Brother in law just spent a small fortune to have his basement sump pump discharge pipe replaced outside. The line was actually plugged solid with a cement hard accumulation of sediment . The home is about 30 years old. I too have a sump pump and was wondering if there are any measures that can be taken to prevent this from happening .
Sump pump discharge
- Thread starter Tailgunner
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Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
If the discharge drains properly by gravity fall, sediment should not be building up.
Pvc is very slippery, and sump discharge is normally fast and furious.
So his discharge must have been trying to go uphill at least part of the way.
Describe his exact situation more precisely.
And sump pump pits are often used as a garbage can, or a slop sink drains into them.
Then old paint, drywall compound, sawdust, whatever, gets pumped out and causes a clog.
Big surprise?
Not!!!
Pvc is very slippery, and sump discharge is normally fast and furious.
So his discharge must have been trying to go uphill at least part of the way.
Describe his exact situation more precisely.
And sump pump pits are often used as a garbage can, or a slop sink drains into them.
Then old paint, drywall compound, sawdust, whatever, gets pumped out and causes a clog.
Big surprise?
Not!!!
Yea, I bet he had somewhat of a dip in the line , that caused sediment to settle there. Then it just kept accumulating at that spot, and 30 years later Voila!
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
You can run a hand powered drain snake through the outside drain every few years.
Home Depot has a nice one for about $29.00.
Not the kind that is self-contained.
This is just a 1/2 inch snake with a nice zigzag style handle with a thumbscrew.
The handle has bearings so it spins easily.
50 ft long.
Spring coil type head on the leading end.
I will post a link in a minute.
1/2 in. x 50 ft. Drain Auger
https://www.homedepot.com/p/301879201
Home Depot has a nice one for about $29.00.
Not the kind that is self-contained.
This is just a 1/2 inch snake with a nice zigzag style handle with a thumbscrew.
The handle has bearings so it spins easily.
50 ft long.
Spring coil type head on the leading end.
I will post a link in a minute.
1/2 in. x 50 ft. Drain Auger
https://www.homedepot.com/p/301879201
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
On another plumbing forum, a member was having the problem of his sump pump running longer and longer during the pump cycle.
Turns out that his sump discharge line joined up outside with a downspout drain, and the gutter junk was clogging up their shared drain line out to a creek.
Turns out that his sump discharge line joined up outside with a downspout drain, and the gutter junk was clogging up their shared drain line out to a creek.
Thanks for all of the great information ! Bob
