How do I remove my sump pump?
by Anna
+8
In heavy rains, I have a few inches of rain in my sump pump. It is 4 feet deep which I believe is below the normal table for water here in St. Charles, Mo.. My sump pump was not a requirement because it is a walk out basement. My contractor felt one should be in every house he builds. My problem is I never know when the pump is going to stop working so I replace it every 3 years. Can I have some thoughts as to why I should keep it? Is there a remedy to replacing the pump every 3 years? I buy a Smith and Causfield and it is a 3/4 pump. Is there a better one?
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Sounds like your pit is way too deep. Never heard of a pit being that deep. Is anything connected to the sump pit? Do you have perimeter drainage like a French drain connected to the sump pit? What is the purpose of the pit overall? Most of the time a perimeter drain system is tied into the sump system. when water gets too high from rains it drains into the sump pit and the sump pump ejects it into the either the sewer system or away from the property. A sump pump only needs to be replaced when it stops working. 3/4 Hp pump seems a little overkill. 1/2 Hp would be sufficient. A sump pump is always good to have in case of basement flooding due to rain which can seep through basement walls and backup through sewer lines.
Does it break every 3 years? I've had mine,for 28 years, still works. I can hear,it when it comes on. Don't know brand, just something the plumber installed.
We had a sump go out once in a really heavy rain back in the eighties. If it wasn't for the washing machine next to the sump hole, I would have had a flooded basement. Hubby went to the hardware store for a new one while I used a bucket to empty the sump hole into the washing machine and run the spin cycle. Our sump hole was about three feet deep. We always heard ours when it went off. It is a good preventative measure. We have one in this house and have been here four years and never heard it go off, but all of our neighbors have had water in their basements the last couple of years and we haven't had a drop.
The plumber put in a French drain to try to stop your basement from flooding. A French drain can only handle so much water in Long torrential rains and the result could be a flooded basement. Having the sump pump will just work out better in case you do have another one of those rains. Would you rather have a dry basement or run the possibility of coming home to a flood again in the basement. I would keep the sump and replace it every few years. I would contact the manufacturer to see just how often you should replace it due to dry rot. I am sure the sump pump has a warranty for failure of the unit, I would check on that, too. Our sump pump years ago was in a pretty deep hole, but it was also on a block of wood to raise it up a little in the hole. We also at that time lived on reclaimed swamp land.
I don't know what the plumber meant by dry rot. Pump is either made of ABS plastic or cast iron. Nothing there to "dry" rot. With seven days of rain the pump could have stopped working on overload. It may have just overheated and the thermal overload stopped it until it cooled off. You may consider adding a second pump raised above the main pump in case of main pump failure or a backup battery pump. I also assume he put in a deeper pit to catch more water before the pump turns on or it would be running more often or all the time with a smaller pit.
Your welcome, Anna. Was in the business for a long time. Anyhing more comes up just ask.