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Sump Pump Reservoir Archives

Sump Pump Maintenance

Friday, September 11th, 2009 at 7:35 am  
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Several different styles of sump pumps are available on the market today. You will likely be familiar with the old upright model that has been around for many years. You might be aware of the completely submersible version although not be as widely recognized. Maybe the newest version of sump pumping is actually powered by water. This often may be the one utility that is least subject to down time – your water system. It then makes sense that if you can use that energy to power your backup sump pumps installation, your are most likely to have a working sump pump system during worst case conditions.

Common Backup Sump Pumps Components

A plastic or metal reservoir of 15 to 25 US gallons (60 to 100 L). Although sump reservoirs can be constructed from different materials, the most commonly used materials are: clay, tile, steel, concrete, fibreglass or polyethylene. The average sump reservoir is approximately eighteen inches in diameter and two to three feet in depth. Situated in the low point of a dwelling’ s basement, most reservoirs have holes on either side to accommodate incoming drainage tiles. These reservoirs should be covered for safety reasons. Depending on the size of your home, it might be necessary to have more than one sump tank installed.
Most sump pumps are rated at 1/3 or 1/2 horsepower and may be battery or electrically powered.
Plumbing that is typically 1.5 inch (38 mm) PVC, is routed from the pump, through a check valve, and out of the house to a storm drain or weeping system.
A check valve allows water to flow up and out through the pipes, so when the pump turns off, the water in the pipes doesn’t flow backwards back into your house.
 
Runoff water produced by rain is collects around the house foundation. New homes will have drainage tiles buried around the house perimeter. This water collection system will direct that excess water to a storm drain or sump pump installation. There may also be a bed of tile drainage beneath the basement floor that serves the same purpose.
This drainage system collects and channels water into the sump reservoir. This reservoir has been designed to collect any surface water from the floor and drainage system. It will be structured slightly lower than the main floor and water migrates to that area. When  water fills the reservoir to a pre-determined level, a float or switching device activates the pump and pumps the excess water to a storm drain or weeping system.

If the sump pump installation is connected to storm drains, it is essential that the system employ back up check valves. This will prevent a storm drain backing up into your house. Too many people have discovered the hard way that a check valve was not properly installed in their system.

Some homes also maintain a secondary battery-powered sump pump in case the first pump can not operate under various conditions. It’s main components might include – a battery-driven 12 V sump pump with its own water level sensor, piping, check valve, and a lead-acid car or marine deep cycle battery. A trickle-charge battery charger will maintain a constant charge to the battery.

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Mechanics of  Backup Sump Pumps

The Water Powered Sump Pump Installation

With the protection of a water powered sump pump, no electricity is required.

Electricity is not 100% reliable as many storms can cause power failures. You can feel safer with a backup protection device in place that runs without electric power? Water pressure backup pumps which run off municipal water will still operate when the lights go out and your electricity powered sump pump installation shuts down.

Even while experiencing the heaviest rainfalls and worst storm conditions, a properly installed water powered backup sump pump installation should be able to satisfy your requirements.
Your water pressure backup pump can be installed above your primary sump pump system, and will work simultaneously with it should the need present itself. To satisfy the wide variance in needs there are several models available to suit your particular needs.
Today we see much more effort to protect the environment. Because a water pressure backup sump pump installation is powered by water pressure, there is no need to be concerned about battery disposal, gas or other adverse environmental effects of generating electricity. This is another great side benefit to this type of sump pump installation.

Sump Pump Tips

Friday, September 11th, 2009 at 7:33 am  
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Sump Pump Tips

Recent reports state that 85% of all homes with basements will experience some form of wet basement problems. Installing a sump pump in the basement will be a big step towards the elimination of “water surprises” in your basement.

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Sump Pump Installation Tips
Sump pumps are usually rated relative to the horsepower rating of the pump motor. They are available in 1/4 horsepower, 1/3 horsepower and 1/2 horsepower. Although the horsepower of the pump is a good guideline for determining which pump to buy. A better guideline should consider the GPH or, Gallons Per Hour that it will move.

Some 1/2 horsepower sump pumps that can pump 3,000 gallons per hour and many 1/3 horsepower pumps will pump in excess of 7,500 gallons per hour. As you can see, horsepower ratings are not really as informative as the GPH rating. Buying a larger pump will decrease the load and wear on your pump. The running time to pump out your system will be shortened considerably as well. This pays dividends over several years.

These pumps always incorporate some type of automatic switch to turn the pump on and then off again when it has pumped the water down to the level you have determined you require.

Several types of switches are utilized on pumps. they might include: “2 pole switch”, “mercury switch” and “diaphragm switch”. Pole switches have proven to be very reliable.

Be sure to perform regular checks and maintenance. Over extended dry periods it is very easy to forget about your sump pump and just when you need it – it could fail. Keep all the components clean and lubricate moving parts. Remove any debris from the sump well. Manually turn the pump on and off for a brief time to ensure it is working properly.

Sump Wells
A sump well is the water reservoir below floor level. The pump body and intake system is lowered into this collection area. You can select various sizes, usually 20 gallon to 30 gallon capacity at your local home improvement store. Some people opt for a smaller 5 gallon bucket. This is not recommended. Your pump will burn out very quickly because it is turning on and off more often over shorter intervals.

Installation – Home Improvement
If this is a new installation, you may need to  break a hole in your basement concrete floor. You may find it necessary to rent a jackhammer to complete this task. A shovel bit will expedite the task of creating a hole in which you will install your sump well. The top edge of the well where the lid rests should be installed slightly lower than the floor level. This will allow your setup to provide an efficient collection area in case of a broken water pipe, leaky hot water tank, etc. Dress the final installation with a pre-mixed mortar preparation designed  for the floor area around the sump well and the broken concrete.

Most pumps come with a 1 ¼”threaded connection for PVC pipe. Get an adapter that converts it to 1 ½” pipe thread. 1 ½” pipe thread is more universal and will allow you to find a wide selection of fittings at any hardware supply. Next, you’ll want to attach a check valve in the system. The check valve prevents water from draining back down into the sump well when the pump shuts off. These are easily inserted with rubber boots, clamps and a screw driver.

When using plastic type plumbing, using a pre cleaner will soften and prepare the components for a good solid, water tight connections.
Try to plug your sump pump as close as possible into a grounded electrical outlet. Long extension cords made of small wire conductors will shorten the life of your pump. The electrical outlet should be on a breaker which is the proper size for your pump. Your electrical outlet should also be on a separate circuit breaker to prevent other electrical connections from overloading your breaker.

Modernize Your Sump Pump Installation – No More Wet Basements During Power Outage – New Sump Pump and Sewage Pump Power Backup Unit Introduced

Emergency Power Supply, Inc. introduced a new backup power supply unit that provides automatic backup power for Sump Pumps and Sewage Pumps. Requiring no maintenance and easy to install, the new EPS Sewage and Sump Pump Guardian will automatically operate your pump when power is out and provides hours of operation during a power outage.

This new larger unit is intended for large residential sump pumps and all sewage pumps, or to provide increased running time for regular residential sump pumps. The hugely successful EPS Sump Pump Guardian, already providing safety and security in homes throughout the United States, provides backup power for 1/3HP and 1/2HP residential sump pumps.

Sump Pump Types

Friday, September 11th, 2009 at 7:32 am  
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Sump Pump Types

Sump pumps are simply pumps that pump away water that accumulates at lower levels in your home. Homes located in lower landscape settings or poorly drained areas are very dependant on dependable sump pump activity. Sump pump installations usually consist mainly of a water collection crock or reservoir and a pump. The water drains into the reservoir and the pump will then move it to a storm drain or weeping bed.

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The sump pump is set up for automatic operation. A float is linked to interact with a switch at the sump pump motor. As water levels rise in the sump pump water collection reservoir, a switch is activated and the sump pump automatically turns on. It then will pump water to a storm drain or weeping bed and continues to pump until the float level returns to a point where it switches the sump pump motor off again. In this manner, it assures that water levels will not exceed a predetermined level. In this manner water never rises high enough to damage the lower levels of your home.

Some sump pumps are completely submersible. They present a very nice compact and trouble free pump. The motor is water proof and the switch is usually a simple self contained and water proof assembly that is activated by the tipping action of rising water. The basic design is very simple, low maintenance and trouble free. The initial cost might be slightly higher than older, traditional upright sump pump installations. In most older style pumps, the pump motor is mounted on a vertical shaft at the top level of the reservoir. It must never be submerged. occasionally the mechanical linkage systems on this type of installation becomes dirty and corroded, The pump motor will fail to turn on during rising water and disaster strikes. These are still a proven and efficient sump pump systems but require a little more attention to maintenance.

A reliable system based on your active house water system – the Water Powered Sump Pump – has been placed on the market in recent years. It is primarily considered a backup up system for the electrically operated pumping systems.