On Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:32:40 -0700, fwithers07 wrote:

OK, I think something is wrong with the way my sump drains and I'm
looking for confirmation and ideas on how to fix it.

So my pump is mounted at the bottom of the well, with the float
triggering before the waterline gets up to the pipes from which the
drain tiles drain into the well. (all seems correct there so far).
My problem is that, as soon as the pump triggers and drains the well,
I see maybe 50% of that amount of water drain immediately back thru
the tiles (NOT back down the ejection pipe). This is not normal, is
it?

My first assumption is that the drainage pipe is broken and maybe most
of the water is leaking back into the foundation. But how would it
make it so quickly from the pipe back into the drain tiles and into
the well? I'm talking maybe a second or so delay between the ejection
starting and the water flowing back in the well thru the drainage
pipes. It doesn't make sense to me, so I must be missing something.

I know everyone's first suggestion would be - check the drainage to
ensure the pipe is intact. I'd LOVE to, trust me. Problem is that
its under my deck, which is too low to be accesable. Peeking under
there, I can see the pipe come out of the house and to into a 5 or 6"
diameter pipe going vertically into the ground about 2 feet from the
house. My assumption is that it goes to a drain tile or some farther
place in the yard from there, but I have no way to confirm this.

So my questions are - what is likely causing the water to rush back in
so quickly thru the tiles, is that unusual / a concern, and how should
I go about fixing it if required?

Any input would be appreciated. This thing is making me super
nervous, though we've yet to have a flood in the year we've lived in
this 28 year-old house.

Jeff


I want to be clear here. Are you saying that the water flows in through
the drain tiles at a certain rate. Then after the pump kicks on, a few
seconds later water is flowing through the drain tiles at a much faster
rate? Which you think is the exhaust water flowing back in???

If so, I would get a pitcher and fill it with water and food coloring. A
heavy dose of coloring. Then dump it into the pit. Then watch what color
comes back in through the tiles.

Then you know for sure.