Q&A for How to Install a Sump Pump

No, the top is just to seal the hole for safety and/or smell. If you have water coming out of the top of the sump pit, the pump is not working properly.

A few inches above the pump exit, in the disharge piping, deep in the pit, there should be a bleeder hole. This hole prevents airlock and it reduces the starting surge current. By having this water drain, the pump doesn't need to push on as much static water to get going.

It's a good idea to put a 10x10 patio block at the bottom of the pit/bucket to provide a stable/level ground for the pump to sit on. It can vibrate greatly while pushing water; the plastic tub presents a slippery surface alone. The pump should sit at the lowest level possible in the pit to drain the first signs of rising water.

A good drawing could assist in understanding the concept behind this set up, the wye is most likely used to pick up or remove fluid at a level lower than the base of the pump. This works as what some people call a jet pump (works on what is called a venturi principle).

Drill holes around the outer surface of the bucket to allow ground water to seep into the bucket. The holes should be smaller than the stones you place in the surrounding hole so they can't slip into the bucket and damage the pump. Typically, 1/4-inch holes every 2 to 4 inches should work well.

Most do it 6 inches or so above the sump pit lid. You don't want it buried in a wall in the event you need to replace it in the future.

This is a pump, not a DWV situation. The line will stay full of water when the pump is off, so a downward slope not needed. You can put one in, but it's unnecessary.

You shouldn't attach it to your main drain. The reason is, if it floods and the sewers back up, you will have water back feed into your house. It should be a separate, designated line that goes out the side of your house a minimum of 10' away.

The check valve allows water flow only in one direction. It allows water to be discharged through the discharge piping when the pump provides pressure. When the water level drops and the pump shuts off, the check valve prevents the water already in the discharge pipe from draining back into the pump and causing it to keep running. Install the check valve in the right direction so it allows discharge and not drain-back.

These, if they are larger (i.e. 4" diameter), are likely the pipes from an interior weeping system. They are both inlet. The interior weeping system is made up of pipes that are perforated to collect ground water, installed next to the foundation wall and below the footing, sloped towards the sump pit, covered in gravel and then cement. The water bubbles up from below your house, enters the hollow opening of the pipes, and flows down these pipes via gravity to the sump pit to be pumped out by a pump (to either the exterior to the house or into the house sewer line). If your basement is unfinished, you should see evidence of newer concrete laid in a band about 18" out from your foundation wall. You need a pump.

The depth of the sump pit is dictated by the depth of the sump bucket itself sitting flush with the basement floor, and the capacity of the pump to remove the collected water. The key is simply that the water collection device (bucket and pump) is below the footing. The footing is a concrete slab poured around the perimeter of your house. The walls are later poured on top of the footing. The two pieces are not amalgamated together. The wall sits on the footing and where they connect is where ground water can seep in.

Because water may be seeping in via more than one area, not just in the corner where the sump pit was installed. This is usually a rising groundwater issue where the water seeps in between the foundation wall and the footing at many areas. In other words, if the water intrusion is in one general area, the sump will likely capture all the water before it rises enough to get past the floor/foundation.

Assuming you mean check to make sure they are operating and that the pump is in a sump bucket, get a 5-gallon pail of water, pour some into the bucket and see if the pump operation is triggered. If the pump is almost or completely immersed in water and it is not on, then the valves are not working.

You don't if your foundation isn't entirely underground. If that's the case, you can drill/chip a hole through your foundation wall right above ground level and put the discharge pipe through the hole. You'll still need to direct the output water away from the house, into a downspout drain, or into your sewer if it's permissible in your county.

You most likely have two check valves in your discharge. This can cause the knocking that you hear. I have seen it.

Put it in a corner where a discharge pipe will be easiest to install and move water away from the house. Larger basements need two sumps (because over a long distance, slope is hard to maintain).

I have seen sump pumps installed in older houses, and what they do is break out the concrete around the outside 10 inches or so of the basement. They then dig it out and put a drain pipe with gravel around it and head it towards the sump pit, putting a layer of cement over it to make the floor flat.

That's generally not a good idea, as the water volume can overwhelm the septic bed and cause issues with domestic sewage disposal.

No, the city water system is potable (drinking) water and you cannot connect a sump drain into its system.

All sewage systems are passive or gravity flow. These systems are designed with a vent to the outside so that a vacuum does not develop. To prevent sewer gas from seeping into living spaces, a trap is placed in each waste line. These traps typically stay filled with water and block the gas. If a trap dries out or a vent gets blocked, you will get the odor you are describing. Also, a blocked vent will result in slower-than-normal drainage. Check for things like washer drain pipes that are open to the air or other stacks against the wall. You may also have a cracked or leaking sewer pipe.

All sump pumps are designed with a weep hole that will " leak" water when the pump operates. It prevents air lock and prolongs the life of the pump.

Generally, a good idea to have a look at it once a year, especially right before spring if you have groundwater issues. Check that there is no build up of silt or anything that might impede the operation. Fill a 5-gallon pale with water, pour it in, and check to make sure all is working well. You are looking especially at the float or whatever mechanism raises up to trigger the pump to turn on. Also, it's always a good idea to check that the exterior pipe is sloped down and cleared of any snow or debris that might clog the pipe. The 1 1/2" discharge pipe from the house should enter a larger pipe that discharges to the ground at least 4 feet away, and with ground sloped away from the house.

Not sure where you are seeing this idea of a reduction to 3/4". The typical pipe used for pumps is 1.5". That runs from the pump either to the exterior of your home or to the sewer line in the home (which is illegal in many places). An exterior pipe should always discharge into a larger pipe that carries the water away from the house. There's less of a chance of freezing this way, assuming the exterior pipe is on a downward slope. The discharge water should be contained to your own property (e.g. not flowing onto your neighbor's driveway).

Yes, you can. Put them on different breakers and have one of them connected to a battery backup system if possible. Have the larger of the two pumps engage most of the time by adjusting the float level switches to engage the main pump first, and only when the water gets real high should the second pump switch on. I suggest a 4" difference. There are also sensor systems that can detect failures of the pump that can email you so you know when to check your systems.

You need to get the water outside of your house and more than 10 feet away so it does not come right back in. Going through the rim joist is just an easier way of doing it usually without affecting the structure of the house.

Buy a larger sump pump for the short term. In the longer term, you should get a geological engineer involved.

This would likely be fine as the check valves on the pump outlets should prevent back flow.

The bleeder hole is drilled somewhere between the pump and check valve. Must be below the water line.