Re: Sump Pump Question

Bob Vila would love this group, post #97,207
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 Mark
 2008-05-27 08:46:03
 Re: Sump Pump Question
On May 26, 12:22 pm, AE Todd <[email protected]> wrote:
> I don't think a submersible pump with a tethered mercury float will
> work, but I could be wrong.  The ones I have seen at Home Depot can't
> be lengthened long enough to reach the top of my pit; they would short
> cycle as the water rises halfway up the pit.  Besides, I would bet
> that the float would snag on something on the way up or the way down
> if it could reach the top of the pit.
>
> By the way, thinking a little more about my current system, I don't
> exactly have a pedestal pump, but rather some sort of hybrid system
> with a submersed pump with a float tethered to a separate switch
> assembly that is clamped to the discharge pipe that rises out of the
> pit.  I was thinking that a pedestal pump would handle the deepness of
> the pit, but maybe a submersible with an appropriate switch system is
> the way to go.
>
> And just another idea, I suppose that since the pump is what I really
> want to switch out, I could keep the existing switch system and plug
> the new pump into it.  Do they make a pump that relies on a non-built
> in switch?

you said:
.....mine starts when the pit is fully filled, and
stops when emptied, and I am looking to replicate this feature so that
it cycles less often.....

if the present pump comes on when the sump is full and off when it is
empty, then it already is cycling as less often as possible. If it
came on any sooner or switched off any sooner, then it would cycle
MORE often. If you REALLY want it to cycle less often, you need to
make the sump bigger.

Mark
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 Robert Green
 2008-06-08 06:13:13
 Sump Pump Question
My new "Water Ace" R33SP submersible sump pump has a little label on the
bottom that says "air vent must be cleaned periodically to prevent air
locking."

How often is that? Are all sumps pumps like that or should I return this
for one that doesn't require hauling out of the sump pit to clean? From
what I see we are talking about a 1/8" opening that seems like it should be
labelled "guaranteed to clog as soon as warranty expires."

--
Bobby G.
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 Paul Franklin
 2008-06-08 21:12:03
 Re: Sump Pump Question
On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 06:13:13 -0400, "Robert Green"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>My new "Water Ace" R33SP submersible sump pump has a little label on the
>bottom that says "air vent must be cleaned periodically to prevent air
>locking."
>
>How often is that? Are all sumps pumps like that or should I return this
>for one that doesn't require hauling out of the sump pit to clean? From
>what I see we are talking about a 1/8" opening that seems like it should be
>labelled "guaranteed to clog as soon as warranty expires."

The vent has to be small because it is on the outlet side of the pump
and allows water to flow back into the sump. FWIW, I've never had one
clog. I suppose if you have a lot of mud and gunk in the pit it may
clog occasionally.

Not all pumps have the vent built in; some just tell you to drill a
1/8" hole in the output pipe below the check valve.

In general, it's a good idea to pull the pump at least once a year to
inspect it, and to clean the input filter screen anyway. Just take a
nail and poke it through the vent hole when you've got the pump up.
And while it's out, clean any major gunk out of the pit. A messy job,
yes, but better than a flooded basement.

HTH,

Paul
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 Robert Green
 2008-06-08 23:35:17
 Re: Sump Pump Question
"Paul Franklin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:od0p44lh25mpqtvuusb5mi12p4b8uqjv9t@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 06:13:13 -0400, "Robert Green"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >My new "Water Ace" R33SP submersible sump pump has a little label on the
> >bottom that says "air vent must be cleaned periodically to prevent air
> >locking."
> >
> >How often is that? Are all sumps pumps like that or should I return this
> >for one that doesn't require hauling out of the sump pit to clean? From
> >what I see we are talking about a 1/8" opening that seems like it should
be
> >labelled "guaranteed to clog as soon as warranty expires."
>
> The vent has to be small because it is on the outlet side of the pump
> and allows water to flow back into the sump. FWIW, I've never had one
> clog. I suppose if you have a lot of mud and gunk in the pit it may
> clog occasionally.
>
> Not all pumps have the vent built in; some just tell you to drill a
> 1/8" hole in the output pipe below the check valve.
>
> In general, it's a good idea to pull the pump at least once a year to
> inspect it, and to clean the input filter screen anyway. Just take a
> nail and poke it through the vent hole when you've got the pump up.
> And while it's out, clean any major gunk out of the pit. A messy job,
> yes, but better than a flooded basement.

Thanks, that's helpful, but not what I wanted to hear. )-: That pump is
going in a nasty, hard to reach place. I would prefer to spend more money
for less maintenance. It will be bedded down in gravel, too, to keep leaves
and other debris out of it and help anchor it.

I am now thinking of inserting a 6" length of clear tubing in the drain pipe
so I can check for good water flow. Not sure if I would know there was an
airlock until there was a flood, and then the pump is even *harder* to reach
than usual. (-:

Thanks for the input. Oddly enough, my newsreader attached your reply to
the same-named thread of last August.

--
Bobby G.
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 hallerb@aol.com
 2008-06-09 05:23:24
 Re: Sump Pump Question
On Jun 8, 11:35�pm, "Robert Green" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Paul Franklin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:od0p44lh25mpqtvuusb5mi12p4b8uqjv9t@4ax.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 06:13:13 -0400, "Robert Green"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > >My new "Water Ace" R33SP submersible sump pump has a little label on the
> > >bottom that says "air vent must be cleaned periodically to prevent air
> > >locking."
>
> > >How often is that? �Are all sumps pumps like that or should I return this
> > >for one that doesn't require hauling out of the sump pit to clean? �From
> > >what I see we are talking about a 1/8" opening that seems like it should
> be
> > >labelled "guaranteed to clog as soon as warranty expires."
>
> > The vent has to be small because it is on the outlet side of the pump
> > and allows water to flow back into the sump. �FWIW, I've never had one
> > clog. �I suppose if you have a lot of mud and gunk in the pit it may
> > clog occasionally.
>
> > Not all pumps have the vent built in; some just tell you to drill a
> > 1/8" hole in the output pipe below the check valve.
>
> > In general, it's a good idea to pull the pump at least once a year to
> > inspect it, and to clean the input filter screen anyway. �Just take a
> > nail and poke it through the vent hole when you've got the pump up.
> > And while it's out, clean any major gunk out of the pit. �A messy job,
> > yes, but better than a flooded basement.
>
> Thanks, that's helpful, but not what I wanted to hear. �)-: �That pump is
> going in a nasty, hard to reach place. �I would prefer to spend more money
> for less maintenance. �It will be bedded down in gravel, too, to keep leaves
> and other debris out of it and help anchor it.
>
> I am now thinking of inserting a 6" length of clear tubing in the drain pipe
> so I can check for good water flow. �Not sure if I would know there was an
> airlock until there was a flood, and then the pump is even *harder* to reach
> than usual. �(-:
>
> Thanks for the input. �Oddly enough, my newsreader attached your reply to
> the same-named thread of last August.
>
> --
> Bobby G.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

why bed it in gravel? the exhaust line is a good anchorage, and ifyour
concerned with leaves surround it with screen.

sounds like a outside sump?

put the pump in a seperate sumpo pump pit, in a convenient place to
service, and hve water pass from collection point to pump pit, thru a
filter pit, a screened easy to reach spot.

dont ignore the possiblity of a gravity drain to daylight.......

gravity tends to be highly reliable:)
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 Mark
 2008-06-09 06:47:13
 Re: Sump Pump Question
On Jun 9, 8:23 am, "hall...@aol.com" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Jun 8, 11:35�pm, "Robert Green" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Paul Franklin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> >news:od0p44lh25mpqtvuusb5mi12p4b8uqjv9t@4ax.com...
>
> > > On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 06:13:13 -0400, "Robert Green"
> > > <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > >My new "Water Ace" R33SP submersible sump pump has a little label on the
> > > >bottom that says "air vent must be cleaned periodically to prevent air
> > > >locking."
>
> > > >How often is that? �Are all sumps pumps like that or should I return this
> > > >for one that doesn't require hauling out of the sump pit to clean? �From
> > > >what I see we are talking about a 1/8" opening that seems like it should
> > be
> > > >labelled "guaranteed to clog as soon as warranty expires."
>
> > > The vent has to be small because it is on the outlet side of the pump
> > > and allows water to flow back into the sump. �FWIW, I've never had one
> > > clog. �I suppose if you have a lot of mud and gunk in the pit it may
> > > clog occasionally.
>
> > > Not all pumps have the vent built in; some just tell you to drill a
> > > 1/8" hole in the output pipe below the check valve.
>
> > > In general, it's a good idea to pull the pump at least once a year to
> > > inspect it, and to clean the input filter screen anyway. �Just take a
> > > nail and poke it through the vent hole when you've got the pump up.
> > > And while it's out, clean any major gunk out of the pit. �A messy job,
> > > yes, but better than a flooded basement.
>
> > Thanks, that's helpful, but not what I wanted to hear. �)-: �That pump is
> > going in a nasty, hard to reach place. �I would prefer to spend more money
> > for less maintenance. �It will be bedded down in gravel, too, to keep leaves
> > and other debris out of it and help anchor it.
>
> > I am now thinking of inserting a 6" length of clear tubing in the drain pipe
> > so I can check for good water flow. �Not sure if I would know there was an
> > airlock until there was a flood, and then the pump is even *harder* to reach
> > than usual. �(-:
>
> > Thanks for the input. �Oddly enough, my newsreader attached your reply to
> > the same-named thread of last August.
>
> > --
> > Bobby G.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> why bed it in gravel? the exhaust line is a good anchorage, and ifyour
> concerned with leaves surround it with screen.
>
> sounds like a outside sump?
>
> put the pump in a seperate sumpo pump pit, in a convenient place to
> service, and hve water pass from collection point to pump pit, thru a
> filter pit, a screened easy to reach spot.
>
> dont ignore the possiblity of a gravity drain to daylight.......
>
> gravity tends to be highly reliable:)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

the most important thing is to make sure the pump runs for a few
seconds at least once a month so that the bearings don't seize up.

Mark