Hello All,

After the check valve, the sump drain pipe goes up about 2', then 90deg
elbow straight across the room and into a waste pipe. So the sump drain
pipe is right in the middle of the wall.

What I want to do is have the pipe go up straight 7' (to just below the
joists) before elbowing towards the waste pipe. Is this too high for
the sump to pump a column of water?

Thanks,
-KJ

"KJ" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello All,

After the check valve, the sump drain pipe goes up about 2', then 90deg
elbow straight across the room and into a waste pipe. So the sump drain
pipe is right in the middle of the wall.

What I want to do is have the pipe go up straight 7' (to just below the
joists) before elbowing towards the waste pipe. Is this too high for
the sump to pump a column of water?

Well, its not too high, but you will reduce your capacity to maybe a quarter
of what it was at 2' and put more wear on the pump.
Unless you have an extremely good reason for it and the pump rarely cycles,
it is a very bad idea.

It will have a reduced Head, pumping ability the higher it goes.
www.zoeller.com should have a list of gpm and hp rating sheets
correspondoing to each pump sold. If your pump runs often now it will
take longer if you raise it but should be in the pumps ability if it is
a decent pump. If its overloaded now you will have problems.

"KJ" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello All,

After the check valve, the sump drain pipe goes up about 2', then 90deg
elbow straight across the room and into a waste pipe. So the sump drain
pipe is right in the middle of the wall.

What I want to do is have the pipe go up straight 7' (to just below the
joists) before elbowing towards the waste pipe. Is this too high for
the sump to pump a column of water?

Check the specifications on the pump. Most can take 7', but it will have
lower flow; that will not matter in most cases for some seepage. We use
them at work to go 19', but that is in the design.

On 27 Dec 2005 08:13:42 -0800, "KJ" wrote:

Hello All,

After the check valve, the sump drain pipe goes up about 2', then 90deg
elbow straight across the room and into a waste pipe. So the sump drain
pipe is right in the middle of the wall.

What I want to do is have the pipe go up straight 7' (to just below the
joists) before elbowing towards the waste pipe. Is this too high for
the sump to pump a column of water?

My situation was worse than the other examples. Mine goes up 7 feet,
but rarely ran, sometimes not for months. Yet, when for the first
time in 22 years, I had 7 inches of rain within 48 or maybe 30 hours,
the pump was running full blast and loads of water was coming out of
it, but it still couldn't keep up with the water coming into the sump
from the soil outside, through the corrugated, perforated black
plastic pipe that surrounds my house underground.

I don't know how much more output there would have been if I only had
to raise the water 5 feet less, But I'm saying that required
capacity can vary from nothing for months at a time, to beyond the
level of my pump.

Thanks,
-KJ


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I do need to check up on the pump, because I have actually never heard
it cycle. Our basement is very dry, and, our house is on sandy soil
(the development is on former pine barrens), so I expect drainage to be
very good.

Either way, I am going to have a good look at it to make sure it is
working, and what model it is, etc. We have never had water in the
basement, so I guess we're lucky. I'll post back when I've done a
little more investigating. Thanks.

I'd also check on local codes, as in most areas, sump pumps are not
permitted to drain into a municipal sewer system.

How would I do that (which office to call?) - building inspector's?

"How would I do that (which office to call?) - building inspector's"

Yes, the building inspector can tell you whether discharging into the
sewer system is permitted or not. Most places it isn't as it creates
more sewer water that has to go through the processing facitlity,
thereby requiring a bigger facitlity, more operating expense, etc.

On 27 Dec 2005 14:08:24 -0800, wrote:

I'd also check on local codes, as in most areas, sump pumps are not
permitted to drain into a municipal sewer system.

My 2-door away neighbor did that, and now when the rain fills the
stream and the stream overflows and fills the sewer, and the sewer
backs up into the sink, and the sink overflows, and that water runs to
the sump, his sump pump puts the water back into the sink again.
Which is full.

We only have this sort of flood every couple years or so, so even
though I've pointed out what will happen, he hasn't done anything yet,
I think.

He's a couple inches higher than I am, but still one of the 4 houses
with this problem.

BTW OP, are you in NJ?

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"mm" wrote in message
...
On 27 Dec 2005 08:13:42 -0800, "KJ" wrote:

Hello All,

After the check valve, the sump drain pipe goes up about 2', then 90deg
elbow straight across the room and into a waste pipe. So the sump drain
pipe is right in the middle of the wall.

What I want to do is have the pipe go up straight 7' (to just below the
joists) before elbowing towards the waste pipe. Is this too high for
the sump to pump a column of water?

My situation was worse than the other examples. Mine goes up 7 feet,
but rarely ran, sometimes not for months. Yet, when for the first
time in 22 years, I had 7 inches of rain within 48 or maybe 30 hours,
the pump was running full blast and loads of water was coming out of
it, but it still couldn't keep up with the water coming into the sump
from the soil outside, through the corrugated, perforated black
plastic pipe that surrounds my house underground.

Interesting. My sump pump doesn't work (I drained my water heater into it
and it just sat there, the water draining out of the crock naturally),
probably from sitting there for 23 years without ever cycling. I was
thinking of simply covering it over to gain a little more floor space.
Maybe I should fix it instead? My backyard is a fairly steep slope down, so
I figure any water has someplace better to go than into my sump.

On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 03:19:28 GMT, "Toller" wrote:


"mm" wrote in message
.. .
On 27 Dec 2005 08:13:42 -0800, "KJ" wrote:

Hello All,

After the check valve, the sump drain pipe goes up about 2', then 90deg
elbow straight across the room and into a waste pipe. So the sump drain
pipe is right in the middle of the wall.

What I want to do is have the pipe go up straight 7' (to just below the
joists) before elbowing towards the waste pipe. Is this too high for
the sump to pump a column of water?

My situation was worse than the other examples. Mine goes up 7 feet,
but rarely ran, sometimes not for months. Yet, when for the first
time in 22 years, I had 7 inches of rain within 48 or maybe 30 hours,
the pump was running full blast and loads of water was coming out of
it, but it still couldn't keep up with the water coming into the sump
from the soil outside, through the corrugated, perforated black
plastic pipe that surrounds my house underground.

Interesting. My sump pump doesn't work (I drained my water heater into it

Did the float go up high enough to flip the swtich on the pump? Etc.

and it just sat there, the water draining out of the crock naturally),
probably from sitting there for 23 years without ever cycling. I was

Are you sure it never ccycled. Maybe it just broke recently.

thinking of simply covering it over to gain a little more floor space.
Maybe I should fix it instead? My backyard is a fairly steep slope down, so
I figure any water has someplace better to go than into my sump.

Well, whatever cover you use, make it removeable and restorable, if
your area is like mine, where sump pumps are required in below-grade
basements (but not where one end of the basement is above grade.)

My sump came with a thick plastic cover that has a U cut out of it to
allow the pipe and the float rod to fit in it. I havent' nerve
enough to step on it, but I do occasionally put things across it.

And I've used it as a stencil for a couple neighbors who didn't have a
cover at all. (I wonder who threw away their covers, and why.)

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