Hi guys. I had a new home built a little over three years ago and they installed a sump pump. We didn't have one when I was growing up -- in fact, no one in my family has had one before -- so I really don't know what I'm dealing with.

My pump has failed twice before: once because the builder didn't clean 20 pounds of gravel out from the construction site debris, which collected in the pit and clogged and killed the pump; and once because the pump died suddenly.

Both times were not fun, I assure you.

Since I have no experience with these things, I defer to you guys with my questions:

1. Why do I have a sump pump and some of my neighbors don't? I'm on top of the hill in our subdivision. I don't understand the "water table" stuff. I envy my pump-less neighbors.

2. How does one ever finish a basement with a sump pit in it? I'd constantly be afraid that the pump would malfunction and overflow.

3. How far away from the house should the drain pipe be? My builders put a three-foot long PVC extension on the drainpipe, straight into my backyard. All the water drains there and has created a huge mudpit. I've built a deck onto the back of my house and am a little concerned about the concrete pillars sinking because of this.

4.. . which leads me to my next question, which I guess depends on lots of things: how much should my sump pump be running? It seems like mine's running almost all of the time. I think that's because the three-foot pipe extension constantly becomes detached from the drainpipe (from the force of the water coming out), so the water is essentially draining from the pit right out near my foundation. So the water seeps right back in again and gets pumped out again. Is there a better way to drain this? I was considering putting a longer PVC extension on the drainpipe, angled slightly down but more lateral to the house, and drilling holes along its length. That way, I figure, the water might drain more evenly under the deck as opposed to right under it in one big muddy, wet patch.

5. The battery backup systems are pricey and don't seem to last very long. What do you think of the pumps that use water as their power?

6. Finally (I think), is there anything useful I can do with the water being pumped out? It seems a little silly for all this water going essentially to waste.

Phew! Sorry about all the questions, but this has been plaguing me for some time and I finally thought it wise to come to the experts. Thanks for any help you can provide. :)

Abby

I am going to answer #6 first. That water is waste water already so you aren't harming anything or screwing up the ecosystem. You could pump it to a storage container and use it for gardening or irrigation but I would have to search far and wide to find anyone who went through the bother. You have a sump pump because of the relative elevation of you basement floor to the water table which fluctuates seasonally. If you dig a hole into the ground you will eventually hit water in nearly every place. In my area a hole 7' down will start to fill with water and if that hole were your basement you would not want water to stand up against your basement walls trying to soak in, so you collect it and pump it away. Your neighbors may have a less deep basement or their lots sits higher than you,who knows. Pump your water at least 5' from the home and dump it on the soil if the soil slopes away from the house. If it is flat or slopes toward the house you need a different location or regrading.

Thanks for the info.

My backyard slopes away from the house, and actually there's a storm drain in the back where the backyards of several houses come together. Can I dig a trench, lay some corrugated piping into it from my sump drain, and just drain that water into the storm drain?

Yes you can dig that trench but buy the perforated pipe with the cloth covering to keep silt from clogging your pipe.

I have to buy the pipe and the cloth separate, but I can do that. Thanks for your help!

Does anyone have answers to my other questions?

One more thing -- the hardware store guy said to buy the solid pipe instead of the perforated, then I don't have to mess with the cloth. Is there any reason I should buy the perforated?

Hi guys. I had a new home built a little over three years ago and they installed a sump pump. We didn't have one when I was growing up -- in fact, no one in my family has had one before -- so I really don't know what I'm dealing with.

My pump has failed twice before: once because the builder didn't clean 20 pounds of gravel out from the construction site debris, which collected in the pit and clogged and killed the pump; and once because the pump died suddenly.

Both times were not fun, I assure you.

Since I have no experience with these things, I defer to you guys with my questions:

1. Why do I have a sump pump and some of my neighbors don't? I'm on top of the hill in our subdivision. I don't understand the "water table" stuff. I envy my pump-less neighbors.

Your house may be built over an underground spring. I have one that is only 15 inches under my basement floor (4 1/2 feet under ground.


2. How does one ever finish a basement with a sump pit in it? I'd constantly be afraid that the pump would malfunction and overflow.

I have finished my basement with a French drain around walls leading to sump pump. I also have 2 free hand pump in case sump get overloaded.

3. How far away from the house should the drain pipe be? My builders put a three-foot long PVC extension on the drainpipe, straight into my backyard. All the water drains there and has created a huge mudpit. I've built a deck onto the back of my house and am a little concerned about the concrete pillars sinking because of this.

Lay solid pipe to about 5 feet past deck,then switch to perforated pipe to storm drain as ballengerb1 reccommended.

4. ...which leads me to my next question, which I guess depends on lots of things: how much should my sump pump be running? It seems like mine's running almost all of the time. I think that's because the three-foot pipe extension constantly becomes detached from the drainpipe (from the force of the water coming out), so the water is essentially draining from the pit right out near my foundation. So the water seeps right back in again and gets pumped out again. Is there a better way to drain this? I was considering putting a longer PVC extension on the drainpipe, angled slightly down but more lateral to the house, and drilling holes along its length. That way, I figure, the water might drain more evenly under the deck as opposed to right under it in one big muddy, wet patch.

Pump will only run when water level switch turns it on. Following ballengerb1 suggestion may cut back on running time. My pump when 1st installed ran for 3 days before it shut off.

5. The battery backup systems are pricey and don't seem to last very long. What do you think of the pumps that use water as their power?

Cann't help u with this one. Have no knowledge on them.

6. Finally (I think), is there anything useful I can do with the water being pumped out? It seems a little silly for all this water going essentially to waste.

Ballengerg1 info is right on. See his post.

Phew! Sorry about all the questions, but this has been plaguing me for some time and I finally thought it wise to come to the experts. Thanks for any help you can provide. :)

Abby

Good luck

Chuck

But why would I use perforated pipe at all instead of solid?

This depends on what you want to do. A solid pipe will carry all water to the very end and if there is a ditch or lower spot this would be fine. If there is no real place to drain the water like a ditch then the perforrated pipe will allow the water to soak into the soil along the length of the pipe. I have 200' of perforated pipe in my back yard and its totally buried, no drain.

There is a lower spot, complete with a storm drain, at the end of my yard.

How do I connect two pieces of pipe together? And how deep should I dig the trench?

You can buy a collar designed to connect two pieces. They just slip to gether but ai usually add lots of duct tape so it doesn't come apart while I am installing the line. The trench doesn't need to get eblow the frost line so 24" should be more than fine.

I have a well and this morning the lights blinked and now I have no water. Now there is electrity gong to the pimp but the pimp is not coming on and I still have no water