Sump pump advice

[Brybo86]

Came home from work today and it smelled like stinky sump pit In the house. Sure enough the sump pit was 3/4 full and the pump was quietly humming, but not pumping.
Water was warm around it, like 110F. Cooking bunk water mmm...

It came with the house last year, Simer brand. Pump in pit connected to 1 1/2" pipe then check valve then drains into main sewer line.
The pit gets water from the laundry machine and occasionally the floor drain in the basement. It never runs more than once and hour in normal operation.

So I need a new one.

I'm have been reading about Zoeller and Liberty, 1/3 HP should be plenty.

I would like to buy and install myself today, so hopefully can be purchased locally in Chicago/north Chicagoland.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Tdbo]

Doesn't sound like you need advice, you seem to have it down pat.
Two weeks ago, on a Saturday night at 11:30 PM, the alarm on my battery back up pump went off.
I ended up with what ever brand Meijer had on the shelf.
Not crazy about the pump (would have liked to at least had a Wayne), but where else are you going to get a pump early Sunday morning?
It is what it is.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Zoeller works well for me.

 

[MrHorspwer]

Zoeller M53 and call it a day.

 

[NJ_Car_Owner]

May be worth while to have a 2nd sump pump available "just in case". I use one to empty my pool cover of water. If need be I can put that into play, nothing special but it will do the job if need be.

I don't have too many issues with water although in the spring I do hear my sump working night and day so luckily it's doing it's job but I had considered getting a water venturi type backup for when power goes out and I need a sump pump. I haven't had a need for it so I didn't go through the expense of installing one.

 

[Mantooth]

Another vote for a Zoeller.

 

[chevys10]

If you want the Zoeller 53 series get the N53. The part of the pump that fails the most is usually the float switch. The N53 requires you to use a separate float switch where the M53 has the switch built into the pump. When the switch goes bad you just swap it out and are good to go. The M53 would require disassembling the switch and is a lot more involved than just swapping it out on the N53. Hope that made sense.

I am also in Chicago and Zoeller's are relatively easy to find at plumbing supply stores. I heard a rumor that Ace sold them at one time. If you go the route of the N instead of the M it might be a bit harder to find locally. I ordered mine online.

 

[andyd]

I don't need a sump pump. But plenty of folks do around here. You need a good working sump pump, Get 2, keep a spare ready to go. Especially if you have a finished basement.

 

[Brybo86]

Humming, water was nice and warm.

Sludge covered pump, gross

I dug out an entire 5 gallon bucket full of sludge. house is 70 yrs old

empty pit

basement is 100% unfinished so i will go with a single pump for now

 

[tmorris1]

The pump is probably good. You just needed to clean everything out.

 

[SatinSilver]

The sludge is probably from the washer and drain going into the sump pit. I wonder if code allows that? It sure looks better after you cleaned up that area. The area around the sump looks horrid in the first few pictures, very gross. Maybe a good acid wash would help the floor a bit.

 

[MNgopher]

Not going to get into it as I have no idea what codes are in your area, but I will state much of what you described would not be allowed by code here. (Sump pit draining the sanitary sewer line, laundry draining to the sump pit, etc...)

Sump pumps are generally intended for clean water. Since you appear to have other things going on besides clean sump water, you may want to consider a pump rated for sewage to deal with all the "sludge" you are getting in your pit.

Pump wise, Zoeller is the way to go...

 

[Brybo86]

I got a new Zoeller M53 and silent check valve.

It isn't a clean water sump, there is no drain tile connected maybe a slight amount of seepage into the base I guess but it is a solid clay basin.

The only thing that ever drains into it is the floor drain and laundry/utility sink.

Definitely not running nonstop clean water during heavy rains.

I just bought this house a couple months ago so this sludge wasn't from me.

Will post pics of my install.

 

[chevys10]

I'm in Chicago like the OP and have a washing machine going into a slop sink that drains into a sump pit and the sump pit being pumped into the sanitary line. The sump also handles the rain water. I haven't done a lot of research on it but I believe those setups are grandfathered in for Chicago...

 

[Brybo86]

pit vacuumed out

new setup including vent hole in PVC for check valve,
this thing is extremely quiet and i love that it doesn't have the loud water hammer/check valve closing noise

in the pit

cover on

old plastic pump had multiple holes melted into the sides

 

[doitmyself]

I've been wanting to try the Liberty Pump because it draws quite less amperage and its literature claims that the switch is more reliable (the weak point of the Zoellers). But, I just cannot bring myself to do it. Our local plumbing jobber implies that they get a few more returns with the Liberty, but it is very difficult to judge how reliable this information is.

I like to drill that hole at an angle pointing down to attempt to limit the splashing.

Glad you got everything taken care of there. Feels good, right?

Take care.

 

[Brybo86]

Yeh feels good but I agree that the little hole splashes a lot. Without the cover on it splashes all out of the pit.
The base of the pump also has a relief hole. Is the one in the PVC even necessary?
I may do like you say and drill it at an angle.
Or use a tiny bit.

 

[Brybo86]

I just read on another site where a guy put a rubber coupling that goes from 1.5" to 2" over the hole that way it sends it straight down.
Sounds like I may try it

 

[Brybo86]