I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:55:18 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

14 yrs is a good long life for a sump pump. But as long as you keep the
bottom filter/impeller clean, and oil; the motor, it could last a lot
more years. No sense replacing it till it fails.

What brand is it? That sounds like a reliable brand, worth buying....

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:55:20 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

If the battery pump can keep you safe long enough to get a new AC pump,
that would be good enough reason for me to keep doing what you're doing.
I'd have the battery pump set to come on at a higher level and also an
alarm set up to sound so that you know the primary pump has failed.
They have cheap $10 alarms for water heaters at HD and similar. May
be loud enough and work for your purpose.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:12:08 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

If the battery pump can keep you safe long enough to get a new AC pump,
that would be good enough reason for me to keep doing what you're doing.
I'd have the battery pump set to come on at a higher level and also an
alarm set up to sound so that you know the primary pump has failed.
They have cheap $10 alarms for water heaters at HD and similar. May
be loud enough and work for your purpose.

Why would you put an alarm on a water heater, and where does it connect?

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 7:25:19 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:12:08 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

If the battery pump can keep you safe long enough to get a new AC pump,
that would be good enough reason for me to keep doing what you're doing.
I'd have the battery pump set to come on at a higher level and also an
alarm set up to sound so that you know the primary pump has failed.
They have cheap $10 alarms for water heaters at HD and similar. May
be loud enough and work for your purpose.

Why would you put an alarm on a water heater, and where does it connect?

You put it on the floor or in the safety drip pan that's under it,
if it has one. It's just a battery operated alarm, the size of a pack
of cigarettes, with two contacts on the bottom. If the WH starts to
leak, you know it before it does damage.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:30:22 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?
I've seen them go over 20 - and others fail in 5 or 6. It depends a
lot on the construction/quality. When the bottom rusts off they are
pretty well done.. If the impeller lets go it's done. Sometimes it's
the motor that fails, or the switch - - -

wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:55:18 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

14 yrs is a good long life for a sump pump. But as long as you keep the
bottom filter/impeller clean, and oil; the motor, it could last a lot
more years. No sense replacing it till it fails.

What brand is it? That sounds like a reliable brand, worth buying....

It is a Water Ace R3P. According to Flotec it is obsolete but they may have
parts. Reviews on Amazon are positive for the original versions but reviewers
suggested that later versions were not so good.

trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:55:20 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

If the battery pump can keep you safe long enough to get a new AC pump,
that would be good enough reason for me to keep doing what you're doing.
I'd have the battery pump set to come on at a higher level and also an
alarm set up to sound so that you know the primary pump has failed.
They have cheap $10 alarms for water heaters at HD and similar. May
be loud enough and work for your purpose.

The Watchdog battery pump I have has a built in audible alarm as part of the
control panel. It sounds when it is running on battery but I can turn the alarm
on or off.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:34:01 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 7:25:19 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:12:08 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

If the battery pump can keep you safe long enough to get a new AC pump,
that would be good enough reason for me to keep doing what you're doing.
I'd have the battery pump set to come on at a higher level and also an
alarm set up to sound so that you know the primary pump has failed.
They have cheap $10 alarms for water heaters at HD and similar. May
be loud enough and work for your purpose.

Why would you put an alarm on a water heater, and where does it connect?

You put it on the floor or in the safety drip pan that's under it,
if it has one. It's just a battery operated alarm, the size of a pack
of cigarettes, with two contacts on the bottom. If the WH starts to
leak, you know it before it does damage.

Ok, Thanks. The contacts on the bottom must be activated by wetness. Is
that correct?
I assume this would work for any sort of water leakage.

I wonder how this would work in a bathtub?
I know of a certain elderly person, who dont watch the tub when it's
filling, and tends to overflow the tub fairly often.
Ive been trying to find some way to alert them when the tub is near
full.

What are they called so I can google for them?

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 19:41:19 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

What brand is it? That sounds like a reliable brand, worth buying....

It is a Water Ace R3P. According to Flotec it is obsolete but they may have
parts. Reviews on Amazon are positive for the original versions but reviewers
suggested that later versions were not so good.

I never heard of that brand, but it sounds like it was made by Flotec.
(Flotec is still around). Why do they always stop producing the best
stuff????

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 19:41:19 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:55:18 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

14 yrs is a good long life for a sump pump. But as long as you keep the
bottom filter/impeller clean, and oil; the motor, it could last a lot
more years. No sense replacing it till it fails.

What brand is it? That sounds like a reliable brand, worth buying....

It is a Water Ace R3P. According to Flotec it is obsolete but they may have
parts. Reviews on Amazon are positive for the original versions but reviewers
suggested that later versions were not so good.
That's par for the course. The old one will outlast the one you
would buy as a replacement today.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:59:32 -0600, wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 19:41:19 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

What brand is it? That sounds like a reliable brand, worth buying....

It is a Water Ace R3P. According to Flotec it is obsolete but they may have
parts. Reviews on Amazon are positive for the original versions but reviewers
suggested that later versions were not so good.

I never heard of that brand, but it sounds like it was made by Flotec.
(Flotec is still around). Why do they always stop producing the best
stuff????
Because Americans won't pay for the good stuff.

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 5:30:24 PM UTC-6, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

There are a couple of electric motor repair/rewind shops in town that also repair and rebuild pumps of all types. If you have a pump shop in town, you might call them and ask what the cost of installing new bearings in your pump would be. The pump shops check the insulation of the motor windings to make sure it's worth rebuilding the pump. If the insulation on the motor windings has deteriorated, it's less expensive to replace the pump. It would be best to ask the experts at the pump shop what works best for your situation. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Pumped Monster

On 1/24/2017 7:41 PM, Arnie Goetchius wrote:


It is a Water Ace R3P. According to Flotec it is obsolete but they may have
parts. Reviews on Amazon are positive for the original versions but reviewers
suggested that later versions were not so good.


Everything has been cheapened in recent years so that may be true.
Aside from age, any reason to suspect it is going to stop working? If
it does, how much time would you have before serious damage from water?
Room in the sump to set up a secondary?

On 1/24/2017 8:48 PM, wrote:


I never heard of that brand, but it sounds like it was made by Flotec.
(Flotec is still around). Why do they always stop producing the best
stuff????
Because Americans won't pay for the good stuff.


That is part of it. We want cheap. Couple that with corporate greed
and you see cheap products lime 13 ounce cans of coffee, 30 ounce jars
instead of a quart, etc.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 21:08:14 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 1/24/2017 7:41 PM, Arnie Goetchius wrote:


It is a Water Ace R3P. According to Flotec it is obsolete but they may have
parts. Reviews on Amazon are positive for the original versions but reviewers
suggested that later versions were not so good.


Everything has been cheapened in recent years so that may be true.
Aside from age, any reason to suspect it is going to stop working? If
it does, how much time would you have before serious damage from water?
Room in the sump to set up a secondary?
She said she already has a battery operated backup. installed.

On 1/24/2017 9:35 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 21:08:14 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 1/24/2017 7:41 PM, Arnie Goetchius wrote:


It is a Water Ace R3P. According to Flotec it is obsolete but they may have
parts. Reviews on Amazon are positive for the original versions but reviewers
suggested that later versions were not so good.


Everything has been cheapened in recent years so that may be true.
Aside from age, any reason to suspect it is going to stop working? If
it does, how much time would you have before serious damage from water?
Room in the sump to set up a secondary?
She said she already has a battery operated backup. installed.


I saw that after. In that case, I'd leave well enough alone until it
breaks.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:30:22 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

The pedestal pump on my sewer ejection system was still pumping after
50 years. I had it replaced it because I didn't want to push my luck.
I goes on about 10-20 times a day for about 10 seconds and will run
almost constantly during heavy rain.

On 01/24/2017 06:30 PM, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?



A 14-year-old pump would have been manufactured during the Dubya years so it's prolly a good honest hard-working pump.

On 1/24/2017 7:56 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:34:01 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 7:25:19 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:12:08 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

If the battery pump can keep you safe long enough to get a new AC pump,
that would be good enough reason for me to keep doing what you're doing.
I'd have the battery pump set to come on at a higher level and also an
alarm set up to sound so that you know the primary pump has failed.
They have cheap $10 alarms for water heaters at HD and similar. May
be loud enough and work for your purpose.

Why would you put an alarm on a water heater, and where does it connect?

You put it on the floor or in the safety drip pan that's under it,
if it has one. It's just a battery operated alarm, the size of a pack
of cigarettes, with two contacts on the bottom. If the WH starts to
leak, you know it before it does damage.

Ok, Thanks. The contacts on the bottom must be activated by wetness. Is
that correct?
I assume this would work for any sort of water leakage.

I wonder how this would work in a bathtub?
I know of a certain elderly person, who dont watch the tub when it's
filling, and tends to overflow the tub fairly often.
Ive been trying to find some way to alert them when the tub is near
full.

What are they called so I can google for them?

In my present house they installed a pan under the high efficiency
furnace. There is a float control which will shut off the furnace if
there is water in the pan. I Googled "float alarm for water heater" and
found many. Too bad they didn't put a pan/float alarm under the water
heater ... different subcontractor.

On 1/24/17 6:56 PM, wrote:

I wonder how this would work in a bathtub?
I know of a certain elderly person, who dont watch the tub when it's
filling, and tends to overflow the tub fairly often.
Ive been trying to find some way to alert them when the tub is near
full.

What are they called so I can google for them?

"Bathtub alarm" turned up a lot of hits.

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 7:58:03 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:34:01 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 7:25:19 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:12:08 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

If the battery pump can keep you safe long enough to get a new AC pump,
that would be good enough reason for me to keep doing what you're doing.
I'd have the battery pump set to come on at a higher level and also an
alarm set up to sound so that you know the primary pump has failed.
They have cheap $10 alarms for water heaters at HD and similar. May
be loud enough and work for your purpose.

Why would you put an alarm on a water heater, and where does it connect?

You put it on the floor or in the safety drip pan that's under it,
if it has one. It's just a battery operated alarm, the size of a pack
of cigarettes, with two contacts on the bottom. If the WH starts to
leak, you know it before it does damage.

Ok, Thanks. The contacts on the bottom must be activated by wetness. Is
that correct?
I assume this would work for any sort of water leakage.


Yes


I wonder how this would work in a bathtub?
I know of a certain elderly person, who dont watch the tub when it's
filling, and tends to overflow the tub fairly often.
Ive been trying to find some way to alert them when the tub is near
full.

What are they called so I can google for them?

google for water alarm or water heater alarm.

Here's one example:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/First-Ale...Alarm/14710711


One on the floor would alert when the tub first starts to overflow.

best bet is to check both pumps once a month and before any
predicted storms.

let them actually run for a few seconds once a month to prevent the bearings from seizing.

buy a spare pump and keep it on the shelf, run it once a month as well

mark

On 1/25/17 10:16 AM, wrote:
best bet is to check both pumps once a month and before any
predicted storms.

let them actually run for a few seconds once a month to prevent the bearings from seizing.

buy a spare pump and keep it on the shelf, run it once a month as well

mark



You are definitely a belt and suspenders guy!

--
Legal gun owners in the U.S. possess over 300 million firearms and
billions of rounds of ammunition. Seriously people, if they were a
problem, youd know it!

Wade Garrett wrote:
On 1/25/17 10:16 AM, wrote:
best bet is to check both pumps once a month and before any
predicted storms.

let them actually run for a few seconds once a month to prevent the bearings
from seizing.

buy a spare pump and keep it on the shelf, run it once a month as well

mark



You are definitely a belt and suspenders guy!

I check quarterly. I run a hose from the drain faucet of the gas water heater
and dump that into the sump. I dump about 10 gallons of water in the 5 gallon
sump to test one cycle of the main pump and one cycle of the battery operated
pump. Change my electrostatic hot air furnace filter at the same time.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017 07:16:17 -0800 (PST), wrote:


buy a spare pump and keep it on the shelf, run it once a month as well

I had thought of that, and for a reason. I was once in a situation,
where there was flooding due to an extreme amount of rain. Due to
location, my home was ok, but I was in charge of maintenance at a
commercial building. I decided to go check that building. What was
normally a 10 min. drive, took an hour because of flooded roads. The
storm sewers were all backing up. When I got to that building, the
basement was starting to flood. Threre was a sump pump, but it could not
keep up with the amount of water. I got back in my truck to go to a
hardware store and buy another pump, or even two of them. It took over
an hour to get there, and when I did, they were sold out of all pumps,
and all sump pump hoses, and anything else that would be used to pump
water.

Needless to say, that building had severe flooding before the storm
ended. I was unable to even get back there, because of bridges being
washed out, and other flooding. I did manage to get home, but it was not
till the following day that I got back to that building. By then it was
too late. The water was slowly going down, but it had gotten to about 5
feet deep in that basement. There were finished rooms down there, all
were destroyed, as well as the furnace, water heaters and a lot more.

Actually, I doubt any pumps could have helped, since that part of the
city was all damaged, as all the sewers backed up, but at least I could
have possibly kept the water level lower if I had pumps on hand.

Buy a spare NOW, before you really need it, and the stores are sold out.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017 07:25:15 -0600, Dean Hoffman
wrote:

On 1/24/17 6:56 PM, wrote:

I wonder how this would work in a bathtub?
I know of a certain elderly person, who dont watch the tub when it's
filling, and tends to overflow the tub fairly often.
Ive been trying to find some way to alert them when the tub is near
full.

What are they called so I can google for them?

"Bathtub alarm" turned up a lot of hits.

Thanks, I was hoping there was something for this use.
I'd prefer it sensed the water before the tub began to overflow, rather
than after. As long as they are battery operated, there is no risk of
electrocution, and can be placed right into the tub itself. It looks
like some of them are made just to be used that way.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017 07:16:17 -0800 (PST), wrote:

best bet is to check both pumps once a month and before any
predicted storms.

let them actually run for a few seconds once a month to prevent the bearings from seizing.

buy a spare pump and keep it on the shelf, run it once a month as well

mark

Why would you ever run a new pump dry every month???? Most pumps are
NEVER to be run dry.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017 17:45:56 -0500, wrote:

buy a spare pump and keep it on the shelf, run it once a month as well

mark

Why would you ever run a new pump dry every month???? Most pumps are
NEVER to be run dry.

That's right. If it just sits on a shelf, in it's original box, there is
no reason to run it. I'd test it when I first bought it. Put a hose on
it, and pump a 5 gal bucket of water. As long as it works, just put it
back in the box (after it drys), and keep it in a safe place until
needed. There is no reason to run it monthly or even yearly. (They dont
run the ones on the shelves in the hardware store).

being a frugal guy and not finding little giant pond pumps quite adequate to provide suffieicent water flow for my pond, i use sump pumps for my pond. On a timer they run about 9 hrs a day in the summer.

Experienced life....about 1 year.

Cause of failure? one main issue....

Firstly the units are sealed, so they don't get water in the 'lectrics, but they do inevitably fail tripping the GFI. The Princess auto pumps have typically plastic bushings, and they wear out. goodby to water tightness....hello failure

Well, they don't make em like they used to. The upside is that they typically come with a one year warranty

With a 14 years under yer belt, I would suggest leaving it in place, getting a water alarm, and having a replacement pump at hand or even "piggybacked" in the same drainage can?????.

Just my though

Eric

Eric

On Wed, 25 Jan 2017 18:38:43 -0800 (PST), wrote:

being a frugal guy and not finding little giant pond pumps quite adequate to provide suffieicent water flow for my pond, i use sump pumps for my pond. On a timer they run about 9 hrs a day in the summer.

Experienced life....about 1 year.

Cause of failure? one main issue....

Firstly the units are sealed, so they don't get water in the 'lectrics, but they do inevitably fail tripping the GFI. The Princess auto pumps have typically plastic bushings, and they wear out. goodby to water tightness....hello failure

Well, they don't make em like they used to. The upside is that they typically come with a one year warranty

With a 14 years under yer belt, I would suggest leaving it in place, getting a water alarm, and having a replacement pump at hand or even "piggybacked" in the same drainage can?????.

Just my though

Eric

Eric
The OP already has a battery operated backup pump installed

On 01/25/2017 10:16 AM, wrote:
best bet is to check both pumps once a month and before any
predicted storms.

let them actually run for a few seconds once a month to prevent the bearings from seizing.

buy a spare pump and keep it on the shelf, run it once a month as well

mark



Yup, learned that the hard way. Pumps always fail after the stores close.

Got a brand new one with a pvc pipe extension cut to proper length and a new fernco coupler...all ready to go. Pump swap will only take about 30 seconds.

Arnie Goetchius posted for all of us...



trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

Why did you ask the question if you already had a solution in mind?

--
Tekkie

Tekkie® wrote:
Arnie Goetchius posted for all of us...



trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

Why did you ask the question if you already had a solution in mind?

Just trying to get an idea of how long the current pedestal will last

On Thu, 26 Jan 2017 17:04:26 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:

Tekkie® wrote:
Arnie Goetchius posted for all of us...



trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30:24 PM UTC-5, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

One part of me says you're right, it's getting old. The other part
of me tells me that if you replace it, what you get today will probably
not last nearly as long and many new products today fail after just a
few years.

The battery operated pump (Watchdog) is only a year old and it is hooked up to 3
deep cycle marine batteries. If the pedestal failed, the battery pump would keep
me going through the wet season and I could replace the pedestal at my convenience.

Why did you ask the question if you already had a solution in mind?

Just trying to get an idea of how long the current pedestal will last
Anywhere between about 5 seconds and another 20 years, give or take.

That's about as close as you are going to get.

On Thu, 26 Jan 2017 17:04:26 -0500, Arnie Goetchius
wrote:


Why did you ask the question if you already had a solution in mind?

Just trying to get an idea of how long the current pedestal will last

You'll never know, until it's dead....

No one can answer a question like that. How long will YOU live? Can you
answer that????

On 1/24/17 5:30 PM, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
I have a pedestal sump going on 14 years. I wonder how much longer it will run.
Typically, it runs 3-4 months a year between Dec and Apr. During heavy rain, it
will run about once every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds. It sits in a 5 gallon
can dug into the basement floor. There is also a battery operated pump in the
sump which will run if the the pedestal sump either fails or the electricity
quits. I figure after 14 years, it is getting near the end of life. Any thoughts?

Do you have maintenance chargers on the batteries?

The backup battery charger is IMPORTANT!!!