Sump pump
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Help Support House Repair Talk:
nealtw
Contractor retired
I would say no. The idea is to catch surface water so it dosn't work it's way into the basement. If you go deeper and there is water down there you just pump more water which will just replace itself as fast as it can. If the house was built on poor soil conditions that contains water, the water will actually add to the support of the house and in that case draining the water just around the sump could cause an inbalance of that support.
Is it not possible to do the drain on the outside, which is always better?
Is it not possible to do the drain on the outside, which is always better?
Wuzzat?
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Couldn't find a clear winner and both types are sold, so. . .
-1st case, groundwater below bottom of sump, no water in sump for perf or non-perf., pump doesn't run.
-2nd case, groundwater above sump bottom but below drain tiles, no water in sump if non-perf, water in sump if perf. and at the level of the groundwater. If your float switch is set at the level of the groundwater for perf. it will run indefinitely.
-3rd case, groundwater at or above drain tiles, water in sump for either perf or nonperf., it just entered differently. Pump runs for a long time if the float switch is set below this level. How long will it stay at this level?
I'd set the float switch to turn on with rising water at just below the bottom of the basement slab if you can get away with it but for sure just below the top surface of the basement slab.
Short cycling is not good but neither is trying to lower the level of groundwater in your area. I guess a perf. basin allows you to monitor levels right around your house after a heavy rain and after several days of drought and so you'd have some idea of how many days a pump would have to run continuously to get you past a flood condition.
The houses in my neighborhood are very similar but my neighbor across the street has a way lower sump water level than I do.
The sump refill rate depends on the groundwater level, the volume of your basin and how your soil is classified: clay, silt, sand or some combo. I seem to get by with a 1/6 hp pump and my sump refills at 1 GPM with my mostly clay soil. It has no bottom so it's equivalent to many drain holes.
Ask at least five salespeople for each type of basin for the upsides and downsides: the truth may eke, leach, bleed, dribble or seep out. Or not.
-1st case, groundwater below bottom of sump, no water in sump for perf or non-perf., pump doesn't run.
-2nd case, groundwater above sump bottom but below drain tiles, no water in sump if non-perf, water in sump if perf. and at the level of the groundwater. If your float switch is set at the level of the groundwater for perf. it will run indefinitely.
-3rd case, groundwater at or above drain tiles, water in sump for either perf or nonperf., it just entered differently. Pump runs for a long time if the float switch is set below this level. How long will it stay at this level?
I'd set the float switch to turn on with rising water at just below the bottom of the basement slab if you can get away with it but for sure just below the top surface of the basement slab.
Short cycling is not good but neither is trying to lower the level of groundwater in your area. I guess a perf. basin allows you to monitor levels right around your house after a heavy rain and after several days of drought and so you'd have some idea of how many days a pump would have to run continuously to get you past a flood condition.
The houses in my neighborhood are very similar but my neighbor across the street has a way lower sump water level than I do.
The sump refill rate depends on the groundwater level, the volume of your basin and how your soil is classified: clay, silt, sand or some combo. I seem to get by with a 1/6 hp pump and my sump refills at 1 GPM with my mostly clay soil. It has no bottom so it's equivalent to many drain holes.
Ask at least five salespeople for each type of basin for the upsides and downsides: the truth may eke, leach, bleed, dribble or seep out. Or not.
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