basement is below our sewage system. Can we run shower water through the sump pump.
Hi Eileen - What you'll need to install "most likely" is an ejector pit. Your shower and toilet and sink can all drain to the pit and then it's "ejected" up to your sewer pipe. My parents have one and it works great. An ejector is different from (but similar) to a sump pump. Hope that helps. - Jason
Hi Jason,
I am looking to purchase a townhouse in Littleton Co, where there is a damed river about 1/2 mile away. We noticed a sump pump in the unfinished basement. I asked the realtor if the home has water issues and she said she didn't know. The Fema Map shows the property in a low -moderate risk area. Shouldn't the realtor be able to find this information for me? Is there a source I can contact to find out if the home has experienced flooding in the past? We are looking to renovate the basement and are reluctant to buy the home once we saw the sump pump.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Hmmm... Well, I don't think the agent will be of much help. What you can do is look for signs of flooding in the basement - look for water stains along the edges of the wall near the bottom. You can also check the bottom plate of a frame wall that doesn't have drywall - see if you notice any water stains.
All that being said - if you checked my basement you'd find a little water stain - because we had a small flood once, but after we fixed the downspouts and water run off we haven't had a single drop nor has the sump-pump ever gone off. It's also possible that they have the sump pump but it's never used.
Ask the owner if the pump goes off a lot, they'll usually admit that more than they might reveal that they had some flooding.
Good luck!
I bought this town house in 2009 and the sump pump has been working at least every hour pumping water through a pipe in front of the house.About a year now the sump pump has not been working and we found out that we needed tu replae it but fortunately the basement is not flooding and the water in the sump pit never rises to over flow, eventhough the sump pump is out of order.What is wrong?
Why can't a single sump pump work on either AC power supplied by household wiring, or AC power supplied by a power converter hooked to a DC battery? And aren't there switches that operate based on current (no current the switch closes)?
Hey Tom - I didn't know it couldn't??? What am I missing. Most pumps use the current from the house and can also be powered by a marine battery with the proper setup. - Jason
we just bought a house with a sump pump(nevery had one) and we have had very heavy rains all day in spurts our sump ran a little but then later tonight it rained heavier longer and it turns on for like 6 secs I hear water sloshing and turns off and then does it again a min later my husband has check and there is no water coming back in after it runs but is this frequent normal?
Hi Jason & all, I have two related questions, if I may. We are looking at a house, which during a hurricane in the '90s (the sellers disclosure says), has some water in the unfinished basement (a couple of inches, they say). Five years ago, they installed TWO sump pumps and a whole-house generator (connected to the gas line and all). So, that sounds great. The basement is still unfinished, and the walls are made of concrete blocks. Here and there, the walls show darker areas: not water, but humidity. The house was built in 1970, by the way. Many houses in the neighborhood had water in their basements, and have whole-house generators. In this context, I am surprised that the sellers are not running, in the summer, a dehumidifier. (Perhaps, they remove it when they show the house, I wonder.) In any event, here are the questions: (1) with the two sump pumps and the whole-house generator, if everything is properly maintained, would it be safe, you think, to finish the basement? (I would be willing, by the way, to add a battery system for those pumps, to just be extra safe.) (2) Regardless of *water* in the basement (a problem that maybe the sump pumps and generator take care of), would it be recommendable to finish such basement, or is the humidity (which is not terrible, but certainly visible) a problem anyway? Thanks for your input! (We made an offer in this house, by the way, but we are thinking of withdrawing it. It's in NJ by the way.)
Hi Vincent - In my opinion... and bare in mind it's just that as I'm not an expert on water issues, you will be ok finishing your basement (with a few caveats).
1. Yes, I would run a dehumidifier. It sounds like there are some moisture issues that can be reduce or eliminated if you run one. I suggest buying one that can drain directly into your sump pump or drain, like mine.
2. I would do everything you can to ensure those sump pumps will work if the power goes out. It sounds like you already have a pretty good system - I would even add an internet camera so you can keep an eye on things if you're out of town. I have that for my basement.
3. Hurricanes are some serious bitches. There's no gauranteed setup for handling the potential basement flooding. Now, the chances of another huge NJ hurricane hitting AND your dual pump system not being able to keep up ??? I don't know, but I'm always up for a basement challenge and I wouldn't back away from this one.
Oh... you may also want to review your gutter / downspout / grading situation - make sure you're 100% good to go with that.
Good luck! Let us know if you decide to move forward. - Jason
I just have a question. My mother has been having some issues with her pump on and off for about 6 years. It's the same problem every time. Sometimes it happens and pasts for months, sometimes it doesn't happen at all. When we wash our clothes, the water from the washer drains into the sump pump pit. When the pump pit is full, it drains as it should, but it backs up into the toilet in the bathroom above the laundry room, causing the toilet to overflow. I had originally thought that the cause of the problem was possibly a back up from my youngest nephew stuffing things down the toilet. But after getting a new toilet, snaking the drains, and dumping copious amounts of draino down the toilet, the problem was still there. We haven't had any issues with it for the past 2 years up until last week. So now every the one of us does our laundry. Myself, or my mother would watch the pump, while the other monitored the toilet. Once the toilet is almost full, we stop the pump and let it fill up. Doing so allows the toilet to drain and prevents it from over flowing. As for my question, can you give me any advice as to what to do? Should we have someone come and look at it? What would you suggest?
Thank you very much for your time, and reading this!
We are very intellect people. How about we design a system where the water doesn't enter our house for us to pump back out? DOES anyone else think this is insane?
Here here! That's the ultimate solution! Make sure you've read my article on just how to keep water from getting into your basement. - Jason
For that battery back up system, make sure that the battery charger is plugged into a different circuit than the primary sump pump. My pump shorted, tripped the circuit breaker and the back up batter ran down, even though the house power never went out.
Been in my house for 30 years always had water in my sump pump. it was a very dry summer but we have had rain lately and not a drop is going into the pump hole? Do I have a more serious problem?
Hey Greg - Probably not. The ground is just more dry than usual so it's absorbing the water before it gets to you sump pump. Just hope for a nice easy transition back to normal water amounts and not one or two big flash floods. - Jason
Can I cover my sump pump? House I moved into , the pump is right in a bedroom.. can I build something over it?
Hi Rheya - Yes... but. Your sump pump should have an air tight sealed lid and a pipe for exhausting the air (and gases) out to the outside of your house. So yes, you can cover it, but only if you have an exhaust. Please check with your local building codes for a full recommendation. - Jason
Recently had two concrete pads replaced that were sinking towards the house. Three weeks later I got water in the part of the basement under the repaired concrete. This being a finished room, it took another week to detect the leak. The contractor put expansion joints between the concrete pad and the house but did not seal it. After the gap was sealed with polyurethane caulk, the water leak has stopped. There have been no heavy rain so it is difficult to assess (Pittsburgh usually gets a fair bit of rain). In spring the contractor will make a concrete curb to further seal this gap. A basement waterproofing contractor recommends that I should have an internal French drain for this wall that drains into a sump pit. In his opinion I am highly unlikely to require a sump pump. The pit will have a collection capacity of 30 gallons. Is this an acceptable solution.
Most basements have stone a foot below the floor around the perimeter and a foot outside the walls. There are drain tiles that flow away from the home. If the water level goes above the height of you floor, 30 gallons of overflow is nothing in comparison. If your house doesn't have this, the curb, and a decent gutter system is more than enough. Your water damage was probably caused by seepage through your basement wall on the way down, not from the water level. In any case, the curb would stop the problem. With any other problem, 30 gallons of extra protection is a joke. Either you need more drainage, or the only problem was the seepage caused by the gap at the wall and slab.
More information about above comment. We have been in this house for seven years and never had water in basement until the concrete pad was replaced. After the wet drywall was removed, the foundation and wooden studs were clean. The only reason I am considering an internal French drain is that it is cheaper than the cost and hassle of repair if this were to happen again.
Good morning Adam,
I stumbled upon your website reading the various articles on various sump pump issues, basement flooding, etc. and had a question.
My wife and I just bought a house in Yorkville Illinois and just had a shit ton of rain 11/27/16.
The sump pump has been continually running every minute since that rain. The weird thing is, when I unplug the pump the water coming in doesn't really go up much, BUT when I plug it back in and the water gets pumped out, it seems to always fill up to trigger the float.
The water being pumped out goes underground, so I installed an elbow to my PVC which now flows down the driveway and into the sewer. Water continues to come in the pit when discharging.
I am thinking that we have a high water table and it's elevated now because of the rain to days ago.
Check out the attached video.
Your thoughts are much appreciated Adam.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Hi Jeff - I believe you might be right about the high water table - make sure you're sump pump doesn't burn out trying to do an impossible job of removing all the water. - Jason
Hi there.
I have recently purchased a house in Brossard, Quebec that was built in late 1980s.
It has a sump pump and fairly large plastic pipe that brings water into sump tip. While during my preliminary visits I did not notice any water coming into the tip. As per seller declaration, sump pump will run during heavy rains and in spring due to snow melting.
However, during my moving to this house since last 3 days till today a steady water flow is constantly coming through the pipe and eventually sump pump turns on for every about 10 minutes. We had a tiny rain ( about 1 cm max) about 4 days but the water is keep on coming at a steady rate causing the sump pump to run for about 5-10 seconds for every 8-10 minutes.
Please help me in this regard and share your expertise/experiences. Thanks.
Marc
Unfortunately, this is all too common. At least your seller was nice enough to list it before hand. Gutters and grading - if you can fix this you might be able to stop the water flow or at least significantly reduce it. I know it's not quite what you probably wanted to hear - but that's my best advice. - Jason
Hi. I have a sumo pump outdoors. It's new to us as we bought the house with it. So I'm not sure how to maintain it over the winter as there's sitting water currently in the pit. I was thinking to drain the sitting water by manually plugging the pump in and then covering the pit for the duration of the winter. I don't want to mess with the pump or remove it as we definitely get water when it's not on. Is this okay to empty the pit and leave the pit covered?
Wish I could help Wying but I've only been dealing with basement (indoor basements ??) sump pumps. I can't accurately advise on how to winterize an exterior sump pump. My one tip would be... don't let it freeze full of water. - Jason
We live 150' away from a drainage lake. I have the sump pump discharge pipe 36" deep at the house, that converts to a flexible hose 18" deep down the slope to the lake. The problem occurs when the water level rises above the exit about 5' above the normal lake height. When the lake rises above the exit, the pump overworks. Sometimes the back up freezes in the pipe, and during a thaw, the pipe will not discharge water, and splits rubber fittings at pump. I could add a release T joint upward in the middle of the yard, or convert the last 50' to a French drain. Are there better options?
I have a finished basement with a bathroom and laundry room. Both of these flow into a covered put with a sewer sump pump. My concern is not outside water entering the basement but rather when the pump fails and I get back up water/sewer in my basement. Do they make back up battery sump pumps that handle sewer OR will a regular back up pump by able to handle what I am looking for?
Hi Amy - Yes, they do make pumps (complete with "grinders) that can handle both. I don't really have one to recommend to you but they are available. - Jason
My sump pump used to shoot a lot of water out of the pipe when it turned on. Now when it turns on only a little water comes out of the pipe? Should I be concerned?
You might want to double check that you don't have blockage in your discharge pipe. You may also have a partially compromised "Check Valve". This could be a sign that not all of the water from your sump pump is getting to the top of the pipe and eventually this may burn out your sump pump as it tries to keep up with the extra work. Good luck! - Jason
have an exessive amount of sand and gravel building up in sump pit
I have just paid to have a second sump pump well installed in our basement at the opposite end of the house to our other one - if our new sump were to fail - would the other pump at the other end of the house just take up the slack or would that part of the basement flood around the new pump even though the other one would still be working?
Thanks for any advice you can give.
Hi Claire - Hopefully... they installed the piping system correctly so that any water will flow to the second pump if and when the first one fails. Really only one way to know for sure - you'd have to test it, which your installer really should have done - with you watching! - Jason
I have reduced my discharge pipe down to a garden hose hook up, so I can move water to wherever I want it. but will this reduce how much water can come out.
Hi Kent - Yes, most likely. The water from a standard discharge pipe from a sump-pump comes out full force - I would wager that going down to a garden house will stress the pump and/or check valve. It wouldn't be my recommendation. - Jason
I have a sump pump that runs all the time unless there is a summer drought. I had the best pump on the market, but I was having to replace it every two years because the float system on the pump would fail. After paying plumbers a ton of money, and getting the same pump, I finally got smart and researched a pump with a separate float system. Yes, that's right. The float is separate and the plug of your pump piggy backs into it's plug. The float reaches a certain level that you determine and the pump goes on and drains the pit. If your pump works as hard as mine, I recommend getting one. Most pumps don't fail. The float system usually fails because it is only constructed to last for a certain number of clicks. The installation was easy. Also, a backup system with a watch dog monitor is critical. Keep in mind your backup is only good for 7-9 hours. Which doesn't help for if your power is out for more than that. I had never had a house with a sump pit until I bought my current house. I feel I've learned a lot over the years, I hope my comment helps someone. Wishing everyone a dry basement.
Excellent tip, thank you Jane. I know it can be a bit frightening to not have a system you can depend on to keep your basement dry. - Jason
Great forum! Have an interesting situation.... My sump pump died. House is about 50 years old, FYI. While replacing it I noted a LOT of slime and sediment at the bottom of the put. Lowes guy suggested to remove as much as possible. I shop vacuumed what I could and then used an improvised scope for the rest that I could get to. One layer seemed like sand/mud and other was greasy. After scraping for 15 minutes it occurred to me that the original owner had a septic prior to city water hook up 20 years back and it seeems this sump/pit was used for moving gray water and run off out of the house. The slime seems to be 30+ years of grease they put down the pipes. Now the sump area is sending water to the sewer line (though the basement is mostly dry and just water from the furnace seems to gather there.). After putting the new sump in with a float switch I was surprised to see the float not working. Figured it was a bad switch to I used my old one and that too wasn't staying above water. It seems the grease was preventing the float from reaching its turn on height. Long story but the question is what do you recommend to cut this grease down so my sump pump and float work correctly? might the previous own have put sand or some other element in there to pull the grease to the bottom? Your wisdom is appreciated greatly!! Thanks.
Hmmm... I can't imagine how slime or grease would be affecting your float switch. I did have a float switch stick in the open position once, because the slime was acting kinda of like a glue. But what you seem to be saying is that the slime is preventing the float from triggering the pump. I suppose, and this is really just me spit-balling here, that a gravel bottom under the pump would help the "grease" to have something to grab onto. That's really the extent of my wisdom though - make sure the gravel is fairly large in size, you don't want a smaller pebble getting suck into your sump pump. Good luck! - Jason
My house is about 40 years old. The sump pit is in the basement. Why is the inside of the pit lined with wood? Can I remove this wood? If I do, do I have to replace it with something?
Hi Sharon - Well, I learn something new every day. I would "guess" that it was installed to make sure the sediment doesn't break apart from being exposed to water. In today's more modern world the sump basin is made from a durable plastic. If its still in good condition I would just leave it. If it's starting to fall apart I would probably replace it with a new basin. Good luck! - Jason
Okay so coming out of the pump the PVC pipe got a crack in it somehow and started spraying water directly back into the pit. Been like this for 3 days that I personally know of and now there is a God aweful smell coming from it. Almost smells like sewer/waste. What and why is this happening. PS. I am in the process of getting PVC pipe to fix problem. I just didn't know why it would smell like waste water/waste?
Hey Mike - Hmmm... that's pretty strange. Is it possible your exit pipe is somehow connected to your city water/sewer and that you're getting some "backwash" for lack of a better term? If so, a. that's gross and b. you'll definitely want to get that fixed. #sumppumpproblems - Jason
I just moved into a neighborhood that was hastily built over top of wetland. As the snow is thawing, the grass is essentially wet sponge until the heavy heat of summer. I have never had a sump before but the owners of the building we are renting say it has never failed them yet. However, every little thing it does or does not do is making me paranoid. I went down to do laundry today and i could hear dripping. It seems that the pipe that comes out of the top of it is leaking? Its not a lot but it is constant. Should I just hire a professional or trust that my landlords know what they did when they put it in? Also the end of the pipe that is supposed to get water away from the house is maybe an arms length out of the wall at BEST. Won't this just let the water back in the way it came?
Jason, I have read every post you have and have been enlightened. However, I still have a question. We have been in our house 2 months. Before moving in we had our sump pump checked and add a back up pump. The back up pump does not pump out to the front of the house but leads to a drain on the ground. Is this efficient enough?
Also after a bad rain water starting coming in through the sump pump (and other areas in the perimeter of the room). It was still working but not pumping the water out. A plumber came and said he thought it was probably a block. He did put a hose from the sump pump to the sewer pipe to keep the water from flooding the basement. Now the question is how does one find the block? Do we have a landscaper come and excavate the ground and then the plumber can get at the piping (that leads under ground)? What can one do to avoid this from happening again? Can you get a double piping system that leads out in case one get blocked?
As you can see, I am rookie when it comes to this stuff. The plumber said because it leads all underground it is more difficult to find the block. Who's to say this couldn't happen again, if we are located in a lower area and our neighbors are higher than us. We have read all your notes in regards to the downspouts and intend on addressing this as well. But we would love some advice on doing anything and everything we can to avoid water in the basement. (By the way the company that is extracting the water said they could tell that this has happened 1 or 2 times before and the house is 13 years old. ANY suggestions from you will be appreciated.
Hey Bobby V - I can feel your frustration - I remember it well. The blockage in your underground pipe won't be found by digging up the outside area - you'll most likely need a scope or a pipe clearing device to "declog" it. I'm not a plumber but I would recommend you hire someone for that aspect. The biggest question is WHY did it clog in the first place? Is there mud or a break in the pipe - will it just clog again?
You can avoid worrying about all of the above by working on your grading and downspouts first! They could completely negate the need for further worry and expense. Good luck! Please let us know how it turns out by adding a comment page on this page. - Jason
H Guys,
I have a question. My sump pump runs one almost every minute. I turned offmy radon mitigation system and now the sump pump does not work too frequently. My question is: Is the radon system doing a vacuum and with that "bringing" water??? This is the only explanation that I have so far.
Hi Luis - Well, I'm not 100% certain but I doubt the radon mitigation is affecting your sump pump. My understanding is that those systems have a very small fan, just enough to pull air from under the basement floor. It shouldn't be strong enough to create a suction strong enough to affect water. - Jason
What if the water is coming out of a hole in the yard and not the designated pipe? Apparently where the gravel pit sits.
We have a basement and our sump pump is on the outside of our house about 10 to 12 below ground level. Our house is around 50 yrs old our pump does work over time during a rain fall and sometimes it wont keep up and them we have it leaking thru the basement walls. We have some sort of fench drain or tile system that collects the water to the sump pit.What woulkd be the best think to do ..pump another sump pump into the basement floor to maybe help with rising water or to knock a hole thru the wall to the pump outside and run a 4in pipe into a sump pump on the inside of the house ? Or is there another way with helping the outside pump .Its a 3/4 hp craftsman cast iron and we live in Springfield IL .Thank You
The water from my sump pump is ruinging my yard. It runs frequently. I have a pipe distributing the water further down my yard. However, this has not solved the problem.
Would a rain barrel outside the drain pipe by the house help?
Are some pumps self priming? If my sump does dry and then refills with water later, should I be concerned?
You should be fine, the pump will be filled with water and trigger as the float rises to the trigger level. - Jason
Hi Jason
First thanks for all the advice on here! I'm happy to see your still providing guidance. So I definitely need a new battery back up. Here are my questions:
1) How do you know you need a new main Sump Pump?
2) I know I need a new battery for my secondary sump pump - but do I also need a new pump itself along with the battery?
3) How much should a New Main Pump and a secondary pump with a back up battery cost - with / without installation?
4) How much water should a main pump (gallons) discharge and how much should a backup system be able to handle?
5) I was presented $1750-$1800 for a new Pump, and a backup pump and battery system. I have the names at home - it was from Armbrust Plumbing in Carol Stream?
6) WHat questions do I need to ask??
Thanks!!!!!!!
Hey Chris - I don't have all the answers to these, sorry man. I think the range you presented is fairly accurate but this site was always more about basement finishing that sump pump systems (although I think I need to add a section for this if I can find the right writer). Sooo... if you do go through this - hit me up and let me know how it goes. - Jason
What can you tell me about the does and don'ts of installing a sump as far as where to expell the water?
Is there a law on property line set backs? Can it expel onto a sidewalk? Houses in town are close. What do you suggest for location to get rid of water?
Sorry Ron - once it leaves your basement it's kinda outside the advice of this website. I do know that different areas have different regulations so no matter what I say, you should check with your local jurisdiction. However, in my experience, the "standard" is that they expel the water one or two feet from the house and that's it. If properly graded, that should be all you need. - Jason
I am currently looking to have a backup sump pump installed and wanted to know if its wise to have it leave the home from a separate discharge pipe on the outside of the house than the one the main sump pump is connected to? The plumber suggested hooking the back up into the same discharge as the main but my concern is what if that one backs up or the piping underground fails then the backup is useless? Also, how far down should the piping go underground. Mine is currently less than a foot, maybe 6 inches. I am having the piping extended to the end of the yard where there is a sewer and am wondering if I should also have it put further down into the ground? Thank you - Janis
Please help me. How high should I set the float on my sump pump. My husband sets it high well above the incoming drains. He lets it get almost out on the floor. When it rains heavy it has a hard time getting rid of the water fast enough and it has come out on the floor. I say set it lower even it does run more. I set it below the incoming drains. I watch it and usually the water stays low in the bottom of the pit. If it rains hard at least then it will have somewhere to go. If it is already filled up under the basement floor because it has been set too high it has nowhere to go but out in the floor. I'm tired of our basement flooding.
I think I worded the above letter wrong. My husband sets the float until the pump won't come on until the water is almost to the top of the basement floor. I set it so it will come on sooner. When he controls it water is up so high sometimes if it rains hard the pump can't work fast enough or it comes out in the basement floor around the well before the pump comes on! My husband thinks a sump pump suppose to pump as much water as it can. Ii say it only has to be below the two drains coming into the well or less. When it is dry weather it doesn't run in but there is always some water there.
I have lived in my house for 3 years and haven't had an issue with water seepage until this year. I know that the house has flooded in the past but after removing drywall can see no major cracks in the foundation.
Anyway I was fiddling around with my sump pump and noticed that it will not kick on until the drain tile pipe is almost completely submerged. I understand that this probably isn't an issue with normal rain or snow thaw but would this be an issue with a down pour? I'm only asking because like I said we haven't had an issue until this year and it hasn't been once it has been almost every time it rains and I am not sure what to do.
I have the same question. My pump only runs a few times a year, but when it does it is usually after heavy rain for multiple days. Right now I have it set to drain when the water level reaches the bottom of the first weeping tile pipe. Based on the size of the crock, at that level it is about 7 gallons of water. Right now it pumps every 10 minutes and has been since last night. Should I adjust it so the drain line gets covered and allow a longer rest between pumps? I have a wood foundation on a concrete slab so the idea letting the water get to high concerns me.
In my opinion 10 minutes should be plenty of time to rest. Technically it should need any rest time, it's more about the ultimate number of "reps" that pump will perform. At just a few times a year, even for a couple of days straight, you should be good to go. In some cases those pumps run everyday, several times a day. - Jason
Hello Jason: My sump pump is old and I am about to purchase a new one. Problem: The pit is full of water. Can I install the new sump pump in the pit water? or do I need to drain the pit water? Thank you.
Tom - I don't see why you couldn't install it with the water, just don't plug it in until the very end! Hopefully as soon as you plug it in it will start pumping out the water. - Jason
Hi Adam,
Thank you for the information that you provide in your blog. I recently had my basement sump fail during the heaviest rain we have had in our area in 20 years. I had about 3 inches in my basement that came up through the sump pump pit. I consider my 3 inches to be an inconvenience compared to others in my area that had things floating in their basements. I did have coverage for sump pump backup and am looking to replace my system. My current system ejects out of the discharge up about 10 inches and then in an upside down U shape goes back down and then right anglesr out parallel to the bottom of the pit an about 24 inches later right angles up the wall and then right angles about a foot below the outside surface then runs underground about 30 feet to where it discharges well away from my house. I am most concerned about the U turn and the multiple right angles. If the discharge pipe did come straight up and only had one right angle the pipe would come up in the middle of a small room with a stationary tub to one side and an elctracle box one the other side mounted on the wall. I didn't set this up, I bought the house with this setup already in place. Do you have a recommendation for this situation.
I got a sump pump installed 3 weeks ago and it was working fine; even when it rained. we got a very heavy rain storm and I noticed the basement was wet.......ugggggg what could it be?
I'm not hearing any noise from my simp pump is that normal?
Sump pump activation frequency...
Sump pump activation...
I am in my first home, rural area. Loving it. It is a trilevel, with the sump pump located in the crawl space. The pump goes off constantly and frequently, from about December until May, wet Michigan weather, with spring thaw, with the wettest and snowiest days kicking the pump on up to every 3 minutes. Previous home owners said this is perfectly normal, they were here for about 20 years before me. The house was built in 1980. Rain gutters are right up against the house, and the outside discharge extends maybe 1 ft, pouring into landscaping. What can I do or have done to cut down on the pump kicking on so much? Also, I have a city powered water back up pump too for piece of mind. Any tips at all would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!
Lenice
No water coming into sump pump sometimes.
We have a foul odor coming out of our sumppump pit (noticeable even though it has a cover). We haven't had rain in our area for about 2 weeks, and during that time we were out of town for 5 days and the house was empty. Could the odor be from the dry conditions? I put some bleach in the pit daily for the last 4 days, and ran water in a connecting sink several times also. I even cleaned the sides of the pit with a bleach cleaner and the smell still persists, although not as strong. Should I be doing anything else besides praying for a little rain? Do they make water purifiers, or smell stoppers (like those products you can use to put in the toilet before you take a dump) that I can put in the pit? Or is it time to call the plumber. By the way, the water is clear in the pit as it should be. Thanks
Hey Jerry - I have to say this is the first "foul odor" sump pump comment I've recieved, so I'm not sure I have a really good answer for you. If anyone reading this does, please post! - Jason
Dang... another foul odor from the sump pump comment. I may have to look into this more closely, sorry I don't have any good answers right now. - Jason
i have a an outside sump pit that has the exterior drain pipes from around the house draining into it. We are in a climate that has winters with subzero temperatures. I need to find a good battery backup system. The house is not in the city so a water powered backup is not an option. I keep hitting a road block hearing that the electronics of these systems won't stand the cold. I can put a cover over the pit and use a heat lamp, which doesn't sound aesthetically pleasing and doesn't seem professional. I do have the heated basement within 10 feet of pit but I am hearing that the battery and electronics probably will be too far away from the pumps. I would guess their thought is a drop in voltage from the electronics and battery to the sump pump.
Quick question Jason; we just had our driveway repaved and added a sump pump to handle water and pump it away from the house. Now that the hole has been dug and filled and the driveway was watered, there is excess water in the hole that has not reached the pump stage. Is standing water normal? Isn't it a health hazard? Thanks!
Recently noticed dirty water inside sump pump well and dirt on the rocks at the bottom of sump pump well. The sump pump well fills
regularly from the french drains when it rains, and sump pump
runs frequently (every 30 minutes for 1-2 days ) after it rains. I do not want the sump pump to fail as we have a finished basement. Noticed erosion of soil above
the exit line from sump pump 25+ feet from the house at the street
where the sump pump water exits. Wondering if the line is
cracked near the street and dirt backing up into sump pump well. Note the line at the street is one foot below exit Z type line configuration from the house
so not logical it could be backing up into the sump pump
or sump pump well. Where do you think dirt in sump pump well
is coming from and what if anything can be done to prevent sump
pump failure.
Oye... so this topic is a little outside my arena but I'll give you my opinion. The dirt will be an issue at some point. A highly quality pump will handle some debris but a consistent barrage of fine dirt particles will eventually cause a failure. My choice would be to keep an eye on the water "dirtiness". Perhaps this is a one time settlement issue that won't be consistent moving forward. If it is then you're golden, if it isn't then you'll need to figure out where drainage filter (pipe) is failing. Yes, that will be expensive, but it will be less than refinishing a basement... unless you have insurance, in which case it will just be a pain in the ass. - Jason
It's Saturday night and the sump pump has been running non stop since Friday night. I've been on line and I think it's the floater that got hooked in the on position. Here's my dilemma; I do not have the physical strength to open the damn thing and someone won't be able to come out until Monday. My question: should I just unplug it?
yikes... I think you needed my help on Friday night... Ok, if someone else is finding this on a Friday night. You can unplug it, see if that might cause the float to "unstick" just losing power won't do it but perhaps it will vibrate a bit or something to loose it (since you can't open the pit). Then just plug it back in. It shouldn't hurt anything. - Jason
Everytime we get a heavy rain, a RIVER of water pours into my sump pit. We had a back up pump installed to help the first pump for times when their was more water coming in than could be pumped out w/1 pump. That seems too work but is very nerve wrecking to watch. Is it normal for this much water to feed into my pump. I live in a subdivision w/ a Large house that is less than 25 feet from mine. I'm afraid we are pumping out all of their water too.
Hi Julie - I understand how nerve racking that can be. It's not something you should have to worry about. Yet there it is. Is it normal ? Let's say that it's common. You're not alone. Yes, you might be pumping water from your neighbor. I would focus on solving the source of the water, so that you don't have to worry about the pumping systems (someday, they will fail).
Step 1 : Find a top notch landscaping company in your area. One that knows how to design, not just install landscapes. Ask them to evaluate the slope of the land around your home. If they say you have a water issue, pay them to fix it! It's worth every penny.
Step 2 : Make sure every down-spout from your roofs is extended 8 to 10 feet away from your house.
Let me know if that solves your issue. - Jason
House built ‘76. Is highest point in subdivision . Issues with water. Put in French drain 3 months ago. Recent heavy rain water but not as much. Early on asked plumber to advise us on getting sump pump. He said no as it would make things worse. French drain contractor says when it rains water table is elevated. But we are on a hill. There is gentle slope to back of house where French drain was installed. Most water this last time was on rooms street side, all down hill.
Also would like to know how important gravel is on top and bottom of drain. It was very minimal.
City water enters my house, passes through the first meter, then moves up to a join. From the join, it goes "up" to the house, or "right" to the outside. Along the "right" path, it passes through a second meter... and then comes to another branch, where it either goes down to the sump, or out to the sprinklers.
Currently, the sprinklers are off, winterized; the valves *beyond* the sump are closed. But there is an open connection from the main to the sump. And there is a constant flow (trickle, but constant) of water through the main meter, into the sump! When I close the valve leading to the sump, the water stops flowing through the main meter. Is this normal??? I think it's costing me a fortune -- $250/month water bills, in Michigan!
I have a ped sump pump. But when it kicks on it falls over. Too much torque. Any suggestions.
Will a sump pump turn off if the discharge is put on the timer? Or does it keep running? Thank you. 12 only country line sump pump. Guessing the best way is a 12 volt timer switch but have an extra flow timer I would like to use.
I recently had an ice jam at the discharge point of the pvc out in my yard. The pvc runs all underground into the foundation. The sump pump activated with the ice jam and was backing up. Now that temps have been in the 50's the last two days and the ground appears to have thawed, I turned on the sump pump again and the water still is not exiting the discharge point, therefore water is spewing out everywhere in my sump pump room (luckily unfinished area). So I have shut off the sump pump again to see if you can provide some insight. Thanks
Ok my problem is when the pump turns on the water goes out of my washer drain pipe. We get a gurgling sound In the kitchen sick and the tub. But no water there .
I have two pumps with two separate pits (one pump in each pit) I hardly need second sump pit & pump as one suffices and so would like to add battery backup to the one hardly used. What is simplest battery backup to purchase that would work with any sump pump since i don't know horse power or brand name of one of the pumps
My neighbor is concerned her sump pump has water filled except 6 inches from the concrete. She’s afraid it’s not working. I told her to pour some more water in but she said the water is really high as it is? What do you think?
Hi Lucy - Well, if it's 6 inches from the concrete then the sump pump should be on and pumping water out. If it's not, and that sounds like what you're saying, then the "float" is not triggering the sump pump to activate. Adding more water won't help - something is wrong with her pump or the float of the pump. - Jason
So we have a working sump and it is raining and raining and raining here for days. Found this morning the drainage goes into the yard about 7 feet and there is a slight break in the pipe on the outside of our wall. Praying our sump keeps up....it is going off like once a minute or so....
Hi Jennifer - I hope everything worked out for you. The break is definitely an issue, you'll want to get the fixed. 7 feet is a pretty good distance, assuming your yard grading is good I would not guess that the distance of the outlet pipe is the issue. - Jason
we have moved recently, this house is about 10years, there is a small creek which runs behind our house, about 40-50 feet from our house, I have noticed that duringrains, my sump pump keeps draining water every minute this continues for week to 10 days. All the water spouts I have noticed are away from home, I see water dripping into the sump from one of the drains continuously. I am worried that sump pump might fail working that frequently. Please suggest
We realized a couple weeks ago that our downspout was clogged and rain and snow melted from roof were going into ground right beside the house. Not sure how long its been clogged. Snow has started to melt but not fully. Got water in basement at bottom of wall in that same area a week after noticing and fixing downspout. Could see water coming in at bottom of wall where wall meets the floor and kept shop vaccing it. Kept coming 4 days later so we drilled a hole in basement floor 4 days ago and my husband has been pumping out the water from below the house in that corner every couple days. Its been a week since we discovered the problem. Oh and also noticed soil beside house in that area was sloping toward the house. Added fill last week. No water anywhere else in basement so far. Is it normal that there is still so much water under house. We are built up high enough that we've never needed a sump pump. Hoping once we get all the water out of under the house we'll be ok with downspout fixed and fill added. My question is...is it normal for there to be that much water from broken downspout and imroper grading away from house?
Hi Tina - Not sure if I'd classify it has normal but it is possible. I would check around the rest of your house, see if there are any other grading or downspout issues. - Jason
Hi. I. Currently have a sump pump which I have no idea how old it is and it works but we still get water in our basement when it rains really hard or rains for a few days straight. What can I do to prevent this? Thank you for your help.
Sump pump keeps kicking on every 6 minutes for months. Live in lower Michigan but the 6 minute thing never changes. I change to a different kind of pump I'm going with a Zoeller vertical float use to have horizontal type float. Could this be the problem.
Hi Ken - The Zoeller is a great pump and it may reduce the number of times it goes off per hour but it will still go off way more than it should be. If your current pump is pumping water our all day every 6 minutes for months on end... then you have a pretty good water issue. If you unplug the pump how quickly does the water start to seep into your basement floor? Perhaps your water table is just above the float line of your pump? - Jason
Jason, what do you think about our situation? Our house is 20 years, we have lived here 15 years and never had a wet basement until a recent weather event in our area of rapid snow melt followed by heavy rain. Lots of flooding in our community though. We are on pretty high ground with generally sandy soil, and we did not have standing water but still enough that we had to pull out our basement flooring and carpet. We have no sump pump. One plumber suggested putting one in at the area where it appears was the major water problem. Another plumber recommended that idea would not work without all the drain tiles also being installed. What do you think - is it worth installing a sump pump in one area of the basement without drain tile system around the perimeter? Thanks for your thoughts!!
Hi Cindy - It's tough to say without seeing some pictures of how your water entered your basement floor. Tiles would be best but a sump pump CAN be effective without them as well. My recommendation would be to give a call to your local building department (or visit in person) and see if they have a recommendation for your specific area. These guys and gals often have the most knowledge of what works and doesn't work with your soil type. Good luck! - Jason
Thanks Jason, we will check that out!
I purchased a ranch with a big basement which I know know has a problem with water. I have been told to just put two pits and two pumps and since the water seems to be coming from the high water table, that should take care of it. Another company told me to install a french drain as well, which I was told would not be of much help since the issue is the high water table. Of course installing the french drain sets me back about 4500 more. What do you think, will the two pits with pumps be enough to tackle the issue or is the french drain necessary?
Before buying our house we lived in a condo and didn't have to worry about having a sump pump. The house that we moved into approximately 1 year ago has a sump pump and the basin typically has about an inch or two of water. I can't say I've heard the pump ever go on, even during bad rain storms, but since we have a finished basement I put a water sensor in the basin shortly after we moved in. Over the last 2 weeks the water sensor, which is about 8 inches from the top of the basin, has been triggered by water on 2 occasions. Both times when I checked the basin the water was low but the sensor was wet. I also made sure that the sump pump works. There was no rain falling during either occasion and I'm not sure if this is something I need to get checked out or if maybe the water sensor is to far into the basin.
Thanks in advance,
Ruben
Hey Ruben, Congrats on the new digs. Check the sump pump again and make a note of where the water level is when the float is triggered. Then you'll know the proper level to set your water sensor. It sounds like everything is working but the sensor is too deep.
My house is over 100 yrs. old. The old clay tile drain has collapsed so I want to install a sump pump. The cellar, and I do mean cellar, has a concrete floor but is not finished. My question is since I don't care about looks do I need to finish around the sump pit with concrete?
Mike - You make cellars sound cooler than basements! I would finish with concrete. Doesn't have to be perfect or pretty based on your description, but the concrete will keep it secure. Also, sealing it with concrete will help keep any radon from coming up through the slab. Good luck. -Jason
Hello,
My sump seems to be working fine but I have a question about the discharge hoses. Once it gets out of the sump pit the hose splits into two. One hose goes into the drain in the basement floor and the other goes outside. I was curious as to why there are two. I thought this might be for switching the discharge hose depending on if it is summer or winter. I figure this might be the case since I would like to switch it to the outside discharge hose in summer since the floor drain in the basement can't handle the amount of water from the sump. It backs up onto the floor before draining down. Let me know what you think!
Thanks
Andrew - Two hoses is an interesting debacle. Where does the floor drain go? If it goes into the sewer, then you're probably violating code. I would redirect all the water outside. Hope that helps. -Jason
I have battery backup however when I lost power eventually the battery stop working, where can I purchase a charger?
Dorothy - That stinks. Most of the backup systems that I've seen include a charger. You may want to double check that the power just wasn't out so long that it wore down a fully charged battery. If you're sure you need need a charger, a 10 amp charger is probably what you need for a 12V battery. Here's a link to a cool one for sale on Amazon. Charger
I turned the water on to the outside and I hear water trickling into the sub pump we’ll ever since. Is this normal?
Hey Ron - Could be just coincidence because of the spring weather. If it's leaking on the inside, you should have some evidence besides water trickling into the sump. Just my two sense. -Jason
We have existing french drains with one sump pump pit that has a water back up. We just installed a second sump pump pit in another corner. My plumber said I didn't need another back up on second pit but when I filled the new pit with water it did not drain. I want to insist that this second pit be connected to existing french drains, am I right in this? Currently it is just one its own system taking water from under basement. Any suggestions or input are greatly appreciated.
Hey Etan - I'm not quite following you when you say the second pit didn't drain. Generally speaking, tying the sump pit into the drain tile is the most effective approach, but a standalone pit can be effective. Ask the plumber for a quote to connect the second pit and if it's not too costly...make it happen - Jason
I am installing a washbasin and would like to drain it directly into the sump pump drain. Is there an issue with that? We have well water, do I need to be concerned about anythign related to where it drains outside? Thanks!
Hey Janice - I realize this seems like a logical solution, easy to install and green grass; however, that's a code violation in most areas. The water coming out of the washbasin is considered gray water and needs to be treated the same as sewage. Sorry to be "that" guy. -Jason
The water surrounding my pump is rusty. I was told to shop vac it out. Should I then fill it with some clean water?
Hey Lee - Sounds like your pump doesn't run very often. You only need to add clean water if you think its not working, otherwise it'll naturally fill back up the next time it rains.
-Jason
Our sump pump has recently begun making a continual trickling sound. It has not done this in the past. Is this an indicator of issues?
Hey Kim - Definitely could be an indicator. Has anything changed with your grade or downspouts? -Jason
We live in Michigan and have a basement and there is a sump pump in a closet down there it has a pit and a hole at the bottom to drain. When I lift up the float it turns on but in the almost 20 years we’ve lived there it’s always been dry dry dry even during the heaviest rains. Lately it has a bit of a smell coming from the opening at the bottom. Can we cap the hole and just close it permanently and is there a certain way to do that?
Hey VJR - I wouldn't cap the hole. I would just seal the lid with silicone.
-Jason
Hi. Is it ok to have some water in the sump pump? I have a dehumidifier draining into sump pump dirt barrel. There’s not enough water for pump to turn on. Is it healthy/safe for this small amount of water to soak into the dirt? Thanks!
I'm about to have a house built on a verrry sloped lot. The slope runs on an angle towards the house. I'm not sure how it will run once excavation begins. But right now it runs from north/northwest to south/southeast towards the front corner of the house. But also north to south towards the front of the house. The builder wants to install a daylight drain (which he says is a french drain? is it?) & sump pit, but NO sump pump. Should a pump also be installed? I'm worried that he's skipping the pump because his price is already sky high and he knows it. Said he'd have to charge me extra if I wanted a pump, but assured me that I'd never get water in the basement with the french drain alone. I should also mention that there will be a swale at the south/southeast corner of the lot below the grade of the house. So my question is...is a french/daylight drain enough? Or do I also need a sump pump??? I don't trust this builder but am stuck with him. Please comment back fast, as I am about to sign a contract.
Hi Carol - Hard to say if it will be enough. Have you builder run the drain tile into a sump pit just in case. The french drain should take the water away but if doesn't then you'll have a backup just in case.
-Jason
I usually am away during the winter. Our 7 year old home has a sump pump which has worked fine for 7 seven years. However when I am away I think about the sump every so often and wondering if it is still working. I am thinking of installing a large plug into the sump inlet pipe just before we go away to remove the possibility of allowing water in at all or at least slowing it to a trickle. Does this sound like a good thing to try ?
Hi Brian - I wouldn't. If there's water coming into the inlet, it needs to be dealt with. There are some good sump battery backup options that will give you peace of mind.
-Jason
what would cause the sum pump to bring up dirt & water from a rain storm--is this a foundation problem? We bought a new sum pump last year February
Hi Amy - If the water is merky, it doesn't mean it's brining up dirt. However, if clumps of dirt are coming through the sump inlet, then it would appear the builder didn't install the drain tile correctly. That said, digging up the entire foundation is probably going to cost you a small fortune so dealing with the dirt in the sump pump every year or so may be the best option.
-Jason
Can I hose my basement floor and allow it to run into the sump pump. It's in a whole in the basement. Should I also keep it plugged in
Hi Debra - That shouldn't be a problem. The sump is designed to operate in water. I'd probably wear rubber boots just in case.
-Jason
Can I hose my basement floor and allow it to run into the sump pump and should I keep it plugged in.
I live in 3 year old house and there is a steep hill behind my house. The builder put a sump pump in the basement because a lot of water comes off the hill. We had a small lake in our back yard until fought them to put in a French drain. That worked but last week we had 2 inches of rain in about 2 hours and I had a lake in my back yard and a powerful river flowing down each side of my yard but no water in my basement. My sump pump never went off but as I said basement was dry as a bone. My neighbors sump pump ran continually pump out water. I will take your advice and test my sump pump to make sure it is working properly. Thank you for the advice.
I recently replaced my sump pump. It's a eco-flow 1/2HP rated at 4400 gph with a 27' lift discharging into a 1-1/4" discharge pipe that runs downhill about 150'. Due to recent rains, I'm concerned about my new pump being overwhelmed. It's currently holding its own but if I added a second pump to the sump pit, is it going to be a problem if I have both pumps going into the same discharge line? I was looking at a y-connector with check-valves for both pumps. Can the 1/14" discharge line handle the flow from two pumps? The second pump I have access to is rated at 3150 GPH at a 10' lift. Thanks!
Hey Steve- Sounds feasible. Two concerns:
1) Make sure your sump crock can handle two pumps and doesn't result in them constantly kicking on and off.
2) Adjust the floats in a manner that they don't go off at the same time, then the 1 1/4" is good to go
-Jason
we noticed that after a massive rainfall of about a day with 8 inches of rain there were a couple of puddles in our unfinished basement. What could be causing this? Sump Pump was working and nothing blocked the entry to the basement door ie grass clippings clogging the drain.
Hey Angela - More than likely it came through the wall and settled into the low point of your basement concrete slab. 8 inches is a crazy amount of rain, so only having a few puddles is a blessing. Look for any signs where the water ran down the wall. Sometimes there is even mud where the water is coming through. Good luck and let me know when you wanna finish that basement!
-Jason
My sump pump (basement) is filled with heavy sediment that encased my sump pump and caused it to stop working along with by battery backup. I had a new pump installed along with a water powered back up pump. My concern is the pit was cleaned out before the new on was installed and within a month and after a heavy rain fall, the heavy sediment encased my pump again and its not working, but I have the backup. Further, the water is coming in from around the inlet pipe and not through the pipe , probable due to mud built up. Does this mean I have a break in the line underneath the basement floor and the foundation soils in getting in my pump? I already had my line flushed that leads to the street storm drain? Does this mean I have to breakup floor to find the problems.
Hey Faye - Definitely sounds like you have a problem with the drain tile connecting to the sump crock. You may want to try installing a macerating pump. This would keep the sediment from building up.
Here's a link.
-Jason
If my sump pump is unplugged and not pulled out of the water will it continue todrain the water
Hey Roger - That would be a big No. You have two options: battery backup or a water operated sump pump.
-Jason
Hello Jason, we just purchased our second home, which has a finished basment, panelled walls and carpet etc. Third week in and we had very heavy rain last night, water started to seep through the carpet in several spots only at low points through the basment floor. Some parts of the carpet were bone dry. I could not find a source of the water. Do I need a sump pump? And if I do, how do i find the optimal place to install it? There was one corner that had alot more we carpet than the rest. The previous owner has an air filtration system and dehumidifier in place that eliminated the musty basment with carpet odor so i was very surprised this happened....never owned a sump pump in my life. Hope to hear from you soon, in the mean time going to finish shop vacuuming the carpet and ho rent air movers for the day.
Hey Roy - sounds like this isn't a new issue and would benefit from a sump. I'd go with the low point you mentioned. From experience, throw away the shop vac filter or the next time you use it, it'll smell like straight death blowing into your room.
-Jason
Do you see alot of houses with multiple sump pump locations? i have one sump pump in my basement and it works. However on the other side of my basement, it gets wet and I have gotten water to come in during heavy rain storms. Do you think a second sump pump would do the trick to keep that area dry?
thanks
Hey Tim - Two sumps isn't common, but if you have a really big basement then it may be necessary. Adding the second sump certainly won't hurt.
-Jason
I have a drain outside of my utility room door that is controlled by my sump pump, when the power goes off the drain on the outside of my utility room overflows and comes my basement floors if noone os there to catch it before it is to late. Is there something i can do to correct this ? This is the way the house was built in 1965
It’s been raining and I can see not big big water coming under the baseboard . I checked my sump pump and it works . I can hear some noises in the basement with the machinery I think. The water level in the well is about right. Any ideas ?
Hey Howe- Sounds like the drain tile and sump are doing their job but you have a crack within your wall or block foundation. If there's a natural source above the area you see the water (like a downspout) you could try diverting it prior to opening up the wall. Best of luck.
-Jason
I have a big curb running from my pump and the seal has a bump in it. How do I fix that sort of leak? Is there some sort of sealer I can use
Hey Barba - I'm having a hard time envisioning what you're talking about. Can you send a pic?
-Jason