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I'm not a sump pump expert, but it sounds like perhaps your check valve isn't working properly. If it isn't closing fully then water in the pipe can drain back down into the sump when the pump stops. If enough water is able to drain back down then it would cause the pump to start again. Assuming you actually have a check valve, it probably looks something ...

First of all, it's a very good idea to get the water away from the house; in general you don't want any pooling or draining water around your foundation. The farther away you have sump pumps, eaves troughs, etc going, the better. You'll want to check the total discharge head of the pump before you do this. Pump performance is rated in terms of both volume ...

I can't think of any reason why not - and in fact I'd recommend it. Right now your sump is draining water out right next to the house, which means its seeping back into the ground right against your foundation, which means your sump pump is ultimately pumping at lest some of the same water multiple times.

It's a drywell... water goes in and is absorbed into the soil. If you are in an area with sandy soil, this is usually ok. In heavy rain seasons, the water table rises as more and more water is absorbed into the ground. As things return to normal, the water table drops. If you're interested, Google for "water budget" or "groundwater budget" and you should ...

Yes, generally you'll have a sump pump if the water table could reasonably rise to the level of the bottom of the basement. The sump pump is most often used in combination with a drainage system around the foundation that directs water into a "sump pit". The sump pump then pumps water out of the sump pit once it rises to a certain level. If you have city ...

It should definately come on before the water gets to that level. Is the float the kind that has its cord clamped to a pipe and it swings up and down? If its that kind, make sure that its not hung up on anything. You may need to manually run the pump to empty the water and troubleshoot the float. Lift it and see if the pump comes on. Does the float have a ...

My last house had all sorts of awful water issues like this, so I feel your pain... In a flash-flood type situation, there isn't much that you're going to do with a pump. You didn't describe the terrain too much, but you need to find a way to redirect some of the water in a different direction. If you have gutters that empty in the area, direct the water ...

For the case of the power outages, there's basically two options -- UPS or other battery backup for the sump pump. (which only helps for as long as the batteries hold out) A water powered sump pump As for the flash flood issues -- you might be able to either regrade the area to change the catchment area that drains towards the door, and possibly add a ...

From the looks of it, water could run right around your grate to the door. If the walkway is sloped toward the grate on both sides, that would probably help when the rain is light, but when it is heavy it will run right around it. I would install a grate that runs across the whole width of the walkway. Under the grate, I would have a trench about a foot ...

In addition to the other comments, the garden hose may also be causing the problem. It may not allow enough flow of water to leave the basin fast enough. We have 1.5" pvc leaving the sump pump and that pipe discharges into the yard. Can you use the PVC that you said you have going into the yard instead of having the hose in the PVC?

What is probably going on is that your neighbors' weeping tile systems are draining into their sumps, which are then pumped out because they're below grade and there isn't a storm sewer at a lower grade that can be drained into. The weeping tile exists to direct water that soaks into the ground away from your house, instead of letting it collect against your ...

These things have a battery AND a battery charger. You wanted to verify why the battery went dead. If the charger is not working (or maybe is not even plugged in?) then the new battery will die too. Check that power is getting to it. Check that the charger is working. Check all connections.

I'm sorry, but you say that it drains out only 1/2 an inch from the crock in 60 seconds time when it does run? If so, then you either have a clog in the outflow line, or the pump is bad. Our pump will drain the entire crock in a matter of seconds. If the pump is not turning on with the float totally submerged, then the switch may be a problem too.

You have two questions here, First, I think the larger of the two pipes could be a vent pipe connected to a radon exhaust system. Does this pipe connect to any other pipes or a box with a radon sensor? Second item, the receptacle shown is a single use type. Sump pumps will often nuisance-trip GFCI receptacles. Much the same as a refrigerator is put on a ...

There are typically "sliders" or some sort of adjustment that mark the "start" and "stop" (or "high" and "low") water levels. Generally there's no minimum low-water level other than you want to make sure that there is always water covering the pump intake (so it doesn't suck air). The "high" mark just needs to be low enough that water never gets out of the ...

The main thing you will need to pay attention to is the head rating of the sump pump. I can't imagine a standard big box store sump pump would have any trouble raising the water 8 feet...every sump I've ever owned had to go at least that high. The horizontal run has a negligible effect on the capability of the pump (it's not zero, but it is very small ...

Well, if it's from the late 80s, then it shouldn't contain any PCBs. That liquid is probably a dielectric oil with a high viscosity. That would explain why you were thinking it's a solid. They're non-conductive mineral oils and as oil does, it displaces water. Treat it like a motor oil spill. Here's an MSDS sheet for Shell Morlina oil which is probably ...

A sump pump is intended to be left underwater, and not fail. Since water causes problems for electrical contacts, my guess is there is a sealed part of the pump that you should NOT have opened up. The liquid was in there to prevent water from getting in, thereby shorting out the pump. This liquid is probably NOT something you can buy at the local hardware ...

Sort of, but it probably doesn't work like you think. I'm guessing you want a pump that works like a shop vac. But once you put in a provision to drain off the collected liquid, the vacuum effect no longer works. One could concoct a system that alternately sucks, then drains, but I know of no such commercially available package system. Maybe something like ...

Sewer pump should be hooked up to GFCI. So that is the first step - change out the outlet to a GFCI. The reason this will help you is first it is code in some places and second if the pump is the culprit then it will pop the GFCI outlet. Also is this a 20 or 15 amp circuit. Some sewer pumps are rated for 20 amps and above. I actually have almost the ...

Your best answer would be to try to eliminate the water before it gets in. Your best options will depend on the reliability of your electric source. A battery pump will only last so long. A watered powered pump will require a steady flow of municiple water. If you have a well it obviously won't work without power. The other consideration is how easily can ...

Dumping bleach in the water risks corrosion of the pump, damaging it before long. A periodic flush may be a better choice. You can top the crock with a piece of plastic, done in homes with radon mitigation systems. Note that this top must be properly done so as not to create an airlock. A trapped drain is built into the top.

It won't mess up your pump, there's much heavier minerals in the water than bromine. However, you have to be weary of where the water is discharged. Bromine isn't going to be healthy for your lawn or nearby trees. It's probably best to spot-treat the mold with bleach and maybe mold-resistant epoxy paint. If you use bromine, re-route your discharge into the ...

You could replace the corrugated tubing with smooth black plastic pipe in the same size as your corrugated pipe. It bends slightly, but you will also probably need a 90 degree elbow to make the turn from "up" to "out". Although it fits on the connectors pretty snugly, be sure to get hose clamps for all of the connections; it would be a bad day if one of ...

As kkeilman points out, your pump is fully submersible, so that part should be no problem. You can easily just piggy-back a float switch like this one on your existing pump. It has a special plug that you plug the existing sump pump into (no wiring necessary), and this one in particular handles up to 1/2 HP, which is more than enough for your 0.3 HP ...

Looks to me like the pump can be fully submerged so there shouldn't be any issue allowing the sump level to raise up a little higher. I would use the float switch much as an 'enable' on a relay powering your sump pump. Get a RIB (or any relay capable of the amperage your sump pump needs and use the float switch for your switching input. Also highly ...

1) I know very little about sump pits, but I suspect it might be a vent. Why it would need a vent when the smaller pipe penetration of the lid is beyond me (redundant if it's there to prevent a vacuum, ineffective if it is intended to vent dangerous gasses,) but it might be a code requirement. Alternatively, it might be something that drains from another ...

Ideally, the builder installed a vapor barrier under the whole slab including the drain but it sounds like they cut a hole in the barrier to dig the pit for the sump. Since concrete is fairly porous, it's probably wicking water from the ground. If it bothers you, try a sealer intended for concrete with your problem. Unfortunately, you can't tell how much ...

I stopped at several home improvement stores today to ask about sump pump stands to several different opinions from those who sell sump pumps directly: Gary at Home Depot: More interested in his phone than talking to me. His recommendation was not to worry about it. "Why is there sediment in your sump basin? It should just be water in your sump basin." ...

Obviously, the pump can't keep up with the amount of water pouring in. As mohlsen said, the outlet hose is way too small. I've never seen one < 1.5" diameter. It needs to be a lot bigger than it is. If that doesn't solve the problem completely, you probably need to upgrade to a larger sump pump. If you have frequent power outages when it rains, you need ...