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HELP::: Sump Pump running every 1 minute, water pouring in.

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  • Sep 19th, 2019 10:54 am
Jr. Member
Jan 22, 2015
195 posts
51 upvotes
Toronto

HELP::: Sump Pump running every 1 minute, water pouring in.

Bought this 1965 built house last week. Noticed little flooding in the basement apartment next to sump pump area. I manually ran the sump pump and flooding got drained out. I adjusted sump on and off switch so it would drain all the water in pit.

Since after adjustment, I see sump pump is running after every 1 minute.
I see 4 black 4” diameter pipes coming in the sump pump and they are pouring water in the pit non stop for last many days. Sump pump is draining this water out every 1 minute for last 4 days.


I am confuse on following.
1) Where these 4 black pipes are coming from? What are they for?
2) Why non stop water is pouring in the pit?
3) How to resolve this problem and make sure next unit doesn’t get flooded again?

Any help will be deeply appreciated.
33 replies
Deal Addict
Dec 17, 2007
2625 posts
1620 upvotes
Alliston, ON
Those 4" black drain pipes are drain lines that run the perimeter of the house. It's been raining pretty much non stop all spring so the sump pump is trying to keep up to all the water surrounding your house.
Check to see where the discharge for your sump pump runs outside the house. Does it just run out of the pipe at the side and run right back down towards your house. Or do you have it extended taking it as far from your house as possible
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 18, 2005
23686 posts
5125 upvotes
Niagara Falls
Do you know where your sump pump drains to? If it's just outside your house, it's possible it's just recycling the same water. It has been raining a lot, so it's possible its actually just collecting rain water.
Deal Expert
Aug 26, 2002
15719 posts
7446 upvotes
Toronto, ON
They are weeping tiles (foundation drains) that run along the perimeter of your foundation wall to collect any water along the outside of your basement wall.

This is probably how it connects relative to where your sump pump is.

Image
Sr. Member
Mar 7, 2008
721 posts
196 upvotes
Leask
Short term fix, you need to ensure the sump pump is draining far far away from the house!

Long term fix, need to ensure grading around the house is good and consider putting yellow clay or equivalent around your house to reduce the amount of water going to the foundation.
Jr. Member
Jan 22, 2015
195 posts
51 upvotes
Toronto
Thanks for all your help Team..

*** This sump pump is draining the water into the City Sewer. I know its illegal now a days but its grandfathered.
*** Water is jut pouring in non stop for last 4 days into the pit and sump pump runs every 1 minute.

Is this normal for sump pump to run every 1 minute for days and days?
Can i adjust the sump pump in a way that it doesn't run very often and next door basement apartment shouldn't shouldn't get flooded either?
There has been for sure flooding issue in this house many times, does this means previous owner at some point installed weeping tiles or updated them? Because i do see concrete job all across perimeter of the house..
Deal Guru
Jan 25, 2007
12695 posts
7861 upvotes
Paris
hammadarif wrote: Is this normal for sump pump to run every 1 minute for days and days?
Can i adjust the sump pump in a way that it doesn't run very often and next door basement apartment shouldn't shouldn't get flooded either?
There has been for sure flooding issue in this house many times, does this means previous owner at some point installed weeping tiles or updated them? Because i do see concrete job all across perimeter of the house..
Yes it’s normal. You can adjust it not to run so often by allowing your house to flood. If you want to stay dry, let it do it’s work!

We have 2 at our cottage that this time of year run nearly constantly. In July, they don’t run at all.
Deal Expert
Aug 26, 2002
15719 posts
7446 upvotes
Toronto, ON
Jerico wrote: Yes it’s normal. You can adjust it not to run so often by allowing your house to flood. If you want to stay dry, let it do it’s work!

We have 2 at our cottage that this time of year run nearly constantly. In July, they don’t run at all.
That's right... the pump is kicking in when the water level reaches a certain height. If you adjust that height to be higher, then you're allowing water to pool up higher against the foundation wall, and if there's any cracks along your wall, water may seep into your basement.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Mar 23, 2008
13006 posts
10009 upvotes
Edmonton
The pump should start running when the water level reaches a certain point, and then run until the sump is basically empty. Then it SHOULD take awhile for the sump to refill, even if there's water continually trickling in. If that's not happening, something may need to get adjusted.

At least, this is how I recall it from past houses...

C
Jr. Member
Jan 22, 2015
195 posts
51 upvotes
Toronto
Thanks Team -- You all are top stars.

** There is so much water pouring in from all 4 black pipes that it is taking only probably 1 minute for the pit to fill and sump pump kicks in... Seems like this house is sitting on ocean?? too much water for many days...
** Wouldn't letting the sump pump running every minute for days will burn it?
** Secondly this pump is too loud and i can hear it all around the house when it triggers.. Any suggestions to lower the sound?
Deal Expert
Aug 26, 2002
15719 posts
7446 upvotes
Toronto, ON
CNeufeld wrote: The pump should start running when the water level reaches a certain point, and then run until the sump is basically empty. Then it SHOULD take awhile for the sump to refill, even if there's water continually trickling in. If that's not happening, something may need to get adjusted.

At least, this is how I recall it from past houses...

C
@hammadarif, how is your lot graded? Do you have an area next to your house where water is pooling up on the surface whenever it rains. If you're noticing the sump pump running whenever it rains, that's by design and it's normal. If you're noticing *a lot* of water coming into the sump pit whenever it rains, then that's an indication that surface runoff is getting into the foundation drains, instead of being directed away from/around the house. You can either:

1. Resurface or regrade your backyard/sideyards to get water away from your house. You can install a drain in a clearstone layer just below the surface of your yard to capture and direct surface runoff around the house.

2. As @THINKPOD suggested, put down a clay layer to reduce the amount of water getting to your foundation drain.

3. Enlarge the size of your sump pit so it can hold more volume before the pump kicks in.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Nov 18, 2005
11955 posts
3699 upvotes
Kingston
hammadarif wrote: Thanks Team -- You all are top stars.

** There is so much water pouring in from all 4 black pipes that it is taking only probably 1 minute for the pit to fill and sump pump kicks in... Seems like this house is sitting on ocean?? too much water for many days...
** Wouldn't letting the sump pump running every minute for days will burn it?
** Secondly this pump is too loud and i can hear it all around the house when it triggers.. Any suggestions to lower the sound?
From when the pump stops to when it restarts, how far does the water rise? How far from the top is the water when the pump starts? This will help us understand if much adjustment is possible.

When the pump stops, does much water run back into the pit through the bottom of the pump? I've had scenarios where I have a long drain pipe from the sump output and when the pump stops water siphons back from that drain pipe back into the pit. If this is happening you need a check valve where the drain exits the house. Something like THIS

If your pump motor is above the water like THIS, you can get a sump that operates under the water like THIS and they are much quieter.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Nov 18, 2005
11955 posts
3699 upvotes
Kingston
Oh, one other thing, if you decide to replace your pump (or any part on it), wait until it isn't working at all (after the rain has stopped etc and it isn't expected to run for a while). I once tried to replace a switch on one and it didn't go as expected. We were using a shop vac to drain the sump pit many times until I replaced the whole unit (at this time of year the shelves tend to be empty of sump pumps!). Not a fun evening!
Deal Addict
Jan 28, 2007
2321 posts
1676 upvotes
SW Ontario
Do yourself a favour and make two purchases from your local Home Depot or similar store:

1) A replacement spare sump pump to have on hand if and when the existing one fails, as Murphy's Law is that it will happen in the middle of the night when nothing is open.

2) A water monitor alarm. Home Depot carries a really cheap but yet well built unit called "Basement Watchdog Alarm" which you should place somewhere on the floor close to the sump to alert you if the sump gets overloaded or fails. If your tech savvy, you can set up the Samsung Smartthings with leak detectors to notify your smart phone if there was ever leaking water.
I'd rather be outdoors camping, kayaking, and mountain biking ...
Jr. Member
Jan 22, 2015
195 posts
51 upvotes
Toronto
*** Speaking of Lot grading, i don't see water pooling up anywhere around perimiter. The way this house is built is all internal dry walls are atleast 3 feet away from the foundation wall in the basement (yes 3 feet away all across the basement), They might have done it because of known water issues, maybe? Secondly all across perimiter of the house i see concrete paving of atleast 4 feet grading and sloping properly except some area of the backyard wall...

*** yes when the sump pump stops i would say 1/4th of the water does come back in the pit and since water is continuously floating in the pit from all 4 pipes it is taking approximately 1 minute for the pit to fill and trigger sump pump.

*** Can i myself dig the pit bigger so sump pump triggers less often?? or do i need to get it done professionally?

Sr. Member
Apr 8, 2010
812 posts
462 upvotes
toronto
make sure you're check valve is working. if the run is too long and you're check valve isn't working properly, that little in the pipes as it flows back, might be enough for your sump to kick in again
Deal Guru
Jan 25, 2007
12695 posts
7861 upvotes
Paris
hammadarif wrote: *** Speaking of Lot grading, i don't see water pooling up anywhere around perimiter. The way this house is built is all internal dry walls are atleast 3 feet away from the foundation wall in the basement (yes 3 feet away all across the basement), They might have done it because of known water issues, maybe? Secondly all across perimiter of the house i see concrete paving of atleast 4 feet grading and sloping properly except some area of the backyard wall...

*** yes when the sump pump stops i would say 1/4th of the water does come back in the pit and since water is continuously floating in the pit from all 4 pipes it is taking approximately 1 minute for the pit to fill and trigger sump pump.

*** Can i myself dig the pit bigger so sump pump triggers less often?? or do i need to get it done professionally?

Ours pours in at the cottage this time of year too. Nothing to be concerned about, I’d have a backup sump pump ready to go.

Please stop using so much bold
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 18, 2005
23686 posts
5125 upvotes
Niagara Falls
Jerico wrote: Ours pours in at the cottage this time of year too. Nothing to be concerned about, I’d have a backup sump pump ready to go.

Please stop using so much bold
At my old house that used to act similar to this I had a battery backup pump in the same pit set to a higher level. That way if the power was out or the original pump died, the battery backup one would automatically kick in. Only thing that sucks is battery maintenance every few months.
Sr. Member
Mar 7, 2008
721 posts
196 upvotes
Leask
Jojo_Madman wrote: Do yourself a favour and make two purchases from your local Home Depot or similar store:

1) A replacement spare sump pump to have on hand if and when the existing one fails, as Murphy's Law is that it will happen in the middle of the night when nothing is open.

2) A water monitor alarm. Home Depot carries a really cheap but yet well built unit called "Basement Watchdog Alarm" which you should place somewhere on the floor close to the sump to alert you if the sump gets overloaded or fails. If your tech savvy, you can set up the Samsung Smartthings with leak detectors to notify your smart phone if there was ever leaking water.
Agree, get yourself a flood detector! I have the DLink version that will notify your phone.
Deal Guru
Jan 25, 2007
12695 posts
7861 upvotes
Paris
Evil Baby wrote: At my old house that used to act similar to this I had a battery backup pump in the same pit set to a higher level. That way if the power was out or the original pump died, the battery backup one would automatically kick in. Only thing that sucks is battery maintenance every few months.
Our cottage one died and we had 2” of water throughout the basement when we arrived. We have a whole house backup generator. So we dug another hole and made another sump pit. Thats our backup now.

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