The subject of backup sump pumps has been discussed here before, in the last 6 months. You could search foir that thread. Battery powered ones such as mentioned are good but have limitations of battery life. Out here we can lose power for a long time so it is an issue. For the record it is what I have (of my own design) but I have a pretty big bank of very nice batteries which I baby and treat better than batteries ever get treated. And I have a generator to back that up. (And I also have a second AC pump as another backup). Overkill? I learned the hard way... A backup system that might be better is a water powered one as shown on "Ask This Old House" recently. It is powered by CITY water and pumps out 2 gal for every gal it uses. Keep in mind this is no good if you have well water as the power will be out for that also. And to my fellow tree huggers who will say "that is a waste of water" I ask: What is the environmental effect from tearing out all your drywall, carpeting and furniture and hauling it all to the dump? And keep in mind it is a BACKUP not the primary pump.

Mike

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Yesterday I did a little research and found out that my pit is filling up to the point that the pump kicks on every 7-8 minutes! That is a lot of water coming from who knows where. So I unplugged the pump and let the water fill to the point that the inlets were covered which is about 6 inches from the top. After that the water fill rate was much slower but still continued to rise. The strange thing is that the water flow seems to be increasing even though we haven't had any rain to speak of in a month. I called a leak detection service that wants to charge me $295 to locate the problem with infared. Anyone ever have this done? If they find an aquafer, what can I do about it?

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I'd be interested to hear the result of their inspection if you hire them, HD.

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If they find and aquafer which is likely the case just be glad you have a working sump. How old is the house? There may be some tile issues or something you can do to divert the water but the expense is pretty high. The sump relieves hydostaitc pressure around your footings, floor and foundation so water does not build up and flows through little cracks and erode your footings. A pump running every 7-8 minutes is above normal so it may be worth it to have it checked out.

The house was built in 1978 and has poured walls. The drain lines coming into the pit are PVC as are the downspout lines. I'll let everyone know what comes of the test if I go that direction. Till then I'll keep an eye on the flow to see if it increases or decreases. Thanks so much for all your ideas and help!!! hdexpert

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1995 Toyota Pickup
2003 Suzuki Burgmann 400
2002 VW Passat 4Motion V6
1957 Aristocraft Torpedo Boat

If you are going to spend $295 on leak detection, I would recommend getting a soil engineer out there instead who will locate the leak, can make sure you weren't lied to on the disclosures statement and can make a recommendation as to what needs to be done to correct or mitigate if anything. I am heavily involved in two foundation cases right now, and people waste so much money on french drains, landscapers, ect....without first getting a soil engineer when he can come in there and identify the problem and provide a solution. I got a bill from one for @$500 last week so it isn't really cost prohibitive. If he says you were lied to and something needs to be remediated, you will already have an expert's report in case you consider litigation.

my .02.

Be glad your basement is not leaking and the sump is doing its job, if there is an aquifer you are at the mercy of Mother Nature my old house had several but with forward thinking we tiled the areas and diverted the water to a county drain that was luckily closing by.

If you have a storm drain you can run tile into that which is the best case because your sump becomes a back up in the event of a plugged storm drain.

Tour problem may also be as simple as some grading or landscaping around your house to move water away from your house.

You know how much I pay attention to Hud statements, but wouldn't you have to disclose existence an aquifer? (I really don't know so am asking)

If the foundation leaks or they had flooding yes. In Michigan water running into sumps is normal so it would not have to be disclosed.

but you know my golden rule, when in doubt....disclose.

That's not what you told me to do yesterday But I did it anyway for $$$

hdexpert - sounds like you have an artisian well.

My neighbourhood is an older one, all well and septic and the water table is high. I have a sump pit, but it only fills a bit in the spring, when the snow melts. Apparently though, some neighbours have artisian wells - which means the well will constantly fill and hence requires constant evacuation.

Did the previous owner/estate agent mention this? I would ask them and get a concrete answer. If this is the case, I would definitely have a backup system and perhaps a water sensor alarm as well.

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Here are a few more thoughts.
Take a sample of the water in your sump to someone and have it tested for Chlorine. Maybe your local water company will do this. The presence of chlorine would indicate treated ( municipal ) water rather than ground water.

Another possible source could be a leaking blow-off valve for the water heater, although you'd notice that lack of hot water.

House built in 1978, hmmm. Could it have the blue polybutelene ( spelling?) water line from the main to your house? Is there a patch of really green grass that always seems to grow even when the rest of the yard is dry and dead? Does that patch of green grass coincide with the water line from the street to your house?

Water meters inside and outside your house probably show different numbers, as they were probably installed at different times. What you need to do is check the water used in specific time period on each meter--looking at the difference between the two readings on each meter--that should agree.

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It depends on what is being disclosed

Another thought: Where does the sump pump dump the water to? Is the same water just recirculating back to the sump pump pit? I had to put an extension on my outlet pipe to direct the water away from the house. Otherwise, the same water would just loop. Turn off the water main in the house and watch the water meter at the pit in the street for 10 minutes to see if there is a water main leak.

[quote=BobK;1536047]Another thought: Where does the sump pump dump the water to? Is the same water just recirculating back to the sump pump pit? quote]

Gawd, thanks for mentioning that! I forgot to state the obvious.