Sump Pump help...please

[swedcars]

I never had to deal with a sump in our old home. We have a 4 year old home that has a sump. I have all downspouts going into pipe and out to the street. Also, the sump exits in the same pipe.

The pump cycles every 10 minutes in a normal drought situation. If it rains, it starts to be about every 5 minutes. With the rain we have had the last 5 days, it is every minute. Water is coming in from around the (2) 4" pipes more than from the pipe itself. Is this normal?

Our neighborhood has about 50% with ACTIVE sumps. I changed to a silent close check when we moved in. I really hate hearing it cycle..I even insulated the room it is in. I have a battery back up.........

Did the builder do something wrong to cause so much water to come in and from around the pipe?

What else can i do? I know it is doing its job...we have a finished basement and no water issues.
THX in advance!!!!

 

[CarlH]

Since you indicate that it cycles as often as it does in a drought, it sound like you are dealing with a fair amount of ground water. I think the water flowing to your sump has more to do with location than anything. What is the topography of your area? Are you in a low lying area? What do they call Minnesota, Land of Ten Thousand Lakes? Maybe your house is built in one.

The only thing you might do is to increase the cycle time. That depends on what you have and if you can adjust the switch to allow the sump to fill up more before the pump turns on. Since you have a back up pump, that will probably limit the adjustment range as well.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[swedcars]

Not too low...

We do have woods behind us and we sit about 8 feet below that. The neighbor does as well and his never has gone off. It is sort of weird around the neighborhood.....some homes that sit high go off and some low never do. I am wondering if it is based on how the builder put in the tiles.

Is it ok that the water is coming from around the pipe and not necessarily from inside it? We are on old farmland and it makes me think there was old tile or something directing it here.

THX

 

[Jadnashua]

Where does the water get pumped to? You might be pumping the same stuff over and over again! Also, check the grading around the house - it should slope away for at least 10'. The gutters should discharge away from the foundation and away from the house as well. SOmetimes, some simple landscaping can make a huge difference.

Also, if the sump diameter and depth isn't very large, it doesn't take much to fill it. A sump with a larger volume may let the pump cycle longer, but less often. You don't want the pump to suck crud from the bottom of the sump, but you might be able to lower it, then adjust the high-point trip so there's more water to pump.

A French drain around the house foundation with a suitable discharge point which may be tough if your lot is flat, would also help redirect water from below.

My parents house has a very active sump, but it's about 1/4-mile from the town's spring fed water supply...there's a high water table. You may be in the same situation. It doesn't take much to make one dry and another wet.