sump pump pit question

[3rdgendslmech]

Since late July when my wife and I came home from vacation we noticed that the basement seemed a little more humid/musty than usually. We did have record rainfall for 2 weeks but water never entered the house. Sump pump ran pretty much for a week until it dried out some.
Today in the process of moving things around in the basement I noticed that the door to gain access to the crawl space had some mold on it. It's a vented crawl space with 6 mil plastic over the whole gravel base. We had a chair that was pushed up pretty close to it to hide the unsightly opening until I got around to redoing it. I never painted it and honestly I rebuilt what the previous homeowner had just to seal it up a little better but didn't put insulation behind it. ( I've already taken the old moldy sheetrock off and put a leftover piece to close the hole).
I thought this was a little odd because nowhere is there any indication that it had gotten wet. Maybe because I'd never put insulation behind it with a vapor barrier? Maybe because its been so hot and humid lately?
While i was in the crawl space I checked on the sump pump just to make sure its still working because we could be looking at heavy rains due to a hurricane next week. Still works fine, but the one thing I did notice is that the pump sits up on half of a cinder block 8"x 8" leaving a lot of water still in the pit. I've seen them sit on a brick before, I've even seen them just sit right on the bottom. So then I got to thinking if maybe that musty humid feeling was coming from the water just sitting in the bottom of the sump pit???

 

[Shawn S]

Air humidity level of 60% or more is favorable to mold. We have a dehumidifier in our basement that I set at 45% to give me some cushion. You need air movement too. Having items against organic material (wood, sheet of paper, etc) is asking for mold.
Get a dehu and have it set at 45 or 50% and have it drain automatically to a floor drain or the sump pit. I like to drain to a floor drain as it keeps that drain's trap from drying out.
Move items away from vulnerable walls that don't normally get much air movement.

 

[sixty4]

I set mine up as well off the bottom of pit. I have a 18"wide x 24" deep sump pit. Reason I keep it up is to keep the run time down. In summer and winter months bottom is dry.

 

[kbs2244]

You need still air to get mold.

When we bought our current house there were clotheslines in the basement.
So the first thing was a dehumidifier plumbed to the drain and a box fan to get the air to the dehumidifier.
I later added a second fan. Both hanging from the joists and aimed at the corner where the dehumidifier is.

They have been o 24/365 for 17 years and the basement has been mold free,

 

[3rdgendslmech]

You need still air to get mold.

When we bought our current house there were clotheslines in the basement.
So the first thing was a dehumidifier plumbed to the drain and a box fan to get the air to the dehumidifier.
I later added a second fan. Both hanging from the joists and aimed at the corner where the dehumidifier is.

They have been o 24/365 for 17 years and the basement has been mold free,

I'm gonna go with the chair being up against the non insulated access door. There's a HVAC register that blows right down on the chair practically.
But yes....definitely going to be buying a dehumidifier

 

[Showkey]

Measuring the humidity levels ( humidistat) is a good idea and then monitor in the future to be sure the dehumidifier is doing the job.

If it smells musty or wet ...........it’s very likely the levels are above 70%.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

Like i said I first noticed it after we came back from vacation. We set the thermostat at 75 when we left. There's 4 registers in the basement area, 2 for the finished part, 1 in the bathroom and 1 in the storage room. Also back towards the end of winter I put up a sliding barn door to separate the basement from the main level of the house. When we left I closed that, but it doesnt fit tight to the doorway.

 

[HoosierMark]

I know a guy who used a fan and a vacation timer in his very leaky basement. He used a bath vent van and vented to the outside thru a typical dryer vent type set up. In wet times he programed it to run more. Very simple and cost effective way to exchange air. He said it was the best way he had found to create air movement, get rid of the moisture and musty smell.

 

[Showkey]

One other thing on sump pit. Modern versions are completely sealed with a air tight vented cover. Several reasons humidity, air movement ( summer and winter) , critters, ordor and radon.
An open sump pit can add a lot of moisture and defeat or “neutralize” the best dehumidifier.

 

[jeffmattero76]

Can you please explain what an "air tight vented cover is".

One other thing on sump pit. Modern versions are completely sealed with a air tight vented cover. Several reasons humidity, air movement ( summer and winter) , critters, ordor and radon.
An open sump pit can add a lot of moisture and defeat or “neutralize” the best dehumidifier.

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[larry4406]

Can you please explain what an "air tight vented cover is".

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In the new homes we build, the sump crock lid is bolted closed with a gasket. Grommet tight to the discharge piping. Lastly, there is a 3-inch radon vent home run to the roof with a flanged gasketed joint to the lid.

 

[larry4406]

Can you please explain what an "air tight vented cover is".

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In the new homes we build, the sump crock lid is bolted closed with a gasket. Grommet tight to the discharge piping. Lastly, there is a 3-inch radon vent home run to the roof with a flanged gasketed joint to the lid.

Raising the pump off the sump floor is common to keep the pump from sucking up mud and debris.

Sometimes also there is a natural standing groundwater level that is harmless; if the pump is too low the pump runs forever getting no where fast as the groundwater level continuously recharges. Raising the pump to a safe level prevents this. We use 36" deep crocks in our basements and I have encountered this many times.

 

[jeffmattero76]

In the new homes we build, the sump crock lid is bolted closed with a gasket. Grommet tight to the discharge piping. Lastly, there is a 3-inch radon vent home run to the roof with a flanged gasketed joint to the lid.

Thanks!

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[theoldwizard1]

The best advice I ever heard about sump pumps is HAVE A SPARE ON HAND with the necessary fittings to install it.

Second best is, have a generator that can run that pump. You might even want to buy an extension cord and "mount" it so that connection to your generator is simple and easy.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The best advice I ever heard about sump pumps is HAVE A SPARE ON HAND with the necessary fittings to install it.

Second best is, have a generator that can run that pump. You might even want to buy an extension cord and "mount" it so that connection to your generator is simple and easy.

 

[Monte406SS]

The best advice I ever heard about sump pumps is HAVE A SPARE ON HAND with the necessary fittings to install it.

Second best is, have a generator that can run that pump. You might even want to buy an extension cord and "mount" it so that connection to your generator is simple and easy.

X2. Too bad I wasn't given that advice before Hurricane Irene came thru. Was lucky to find a generator for sale, had three (5) gallon jugs of gas with extension cords all lined up and hanging from the ceiling in the basement to power the sump if necessary. Felt confident, just didn't have a backup pump and it went mid-storm. We were locked in with floods and I couldn't get out to a store for even a cheap replacement, so I watched the basement fill with about 8-10 inches of water. Could have been worse since the basement wasn't finished, but still wasn't a treat to empty and clean up afterward.

 

[redmondjp]

Good advice above - I also like to put a union fitting on the pump discharge line so I don't need to do any pipework when I change out the pump. It amazes me that people don't ever seem to think about the next person that will have to work on the pump, when they do an install.