On Jan 3, 9:22�pm, Erma1ina wrote:
wrote:

On Jan 3, 2:57 pm, Erma1ina wrote:
wrote:

All,

When testing my battery powered backup sump pump a few weeks ago, I
noticed it wasn't pumping any water (it was making noise like it was
trying to). �I disconnected and then re-connected the pipe and it
seemed to start working again. �Now a few weeks later, I checked it
and had the same problem, and again it was resolved by disconnecting
and re-connecting the pipe.

The battery is only a couple years old and the water levels look fine.

Any idea what could be going on?

Thanks,
Dan

Air lock? Is there a little hole (1/8+ inch diameter and unclogged) in
the discharge pipe below the checkvalve?

I looked and didn't see any holes. �I should also mention there
appears to be two check valves installed in the line.. One right
before the connection to the pump and one at the 90 degree turn in the
pipe toward the wall. �Does the hole need to be above the water line?
If so it may not be possible if it has to be below the first check
valve.

Apparently some pumps have an anti-airlock hole built-in. If you can,
check your owner's manual to see if yours does and where it's located.
If you don't have that manual available, check around where the main
pump housing fits into the base for a vent/relief hole. If you find one,
be sure it's not plugged up. From what I've read, that's a problem with
the built in anti-airlock vents -- being near the base of the pump,
closer to the bottom of the sump pit, they're more likely to be plugged
with dirt and debris than if they're higher up in the discharge pipe.
But in any case they need to be between the pump discharge and the check
valve, though not necessarily above the water, though, again, if not
above the water they are more prone to clogging up and also more
difficult to check.

My sump pump (Wayne CDU790) does not have a built in anti-airlock vent.
The check valve is on the discharge line above the sump pit and the
anti-airlock hole is about a foot or so below the top of the sump pit so
it sprays onto the sump wall when the pump is running. Even there, it
does get a bit of dirt build up over time so I clean it out yearly with
a nail.

Here's as good an explanation of the sump pump "air lock" issue as I've
found:

http://www.selfhelpforums.com/showpo...24&postcount=6

"Envision the sump pump drawing down and sucking air before the pump
switch deactivates. Now you have a small pocket of air around the
impeller and nothing leading to the bottom side of the check valve.

The impeller does not have the force to move air, only water. That 3/16"
[anti-airlock vent] guarantees that water will enter into that chamber
where the impeller is so that the pump can force the check valve open.
Doesn't matter where that check valve is; those pumps are not designed
to move air.......only water.

Even if the check valve was 8 feet up.......that air hole will allow
that huge pocket of air to displace quickly enough to engage water to
push up to open the check.

It's not rocket science but I've seen too many pump failures that did
hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage and I can go right to the
pump, take it out of the pit and start it right up like there is nothing
wrong with it.

And there isn't; the pump air-locked and had nothing to do with product,
had everything to do with workmanship error."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

if theres any chance to run a sump overfull gravity drain to daylight,
thats idea.

like a home that sits a little high above street level