[dlochart]

Here is a picture of a pump installation of some sort in my basement. The basement is 1/2 underground. There is a pump inside that seems to be stuck running. It has been running consistently for several hours. The house (and I assume) the pump is about 16 years old.

Does this appear to be a simple sump pump or is this a sewage ejection pit? Hopefully someone can make the determination from the picture.

We are on city sewer and water if that makes a difference. I know I had a sewage ejection pit once at a house on a septic system.

Also I am thinking of replacing the pump as a pre-emptive strike. I do not want to have it fail when we are not at home and have a mess all over the basement. How long are these pumps supposed to last and should I replace before it fails (in your expert opinion)

Thanks

Doug

[speedball1]

Where is the main sewer line? Under the cement or is it elevated above the floor? Regards, Tom

[iamgrowler]

Where is the main sewer line? Under the cement or is it elevated above the floor? Regards, Tom

Looks to me like it's being used as in indirect drain -- In addition to whatever else it was intended for.

[dlochart]

Making an educated guess I would say it is in the cement. I say this because all of the upstairs sewer/waste pipes come down along the wall and then in the basement I see them disappearing into the cement. We also have a roughin for a shower and a toilet in the basement as well.

Ok I tried to follow the 2 PVC pipes that lead into/out of the pit and the smaller one goes outside and drains into our backyard. The larger one runs up therough the ceiling of the basement. That side of the house has no bathrooms etc so it might be a large vent pipe. So I guess it looks like it's a sump pump but I personally have not seen many sealed sump pump pits like this. That is why I was concerned.

It has stopped running but it was running continuously for 4-6 hours. That sounds like a bad switch to me. However my question still stands... should I try and fix the pump or replace it, I am about a year away (at my snails pace) of putting flooring down in the basement. I was wondering if replacing the pump with a new one is added insurance against a "wash out"

Thanks Tom

Doug

[dlochart]

Looks to me like it's being used as in indirect drain -- In addition to whatever else it was intended for.

You are correct. Drain lines from the HVAC system (Gas heater and AC) drain into this pit. The largest PVC pipe that seems to be a vent pipe seems to travel parallel with the Heater/AC vent pipe.

I am guessing its just a sump pump but I still do not know for sure.

Doug

[speedball1]

Now you do, It's a sump pump pit. Regards, Tom