20
votes
Why do we have sump pits?
Getting the basement to be a waterproof shell like a boat may be possible, but maintaining that waterproofness is very likely not possible over time. Ground shifts, concrete and mortar dry out, ...
- 8,981
17
votes
Accepted
Central Air condensate is pumped into a hole in the basement floor?
It's just a typical floor drain, and it's the ideal place to drain your dehumidifier. What you see is the water trap, which prevents sewer gas from escaping. It presumably connects to your sanitary ...
- 144k
8
votes
Why do we have sump pits?
It's quite possible to have an external sump, if that's put in at build time it doesn't even cost a lot more, since the basement area has already had a large hole dug to put the basement in. Most ...
- 223k
7
votes
Why do we have sump pits?
You invite the water that is under and around your basement to collect in one place where you can easily send it somewhere else.
Waterproofing is preferable but not all basements can be waterproofed. ...
- 43.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Filling an outdoor drain with concrete to reduce standing water
Sumps typically have standing water, as Jasen mentions, part of the reason of having them is a sediment trap to prevent debris from going into the storm drain. All that "compost" didn't end up in the ...
- 14.3k
6
votes
What shouldn’t be dumped into a basement dump sink?
Sewer pumps are designed for specific uses and their ability to handle different liquids and solids varies hugely. Read the documentation for your specific one.
The most common enemies:
For all ...
- 43.5k
6
votes
Accepted
How do I lift a jammed sump lid?
Pressure washer and a rubber hammer.
First, blast the washer round the joint for a few minutes, then bang around the edges & corners with the rubber hammer. You could also try running a steel rule ...
- 11.5k
6
votes
Why do we have sump pits?
If you have high ground water at times, then you want to pump down that ground water to below your floor's elevation. The sump pit exposes the ground water so that the sump pump can lower it to an ...
- 10.5k
5
votes
Central Air condensate is pumped into a hole in the basement floor?
This is a regular basement floor drain. there is a trap below the slab and that's why you see the water... that's a good sign. You should get a drain cover from your home store similar to the one ...
- 83.8k
5
votes
Accepted
How to install radon system with sump pit with no incoming drains
If your sump pit extends into a layer of crushed stone, rubble and whatever else is under the concrete of your basement slab, then I have what you have. Except my radon was 55 pCi/l before remediation....
- 12k
4
votes
Accepted
Is use of a deep cycle marine battery indoors safe?
3% hydrogen to air is explosive. Even sealed batteries discharge some hydrogen gas when charged--they have to release the pressure or they will break the case. The seal is accomplished with a rubber (...
- 103k
4
votes
Accepted
How did a salamander get in my sump pit?
There shouldn't be any openings in the actual tile system other than the small holes in the piping in your basement but there could be openings where the sump pumps discharge the water. The salamander ...
- 83.8k
4
votes
Foul water sump needs a gentle tap to start
You'd need to disassemble the pump to find out the cause. Here are some possibilities:
A centrifugal switch inside the motor is dirty or sticking.
Clean the switch contacts or replace the switch.
...
- 8,339
3
votes
Sump pump running every 20 seconds, sometimes constantly
You have a problem. If the pump is running every 20 seconds, that implies that water ingress is taking the sump from "empty cutoff" to "full cutoff" in 20 seconds.
That means in 40 ...
3
votes
Central Air condensate is pumped into a hole in the basement floor?
My first thought is it’s a floor drain until I notice it is close to the wall.
This is a location for a clean out. Can you see standing water?
If it is a clean out and not a floor drain it should not ...
- 103k
3
votes
Accepted
Sump discharge freezing
How is a sump discharge normally set up in freezing climates?
Short and wide, with plenty of slope, so that ice cannot build up in the bottom of the pipe. A 2" pipe to a 4" pipe with a fall ...
- 223k
3
votes
Concrete lid in basement-what is it for?
If the sump pump is working nearby, but water is newly coming out, it's probably covering some sort of sewer/drain access and you probably have a developing problem on that front (1959 - could be ...
- 223k
3
votes
Accepted
House Has Apron - Sump Pump Goes Out Window - Proper Drain In Wrong Place Still Better?
The simplest solution may be to
put a planter or something like that next to it, or over it, so (a) nobody will notice it, and (b) it won't be a trip hazard.
- 32.1k
3
votes
Accepted
Do sump pump basins always have a certain level of water in them?
The level of water in a sump pump basin is dependent on the water table of the surrounding terrain. That level will vary with rainfall, conditions of drought, localized flooding, melting snow, etc.
...
- 11.2k
2
votes
Filling an outdoor drain with concrete to reduce standing water
Last time I checked the installation instructions on a similar drain pit it said to fill the bottom with concrete.
standing water, depending on the climate, can harbour mosquitoes, filling the sump ...
- 23.2k
2
votes
Water coming in below sump pit corrugated pipe! Is this normal?
Your house is probably surrounded by a drain pipe laid on a bed of gravel to allow water to flow from the ground into the pipe. Gravity drains this pipe to the lowest point, your sump pit. The pit is ...
- 1,359
2
votes
Is it common to not find water when digging a sump pit in a basement?
It is very common to not hit water in the dry season. Some homes have sump pits because the walls allow water in through cracks and there is not a true high water problem, this is common with block ...
- 103k
2
votes
Accepted
Is it advisable to connect a sump pump to pop-up sprinkler heads?
Ingenious, except I’d worry about: 1) timing, 2) seasonal conflict, 3) head contamination, 4) pressure stress.
1) Timing: Murphy’s Law...but you could locate the heads away from decks, walkways, etc....
- 23.4k
2
votes
Why did water come up through my basement drain instead of out the sump?
In some locations you cannot connect the sewer to the sump system, I understand this is not the discharge but sewage can be in that drain and pumping it outside could Create a health hazard. I have ...
- 103k
2
votes
Seasonally High Water Table
Regarding the cycling times, I'd say there is no problem with the actual pump activity; it should be well within the pump's capability to cycle that often, as long as the pump is in good working order....
- 8,981
2
votes
What shouldn’t be dumped into a basement dump sink?
I would mainly be concerned with hair in a basement dump sink. If anyone using it has long hair I would strongly strongly suggest a basic drain filter. I bought a magnetic one that I thought was a ...
- 50.1k
2
votes
For my sump pump system, am I correctly calculating Total Dynamic Head? Have to replace both my pump & discharge line
There are multiple TDH calculators on the web, some more easily useful than others. Picking one more or less at random and finding it "not utterly insane to use" I ran a few numbers, not ...
- 223k
2
votes
Why do we have sump pits?
Done properly, a sump pit can be as well sealed as the rest of the foundation.
Note that even if your basement is watertight, and stays watertight (cracks can develop, and go unnoticed until there's ...
- 32.1k
2
votes
Why do we have sump pits?
In many cases, a sump pit serves as a collection point for drainage pipes, sometimes called "drainage tile" but generally made of plastic, into which water will seep if the ground around the ...
- 1,068
2
votes
Is there a good way to allow air into sump pump discharge line to drain quickly?
Sure. You can run an actual conventional vent line as for other drain plumbing, or you can use an Air Admittance Valve (AAV, mechanical vent, and Studor® is a brand name often conflated with the ...
- 223k
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