Sump pump replacement questions

[rick52768]

Evening All, I am helping a friend that has a sump pump that is no longer pumping. It works great as a heater, keeping the sump basin water temp around 120 degrees. It hums, the float stays engaged. Simple enough, it needs to be replaced.

My questions revolve around two areas which I have no experience. The sump basin looks to have a crack in the side. The basin is located in a unfinished walkout basement. The main purpose of the sump was in case a small creek about 250-300 feet from the house floods. The builder also plumbed the HVAC condensation and water heater pressure relief valve drain lines to the sump.

Is this crack something to worry about as it is not a pit basement, the yard runs away the house and drainage is good?

Next, the check valve and couplers are PVC that the plumber put plumbers joint compound in the threads. Even on metal to metal joints I sometimes find it very hard to break the joint loose. On this 2 1/2" (from memory) PVC joint, it is not budging at all. I have a good size set of channel locks that did not help.

How can I soften the plumber joint compound without damaging the joints?

Thanks

 

[rick52768]

For those DIY folks, lots of basins have drainage holes built in them. I did not find any answers or get any help as to softening the plumbing joint compound. I decided to replace the check valve as it was as old as the sump pump, it may have caused the pump to wear out and breaking it loose would have wrecked it. So, I slid it the PVC pipe and installed a style that has rubber couplers.

Everything works as it should now.