How does sump pump work diagram

When sump pumps work, you don't even think about them; when they fail, it's a maintenance emergency. Sump pumps are small pumps that channel water away from sump basins. Two main types of sump pumps exist:. Invented in by U. Navy electrician Karl Niedermeyer, sump pumps have been a common feature in houses for decades.

Until the late '80s, houses built on floodplains or below the water table usually had sump pumps installed. In , the U. Federal Clean Water Act made sump pumps a mandatory part of many new builds, so if you have a newer house, you probably own a sump pump — even if you live in a drier area. Sump pumps help prevent groundwater intrusion, but they're also extremely helpful if your cellar ever floods because of a burst pipe or a washing-machine malfunction.

Down in your basement or crawl space — probably in a corner or against an outside wall — you most likely have a sump basin also called a sump pit. If you remove its debris cover and look inside, you'll see several holes in the wall of your sump basin. Each of these holes connects to a drain pipe: Some drain pipes come from weeping tile pipes outside the bottom of your home's foundation, while others connect to interior drainage systems under your basement floor.

When groundwater accumulates outside your foundation or under your basement floor, it flows through a drain pipe into your sump basin. When the water reaches a certain level, your sump pump kicks on. Sump pumps are activated by one of two methods:. A pressure sensor , which sends a signal to your pump when the water pressure in your sump pit exceeds a specific level.

A float activator arm with an attached buoyant ball, which floats on the surface of the water. Once the water level reaches a certain height, your sump pump turns on. An impeller inside your pump draws water out of the sump pit and using centrifugal force, sends it up a discharge pipe.

The discharge pipe empties out somewhere beyond your home's foundations. Discharge pipes should be buried at least 5 inches below the frost line to stop them freezing in winter.

Whenever possible, they should also flow downhill. Finally, be aware of the life expectancy of your sump pump. Most pumps last around 10 years, but the lifespan is affected by the acidity and cleanliness of the water entering the pump.

Sump pumps require scheduled maintenance. Dirt, sand, and other debris can clog the pump and prevent it from working at capacity during an emergency. Check out Spruce. First things first, make sure the pump is upright. The vibration of the motor often causes pumps to shift. If the pump is not sitting straight, the float arm can become jammed. If there is moisture present, the GFCI breaker may trip, causing the sump pump to shut down.

Pour some water into the pit to test the pump. It should start automatically and drain the water away quickly. If not, have it serviced by a professional. If you can, connect a maintenance-free battery to your backup; an AGM absorbed glass mat battery is one of the best options for a sump pump.

As well, consider installing a backwater valve to prevent your sewer line from backing up into your house. To see how much you can save with Square One, get a personalized online quote now. As long as they have a back-up power source, sump pumps are fairly reliable. Here are some of the things to watch out for:. Sump pits can fill up with debris, especially open pits without a covering. If too much dirt or debris gets into the pump itself, the system will not operate properly, and may even shut down completely.

If a debris-covered switch gets stuck in the ON position, the motor can burn out, potentially causing a fire. Most sump pump systems have an air gap. Normally, the air gap is located where the discharge pipe exits the building. The air gap may not be literal gap; it may be a slotted pipe or have a vented cover, or one of many possible forms including atrium, candy cane, pipe-in-pipe, and others. Depending on which type of air gap your sump pump uses, it may be susceptible to getting clogged.

You should periodically inspect your air gap while the sump pump is running to ensure that water is flowing through it freely. Any problems with your check valves will increase the back pressure on the pump, putting it under additional strain. Sewer systems are not designed to handle large volumes of runoff resulting from heavy rain or snowmelt.

This connection also provides an additional point of ingress for water. Consider consider disconnecting your pump from the sewer system with input from a professional if you need to design a new outflow path. A stuck float switch may simply be stuck. Clear the debris and see if it starts working properly. Alternatively, float switches sometimes get stuck if the pump has wandered out of its original position. As they run, sump pumps vibrate, and may move themselves far enough that the float switch starts getting stuck on something.

To fix this issue, reset and re-level your sump pump into the right position. The float switch may be stuck in the off position. Try manually raising the float switch by hand to see if your pump turns on. Your pump may not be getting enough power. Sump pumps should have their own dedicated circuit. If the sump pump is connected to a sewer, the discharge pipe has a check valve and may have an anti-siphon device to prevent backflow. Or the discharge pipe may simply connect to a hose that carries the water well away from the house.

Building codes in most areas dictate where the water must be discharged. Don Vandervort writes or edits every article at HomeTips. HomeTips articles may contain links to Amazon. There are several of the above manufacturers that have factories in other countries but they oversee the process. There are also manufacturers that find a company in China to build a pump to their specifications.

Is there some quality control? Some, but not like there would be if they owned the company. Then there are some manufactures that make most of their product right here in the good ole US and A. Those are few and far between but their products are top notch. What kind of switch is used to control the pump cycle? Because there are no moving parts they are very durable and more closely match the actual durability of the pump itself.

If I am installing a pump without an electronic switch it will be a mechanical float style on an arm. I will not buy a pump with a diaphragm switch or one with a tethered float. We use tethered floats in commercial applications but the configuration of the sump pumps and pit are different.

The pits and pumps tend to be much deeper allowing the float to move. Not all pumps are created equally even if they have the same H. Some of the new controls being offered at certain price points are keeping up with home automation and really gives the customer some piece of mind and flexibility. Some controls also allow you to add a pump to effectively turn your system into a duplex sump pump by alternating between two pumps. This spreads the cycles evenly over the pumps prolonging the life of the system.

OK, OK so who makes the best basement sump pumps? My first choice is Zoeller Pump and my second is Metropolitan Industries. They share some similar qualities but are very different as well.

They are family owned and really, really care about their reputation especially amongst plumbing professionals. Metropolitan Industries is a company that started off by manufacturing large-scale commercial house pumps and ejector pumps. They are literally on the cutting edge of technology, I call them water-pumping geeks and I love it.

They like Zoeller are family owned and back up their products. With regard to residential pumps Metropolitan is a new comer to the market but when they commit to a product or technology they jump in with both feet. A: I sure can. The pump impeller is turned by the motor and that high speed rotation creates suction which, removes the ground water from your sump pit.

The discharge from the pump is connected to piping that is installed to ensure ground water is adequately evacuated from the home. The sump pump purpose is to remove subsurface water away from a basement or foundation. A: This question has one of two answers depending on the meaning of the question.

The second part of the answer is quite literal and usually means that the sump pump discharge line is frozen. So how does a sump pump line freeze? A sump pump discharge line is meant to be piped indirectly into line dedicated to receiving ground water. This means the smaller discharge piping is evacuating the water into a larger diameter piping with an air gap between the two. Frozen sump pump lines occur when the discharge piping is hard connected to the sewer line and that line freezes.

At this point the pump is pumping against an ice blockage. If the discharge is piped properly and the storm sewer freezes the pumps discharge will just splash outside the house. Is it possible for ice to continue to build up eventually blocking the indirect connection?

Sure, anything is possible however it is very unlikely. If your line is frozen you have to cut out the frozen section and replace. If the pump has been cycling against itself for any length of time the pump could be burned out as well. A: There are quite a few different styles of sump pump float switches on the market, solid state electronic, diaphragm, and float style with guide, tethered float. However, there are only two ways a pump cycle is activated via those switches.

A piggyback switch is a switch that the pump plugs into and that switch activates the pump. A pump that has a switch that is integral to the pump cannot be adjusted to allow for more or less water to enter the sump pit.

The only adjustment available for pumps provided with this type of switch is how high or low the pump is installed inside the pit. For example, if the pump was often cycling and the pump was sitting on the bottom of the pit you could remove the pump, place several bricks at the bottom and reinstall the pump.

The float would now be higher in the pit allowing the water to reach a higher level before cycling. You have quite a bit more adjustment options with a piggyback switch, as it is not part of the pump body. Most piggyback switches are attached to the discharge piping with hose clamps or zip ties which allows you to place the float at any height in the pit.

The higher the water is inside the pit the more hydrostatic pressure you have pushing against the basement floor or foundation walls. Please consult with a professional plumber regarding float switch heights. If your pump has a piggyback type switch you can literally go to any home improvement center or local plumbing supply company and buy a new sump pump switch that they have available.

Even if the pump came with a float type switch you can change it to a solid-state electronic switch that senses the amount of water in the pit. A: Here is an example of why someone would have an outdoor sump pump installed. There are homes that have walkout basements that are dug out below the final grade of the lot. So in a sense the patio is a big bowl. They may lay drain tile along the inside edge of the patio and that is obviously tied into the interior sump pit.

So how do you solve the problem? You create a sort of lift station. You dig a deep pit at grade lower than the patio. That pit would be made of fiberglass or concrete.

The pit and pump would have only function; to remove excess water from the patio. The pump discharge would be piped below the frost line below grade to a storm sewer or storm run off area. Please see drawings below to get an idea of the concept. A: The answer is yes and no, so let me explain. It is possible to oversize the pump. Now if you have 12ft ceilings in your basement and the discharge runs 40ft before it evacuates your home upsizing the pump is a good idea.

A professional plumber will be able to look at the situation measure total dynamic head and properly size the pump.

A: Standard sump pumps installed in your homes are AC pumps. They are built to run on AC power that is supplied in the home. When the power goes out a battery back-up system kicks in. Up till now the best pumps produced to remove significant water on a DC current were marine bilge pumps.

However the Zoeller Aquanot is a DC pump that was specifically design as a sump pump and it is hand built and tested right here in the U. A: Why yes, I can give you some help on replacing a sump pump. This assumes you know for sure your pump is bad. If you need more help check out this video that will teach you how to install a sump pump.

It will show you how to drill a hole to your sewage to create a nice flat surface for your pump to sit on. No need to crawl the internet for more help, when all the information is right here for you. As always thanks for reading. Let us know in the comment section below if the Sump Pump diagram was of any use to you.

Thanks for the description on how different parts of a sump pump works.