Need advice on preventing sand from entering a sump pit to protect against
sump pump stall or lock-up. The sump pit contains a plastic cylindrical
enclosure (typical 18" diameter x 22", deep made for sump pits), with 3/8"
diameter holes drilled in side wall & base. The enclosure is surrounded
with small size 'P' gravel.

Have installed a 1/2 h.p. Zoeller ejector sump pump, since my last 1/4
h.p. regular Zoeller sump pump locked-up from accumulation of sand in
summer of '08 rain storm. Please advise.
-------------------------------------




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On Mar 1, 1:42�am, (Spitfire)
wrote:
Need advice on preventing sand from entering a sump pit to protect against
sump pump stall or lock-up. The sump pit contains a plastic cylindrical
enclosure (typical 18" diameter x 22", deep made for sump pits), with 3/8"
diameter holes drilled in side wall & base. The enclosure is surrounded
with small size 'P' gravel.

Have installed a 1/2 h.p. Zoeller ejector sump pump, since my last 1/4
h.p. regular Zoeller sump pump locked-up from accumulation of sand in
summer of '08 rain storm. �Please advise.

Have you tried setting your pump on a couple bricks to raise it up
2" ? This should do the trick as long as you clean it out before the
sand accumulates to the top of the bricks.

Hank

Hustlin' Hank wrote:

On Mar 1, 1:42�am, (Spitfire)
wrote:
Need advice on preventing sand from entering a sump pit to protect against
sump pump stall or lock-up. The sump pit contains a plastic cylindrical
enclosure (typical 18" diameter x 22", deep made for sump pits), with 3/8"
diameter holes drilled in side wall & base. The enclosure is surrounded
with small size 'P' gravel.

Have installed a 1/2 h.p. Zoeller ejector sump pump, since my last 1/4
h.p. regular Zoeller sump pump locked-up from accumulation of sand in
summer of '08 rain storm. �Please advise.

Have you tried setting your pump on a couple bricks to raise it up
2" ? This should do the trick as long as you clean it out before the
sand accumulates to the top of the bricks.

Hank

I second Hustlin' Hanks' advice.

spitfire had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...it-361986-.htm :
Hank,

Thanks for your quick reply.

I forgot to mention that I currently have both sump pumps on top of one
layer of bricks. I was hoping that I could filter out the sand with some
type of liner constructed with a fine mesh material that would allow the
water through but prevent the sand from entering the sump pit. Cleaning
out the two pits after every rain storm can be a real hassle for an old
retiree.

Spitfire

-------------------------------------
Erma1ina wrote:

Hustlin' Hank wrote:
=

On Mar 1, 1:42=EF=BF=BDam,
(Spitfire=
)
wrote:
Need advice on preventing sand from entering a sump pit to
protect ag=
ainst
sump pump stall or lock-up. The sump pit contains a plastic
cylindric=
al
enclosure (typical 18" diameter x 22", deep made
for sump pits), with=
3/8"
diameter holes drilled in side wall & base. The enclosure
is surround=
ed
with small size 'P' gravel.

Have installed a 1/2 h.p. Zoeller ejector sump pump, since my
last 1/=
4
h.p. regular Zoeller sump pump locked-up from accumulation of
sand in=

summer of '08 rain storm. =EF=BF=BDPlease advise.
=

Have you tried setting your pump on a couple bricks to raise it up
2" ? This should do the trick as long as you clean it out
before the
sand accumulates to the top of the bricks.
=

Hank

I second Hustlin' Hanks' advice.





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On Mar 2, 1:57�am, (spitfire)
wrote:
spitfire had written this in response tohttp://www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/Re-Sump-pit-361986-.htm�:
Hank,

Thanks for your quick reply.

I forgot to mention that I currently have both sump pumps on top of one
layer of bricks. I was hoping that I could filter out the sand with some
type of liner constructed with a fine mesh material that would allow the
water through but prevent the sand from entering the sump pit. Cleaning
out the two pits after every rain storm can be a real hassle for an old
retiree.

Spitfire


"Plan B"
Take a 5 gallon bucket and drill MANY holes in the sides at different
levels. Cover outside of 5 gallon bucket with landscape material and
attach firmly. Set pumps on brick inside 5 gallon buckets in case sand
enters. Clean out as necessary.


My concerns:
Why so much sand?
Why 2 pumps?
Why is so much water?

Hank

Spitfire wrote:
Need advice on preventing sand from entering a sump pit to protect
against sump pump stall or lock-up. The sump pit contains a plastic
cylindrical enclosure (typical 18" diameter x 22", deep made for sump
pits), with 3/8" diameter holes drilled in side wall & base. The
enclosure is surrounded with small size 'P' gravel.

Have installed a 1/2 h.p. Zoeller ejector sump pump, since my last 1/4
h.p. regular Zoeller sump pump locked-up from accumulation of sand in
summer of '08 rain storm. Please advise.
-------------------------------------


I have no experience with sump pumps, but there have to be pumps that can
handle sand, rocks, marbles, bits of twig, and the occasional small dog.

I Googled "debris pump" and got lots of hits, including this one that can
handle solids up to three inches in diameter with a head of 138 feet!

http://www.piranhapump.com/solids_handling_pumps.html

On Mon, 2 Mar 2009 04:56:15 -0800 (PST), "Hustlin' Hank"
wrote:

On Mar 2, 1:57?am, (spitfire)
wrote:
...


My concerns:
Why so much sand?
Why 2 pumps?
Why is so much water?

Hank


It sounds like the OP is in Florida with a basement or a
rather low area that floods each rain.

On Mar 2, 5:03�pm, wrote:
On Mon, 2 Mar 2009 04:56:15 -0800 (PST), "Hustlin' Hank"



wrote:
On Mar 2, 1:57?am, (spitfire)
wrote:
..

My concerns:
Why so much sand?
Why 2 pumps?
Why is so much water?

Hank

� � � � It sounds like the OP is in Florida with a basement or a
rather low area that floods each rain.

he could go very deep.

imagine the 3 foot deep sump is now 8 feet, with the pump sitting on a
pedestal at 4 foor down.

the sump would have to fill with 4 feet f sand before clogging the
pump.

i would ge concerned if too much sand is moving, somewhere is getting
undermined

as always make certain yard slopes away from home, gutters and
downspouts are working well and dumping water far away from building