Sump Pump Newbie

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northeastguy78

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Hi folks,
Just a quick general background of me. I am a new "single" home owner who recently purchased my first home with a finished basement. Coming from living in a condo on the 5th floor, having a basement and sump pump is totally new to me. Having that said, I have a few question I would like to ask you all and wouldn't mind taking as many advices from you experts. I want to extend my gratitude first and say thanks for sharing your knowledge for this newbie.

I know how the sump pump works, but other than that... I would like to know


The house I bought is alittle over 7 years old. Last weekend was our first heavy rain storm, with heavy rain none stop for a good 40 minutes and rained steady for the remainder of the day... The sump pump worked... maybe once or twice every hour?) However, I noticed 2 days after the storm, the sump pump would kick on once every 45 minutes steady....

So my first question is

A) How long does a sump pump last? Since the house is 7 years old and it looks like a cheap contractors pump when it was installed.... should I change it out soon? It works fine now, but how long will it last before it gives up?

Second

B) I don't think the original builder put a check-valve on it. As I noticed when the pump is working, it would suck the water in and when stops, some water back flows into the pump.....

C) I tried calling plummers to do the work and most of them.... just pushes the brand they carry and say it's the best. A few of them doesn't even want to listen to me and just wants to come in and start doing the work so they can get paid. What is the "most reliable" brand of sump pump I can get out there? Something that will work for years and doesn't give up or need to replace switch every 2 years or so.

D) There is a brand called "Watch-Dog Combination Primary and Backup Pump System model #DFK961 that sells for $278 at Lowes" It has a backup pump... is that a good brand or no?

I am paranoid about moisture and water so I definitely don't want my finished basement to be ruined. I run a dehumidifier down in the basement and have a quick dehumidifier question.

My basement during spring and summer season (currently) creeps up to about 68% humidity .... I have a hydrometer that measures temp and % of humidity in the air. I try to keep it at 55% but it would run 24/7.. then I set at 65% and it would run every 5 minutes.
If I keep the basement at 67~70% all the time, would mold grow? I don't know what is a suitable level for basements... here in the northeast (NJ) humidity is very high during spring and summer... so for arizona folks out there, it's tough to keep ours at 40~50% constantly.....without sacraficing the increase of electric bills.

thank you so much,

Sincerely,
James
 

Jadnashua

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Most of the pumps sold at the big-box stores are not the best. Many people here prefer Zoeller. The thing that most often goes on them is the switch that turns them on, so a model with an external switch that can be replaced is preferable to one that you need to disassemble the unit to replace, with all of the potential seals that might be compromised.

It can take days for all of the rainwater to percolate into the ground far enough to require the sump pump to run, so that may not be uncommon.

If you don't have a check valve in the system, you'll end up pumping the same water multiple times, so if you don't have one, you should probably install one. Search here for the preferred brands. Some are quite noisey when they close, some aren't. You also want to make sure you pump the water far enough away so you don't end up pumping it again, too.

If high pump use coincides with a power outage, you could be in for a soaking, so a backup pump, maybe run by battery may be desireable. A less flexible choice would be a second pump that would come on if the first one died would give you some backup, but not if the power goes out.

A pump can last decades, the switches probably won't. So, depending on what is there, and how often it runs, it could last a lot longer, or die tomorrow. You could put in a new one, and use that one as a backup, or leave it as primary with the new backup for when it dies, then swap them around with a new one taking the old one's place.

The target comfort range for humidity is 40-60%; get out of that range, and things can get unhealthy and uncomfortable. Too dry, and you are more susceptable to viral infections. To moist that things start to grow and you feel uncomfortable.
 

Pumpguy

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Your pump seems to be working normally. I hear a lot about the check valve, etc., but remember, if the water is standing in the pipe above the check valve or there is no check valve and the water falls back into the sump, the pump will still have to remove it the next time it runs. However, if your downspouts and/or other drain lines that keep your house clear of excess water, are connected to the same drainage system (and they usually are) then you would want to prevent them from sending any water back down through the sump pump discharge pipe and into the sump. This is where the check valve really matters.

Additionally, you should definitely have a backup sump pump that runs on alternative energy such as battery or water power so that if your main pump dies or the power goes out, your backup system can take over automatically to keep you dry. A check valve would be absolutely necessary in a case like this. I am connected with a company that designs and manufactures such systems. Go to www.basepump.com to see our offerings.
 

SewerRatz

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I sure hope your post was not one to lead up to the guy above me to spam his services, since this is your third post on this subject. But here is some good information for others that may legitimately be looking for advice.

The Basement Watchdog battery back up pump is a good decent system, their primary pump that they are selling in the combo system is junk though. The Basement watchdog system you want to go with is the Big Dog, do not go with the smaller systems. The smaller systems require you to manually test the pump to ensure it has not frozen on you. Where the Big Dog, will auto test itself and sound an alarm if there is an issue with the back up pump.

Now professional offered battery back up systems the PHCC Pro -2400 is a very good system it is made by Glentronics same people that make the Basement Watchdog systems and has all the same features as the Big Dog plus more.

Another system I really like uses two primary pumps like a pair of hydromatic D-A-1 or a pair of Zoeller M-53 The system is called a Sump Pro it uses a pair of marine batteries to run your pumps A/C pumps when the power goes out. It also alternates each pump each time the pump pit fills up so this way they both get worked out (pumps that do not run freeze up).


AS for a primary pump I sell Zoeller and Hydromatic pumps. A Zoeller M-53, or a hydromatic D-A-1 will work nicely for you.
 
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