Sump pump outlet.

[Chadwilliam1]

I had a home builder build a house for me it is 2600 Sq Ft. 2 floors. so my un finished basement is about 1300 sq ft. The builder originally put up 5 single buld outlets in the basement on pull chains. So now I am hainging 10-12 of the Feit Led shop lights from costco in my basement.

As I am doing this I noticed they ran the sump pump off this circuit in my previous house I had to redo a lot of the electric I put the sump pump and the fridge each on their own circuit. So I plan to put this sump pump on its own circuit. It is on a GFI but I have a 4 year old that spends time with me in the basement. The plug is about 4 feet off the floor and the cord is not long enough to go much higher. I could hard wire through a metal lid and when i pull a circuit i could use a GFI breaker but I was wondering what how other homes are done.

At my rental property, the outlet is on the ceiling and the cord is wrapped around the drain line. I could do that put an extension cord on it and tape the cords together.

Thanks
chad.

 

[HoosierMark]

Why don't you just go to one of the big box stores and check out the electrical boxes they have. I am thinking they will have a metal or plastic box you can adapt to cover your plug and outlet. Something like an outdoor cover. Then you can screw it closed or put a small padlock on to keep small fingers away and yet have easy access when needed.

 

[themiller]

In my county sump/ejector pumps are required to be on their own circuit, required to only have a single outlet in the circuit, and GFCI is not required. As an aside - something I've noticed when helping friends replace their failed sump pumps - the good sump/ejectors seem to always have longer cords than the cheap ones...

Are you trying to make it so the 4yo cannot pull the plug out, something else, or a combination of both?

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

In my county sump/ejector pumps are required to be on their own circuit, required to only have a single outlet in the circuit, and GFCI is not required. As an aside - something I've noticed when helping friends replace their failed sump pumps - the good sump/ejectors seem to always have longer cords than the cheap ones...

Are you trying to make it so the 4yo cannot pull the plug out, something else, or a combination of both?

Yeah, here in central Indiana my sump (home is early 1990s) is on a circuit of its own.. That's the prescription I'd follow for practical reasons. There are also rules for basements regarding where the plugs can be, height wise, so that if the basement does fill up with water they don't cause problems to some extent. Might check the local regulations and or consult a licensed electrician and have them consult on the work you're about to do.

Also, eventually, install a battery back up sump, its piece of mind...

Dennis

 

[RickP]

I'd leave the outlet where it is now and secure the plug so it couldn't be removed. You could do that pretty easily with zip ties or safety wire.

If you prefer to cover the outlet, you could buy one like HoosierMark suggested, or just enclose the entire outlet in a plywood box.