We are currently having extremely heavy rains along with melting snow; so
there are flood warnings. Just for the heck of it I checked my sump and
found there was water in it. I pulled the float up, but nothing happened.
Hmmm.

The house, and pump, are 22 years old; I bought it 12 years ago. Right
after I bought it I tested the pump. It turned on by running water into the
sump with a garden hose, but it didn't pump. I found it was the kind that
needs a small hole drilled in the pipe to let it start. I drilled the hole,
and it pumped fine. Apparently it hadn't been operational for 10 years, but
didn't matter.

So, tonight I was surprised to find water in the sump because I had never
seen any there before. I was even more surprised to find the pump did not
work. because it had 12 years ago.

Two questions...
1) As I recall (assuming I can recall from 12 years ago) I turned the pump
on by running water in with a hose. Tonight I simply pulled up on the
float, as I wasn't about to put water in the sump. Would that matter? I am
thinking, without knowing much about pumps, that maybe water pressure turns
it on, but the float turns it off: becasue when I pull up on the float, it
doesn't seem to trip a switch that i can see.
2) Is it likely the pump broke by not being used in 12 (or 22) years?
3) If is is broken, is a fix possible; or is is a replace. Shame, it is
brass 1/2hp. Not that I need a 1/2hp,but that is what the builder put in.
Hopefully I don't need anythign; this weekend mgiht be the acid test. (I am
on a hill with a walkout basement. Apparently the water is content to flow
around the house on its way down the hill.)

If it does nothing and no sound be sure outlet is hot, plug is good or
pump switch is bad. If it makes noise but doesnt run it is frozen either
the impeller or motor. You can free up pumps, a switch may be special
order. New pumps are cheap and can give you a back up. If your in no
flood danger work on it, pull it out to find where it is binding . You
didn`t say you heard anything so it is likely electrical as you would
hear it straining to move, humming. Usualy an easy fix but since it
hasn`t run in a long time you can`t know till you try.

"toller" wrote in message
...
We are currently having extremely heavy rains along with melting snow; so
there are flood warnings. Just for the heck of it I checked my sump and
found there was water in it. I pulled the float up, but nothing happened.
Hmmm.

The house, and pump, are 22 years old; I bought it 12 years ago. Right
after I bought it I tested the pump. It turned on by running water into
the sump with a garden hose, but it didn't pump. I found it was the kind
that needs a small hole drilled in the pipe to let it start. I drilled
the hole, and it pumped fine. Apparently it hadn't been operational for
10 years, but didn't matter.

So, tonight I was surprised to find water in the sump because I had never
seen any there before. I was even more surprised to find the pump did not
work. because it had 12 years ago.

Two questions...
1) As I recall (assuming I can recall from 12 years ago) I turned the pump
on by running water in with a hose. Tonight I simply pulled up on the
float, as I wasn't about to put water in the sump. Would that matter? I
am thinking, without knowing much about pumps, that maybe water pressure
turns it on, but the float turns it off: becasue when I pull up on the
float, it doesn't seem to trip a switch that i can see.
2) Is it likely the pump broke by not being used in 12 (or 22) years?
3) If is is broken, is a fix possible; or is is a replace. Shame, it is
brass 1/2hp. Not that I need a 1/2hp,but that is what the builder put in.
Hopefully I don't need anythign; this weekend mgiht be the acid test. (I
am on a hill with a walkout basement. Apparently the water is content to
flow around the house on its way down the hill.)

If it's the type that has a "piggy-back" plug for the float, try pluging in
the second plug to see if it's just the float that's bad.

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
If it does nothing and no sound be sure outlet is hot, plug is good or
pump switch is bad.

The outlet is good, and it makes no noise at all. So it is the switch?
Any advice on fixing it, or am I best just to replace it? I guess a $70
1/4hp would be fine, since the I can't remember the creeks ever being this
high, and my water is still 10" from the top of the sump.
Speaking of which, the sump pump is on a cinder block in the sump, but is
still about 20" from the top. Should I have it lower, or is 20" plenty?

I could probably just forget about it, cause if it doesn't need it today, it
ain't ever gonna need it; but I tend to be obsessive.

The plug has been sitting in the same socket for years, it could even be
a bad plug, a wire just came loose . You need to trace to where there is
no power, It could be the motor but usualy you hear it humming trying to
start If plug is good it is the switch you could bypass the float
switch and run it by plugging it in. The higher the pump, the less ft
in height it has to pump the more gpm it will pump, lower would just
drain more water out of the soil, but if basement is always dry I dought
it matters. If you never use it a 40 $ replacement will do but you will
probably fix it

Toller -

Replace the pump...... 22 years puts the pump past it's prime.

You could attempt to repair it; I'm guessing the connections are
corroded or the trigger switch is bad.

OTOH, the impeller could be rusted, or the windings open.

Bottom liine is you don't want to be without a sump pump when you need
one; and trust me - when you need one it will be at about 2:00 AM and
this will obviously mean a VERY expensive replacement - and thenm
hopefully they get it replaced before your basement floods.

Even if you're pretty sure the pit will never fill - don't take a
chance on this. IMO - it's critical you keep it in good working order.

It's an easy job, as I'm sure you know. I'd recc a Zoeller pump; the
design of this pump hasn't changed in 40 years.

Also, just to follow up -

When weather conditions expose bad sump pumps........they expose them
all over town.

Rainy season is coming here to KC soon, and every year, in mid april;
we prepare for the onslaught of SP calls.

Like I said, they usually come in around 2:00 AM, and they come in
DROVES.

My point being there will likely be a substantial wait time if you have
to call a plumber - if you can find one that can come at all.

If nothing else, get some sort of portable pump, this way you have one
you can use for other purposes, as well as for your sump pit if you do
have an emergency.

Matt did you ever work on a sump pump, I dought it since you say the
Impellor could be Rusted. He said his is brass . Impellors are brass or
now alot are plastic they can`t rust. Sumps are easy to work on and
diagnose. Unless the motor is fried it is worth finding the cause of the
failure.

And Matt Quit post your crusade for alt Hvac, you sure are screwing
this place up bozo. In your own way you are as bad as pjm

Michelle,

a 22 year old pump is not worth the time to mess with. Even if youdo
manage to get it running, it will likely fail under load.

As far as PJ goes, other than my efforts to get a new group formed,
I've not spoken a word to him

Matt I have 10 or so 40- 60 year old brass base pedistal pumps, They are
built better then anything new today unless you consider commercial
units, not HD 49.95 but 300-400$ units. Old doesnt mean anything in a
motor or pump. Switches fail, so what, a cheap fix. If you lived with
flooding and quality pumps not HD crap you would know. Plenty of houses
in my area and mine have 80 yrs old system pumps that run like new and
today would cost thousands to replace. Old equipment was commonly
overbuilt even by todays commercial standards, Consumer crap didn`t
exist then, it was all pro stuff everywhere.

Ok, you have a point there. Old is sometimes better. I'm often amazed
ate complete crap that passes fro quality merchandise these days.

It's just my opinion, in the case of a pump needed to protect yourself
from a flood, new is always better.

Also, Zoeller is hardly HD crap.

I also disagree that old doesn't mean anything in motors or pumps;
especially ones that are submerged. Bearings seize, windings rot.
Connecting wires corrode, etc etc ect.

Also, if you are suggesting that high quality pumps were being spit out
of the factories 22 years ago, I disagree there as well. 1985 was
hardly the height of quality workmanship.

The OP stated it was in the house when he bought it. What does that
mean? A builder grade pump.

I just think it would be easier, and less expensive to replace rather
than repair.

On the off chance the pump is of such high quality it is worth
salvaging, I would take it to a rebuild shop for a complete tear down
and cleanup though.

Toller can decide from these choices for himself, and meantime, we will
just have to agree to disagree.

Matt where did I say 22 years ago, I made refrence to 40- 60 yrs and
80yrs.

Checking the switch is a 5 min job, always worth it.

Matt did I say Zoeller is Crap, no. Learn to read