Author Topic: Sump pump renewal  (Read 4951 times)

Offline PTsideshow

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Sump pump renewal
« on: December 10, 2011, 09:39:50 AM »
My parents called the other night about their submersible sump pump quite working. We have had a lot of rain in the last month and it was in there basement for a couple of years. Biggest problem is the ground water is high in minerals with an iron one being the highest.

On my way to their house I stopped and picked up a new one it had a tethered float style switch. put it in and couldn't get the switch adjusted enough so it would turn the pump on. You adjust it by moving the tether cord in and out of clip. Well after putting another pump in to keep the water down. I cleaned up the pump and dried it off, before reboxing it I looked at the instructions. It said that that type float switch needs a 24" deep sump pit at a minimum.  the one in the parents basement is only about 14" deep. so off to return.

It seemed that none of the local big box home stores had any other of the float type.  so I went back and made sure they had a small on off pump hooked to a drain that was hooked to a sewer line.

I had somebody call and wanted to use my 2" dia submersible pump one time as they told me that they keep bailing the water out of the pit and their wife was getting tried.  :doh: I told them that the floor drains in the basement are connected to the sump pit.   :lol: :lol: :lol:

I picked up a new pump the next morning and installed same. Found out that the on line inventory for either of the two big dogs in the home store biz isn't accurate!

Also found out that most brands of pumps are made in the same factory and just relabeled. the only other difference seems to be the price  :bugeye:

After checking the old pumps out electrically, they seemed to work by operating the float arm. Looking them over I decided to refurbish them.

Here is the float rod top one with the nub on one end is the standard that comes with the pump a cold rolled steel one.

The second down is what 3 years in the ground water looks like, ans this is the problem with the nub gone the float rod can come out of the rubber flap keeper. letting the float come off or hang up.

The straight rod is 308 TIG stainless welding rod1/8" same as the original
The bottom is the new ones that I made up, with the rubber vac hose bumper and a aquarium tubing keeper to keep it from coming out of the keeper flap.

close up of the float keeper

This area all around the pump had the iron carbuncles growing and reducing the flow, cleaned the grill off along with the cast iron pump housing base.

Here are the two refurbished pumps ready to be stand by's.

I am planning to make up a twin pump discharge system after the holidays so next time they only have to switch plugs on the pumps, and then call me!  :thumbup:

One other bit of info, the floats have sand or a like material in them and are weighted so they will return the pump to  the off position. If you shake them you can hear it, I weighed replacements at the local plumbing supply place with a pocket digital scale to make sure they weren't leaking.
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