Check your sump pump.

[rponfick]

Note to self: check sump pump more often. Not exactly garage related post, but some garages have them, and many houses. Our house was built with perimeter drains around the basement walls, which drain to daylight. We live next to a farm irrigation ditch, so ground water is only a problem during irrigation season. The sump pit is only a backup in case of water getting past the perimeter drain. Kicks on some during the summer months.

Well, I hadn't seen any wetness near where sump drain is located, so decided to check the pump. I now see from using the "search" function that 10 years is a little long to expect a sump pump to work. But, I thought I'd post some pictures anyway. After scraping off the rust barnacles, here is what I found. I am still amazed. Now, I know why most pump motor casings are made of thermoplastic or stainless steel.

Just a word to those forgetful folks out there. Ralph

 

[Jack Olsen]

I have two, right next to each other. Cheap insurance.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

Here is my setup. I have two pits (not sure why they barely ever run), but in the event of a storm and power outage (or primary pump failure) I needed the peace of mind.

So I ran a dedicated low voltage line to share the battery with the other pit. These are nice little pumps, not cheap though.

 

[Torque1st]

Watch out for the GFCI circuits they feed many sump pumps from. Water will get through most materials and past most seals over time which trips the GFCI. The only 'fix' for this is to remove the GFCI and put the pump on a real circuit. The tiny amount of leakage current won't hurt anything.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

We have a commercial location with stacked sump pumps.

Pump #1 is at the bottom and does 99% of the work.

Pump #2 is mounted 9 inches above pump #1 and only runs when pump #1 fails or is falling behind. There is a check valve between pump #1 and pump #2 to avoid blowing #2 while only #1 is running.

The building used to be a truck garage so it's a solid concrete floor. 40 years ago they converted it to a retail facility by putting in piers and running joists and flooring 18 inches above the concrete. The concrete floor is now below surrounding grade so it acts as a catch basin in heavy rains.

When things get bad we drop a 2" electric pump in the hole - 12 inches of water in a 2000 sf catch basin is a lot of water.

Jim

 

[Gary S]

I have two pumps in my basement. I check them in the Spring when the ground thaws because that is when water will arrive if there is enough to get there.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

I have had the electronic switch installed for 3+ years and I really like them (one on each crock). When we moved in the one crock used a pressure switch, which just did not work well at all. The other had a float switch which was on its way out too.

 

[EddieSantor]

I have two pumps in my basement.

 

[WQ59B]

Pumps are definitely worth keeping an eye on; they don't build them as good as they could.

Had a 1-HP Rigid, everything decent except the 3 clamping bolts weren't stainless & rotted thru. Luckily it was a lifetime guarantee so I got a new one free. As a contractor, I have also accumulated 3 backup pumps, plus I have a roofers pump. I like seeing my 'soldiers' lined up at attention, awaiting deployment. My pit is under the basement stairs, so I ran a pullchain light right above it.

I'm on a major highway/commercial power grid, my power hasn't been out more than 30 mins in 20 years, thankfully. Have had some tense moments during some tropical storms.

 

[rponfick]

I give up, what is a roofers pump? Does the water get that deep where you live?

Ralph

 

[WQ59B]

roofer's pump is a little bottom-sucker jobber, I guess you can use them on flat roofs where the drains are clogged. Work great anywhere- they hook up to a garden hose so they don't move massive volumes, but on the other side, they don't pull so hard so the water level can be gotten lower than with other, stronger pumps.