My sump pump stopped working

[Spork]

I noticed my sump filling up after heavy rains but the pump wouldn't come on. It's getting power but it's not pumping. What should I do to troubleshoot it?

[micky]

Is it a submersible pump or a pedestal pump?

Look at it. If it's a pedestal with a metal pipe, the pipe has probably rusted through at the usual water line. Better replace it before it rains.

Don't electrocute yourself during any testing or replacing.

[Spork]

I think it's a pedestal because the motor is outside of the sump. I left it unplugged overnight after checking the outlet with one of those LED plug-in testers with the three rows of lights like a little roulette machine. It was fine, properly grounded, etc. I was going to try testing it with my shop vac to make sure it really worked (the outlet) but decided what the hey, and plugged the pump back in and it began pumping away.

Whazzat mean?

Spork

[hrhofmann]

There should be float to turn on the power, Bypass the float, also make sure it moves up and down freely.

[philoÂÂ]

The float might have been stuck

[TomR]

Another thing to consider is the sump pump check valve. I had one that was damaged on the inside (the internal flapper was coming loose), and sometimes it would block the outflow of water. That made the sump pump overheat and stop. Then at other times it would become unblocked and the pump would work again. In my case, it was a submersible pump, but maybe the same thing could happen with a pedestal pump -- meaning a faulty check valve causing an intermittent problem where sometimes it pumps and sometimes it doesn't.

[Spork]

The float rod(?) was all the way up with the switch in the on position. I could push the float down and hear the switch click but nothing happened. Didn't change anything.

[Spork]

I think you've pretty much got it. I looked outside today and found a huge wad of mud and twigs were lying where it looked like they were ejected from the outlet pipe. The pump was very hot when I touched it after it stopped working. I think some sort of thermal overload had kicked in because the pump was working too hard trying to dislodge the gunk in the hose. It looks like something was trying to nest in the hose - it's been pretty dry around here until a few days ago. Not sure what to do to prevent anything from trying to move into the outlet hose again. Some sort of mesh?

Spork

[micky]

You have walking twigs? Walking mud?

My pump outlet is about a foot above the ground, and there it fits loosely into some black 4" corrugated plastic pipe, which is buried and comes out just outside my property, in the side of a stream bed.

I think the loose connection is so that if the plastic pipe gets clogged or collapses, the water will still eject from the pipe. Some of it will sink into the dirt 10 feet and get picked up by the perforated pipe surrounding the foundation, and then pumped out again, but that will take a while. (Less time if one considers that the weight of that water will bear on the water already in the ground and the impulse will travel faster than the water.)

Yes, I guess mesh might work but I can't figure out how this stuff is getting in there. Mesh can also make stuff inside the house clog up against the mesh, if there is anything other than water in the output. How long did it take to clog. 5 years? Maybe you could just check it ever 2 years.

[makolber]

To anyone with a sump pump

if the pump does not run for a period of time, the bearings can seize. It is a good idea to run the pump for a few seconds about once a month to make sure it runs and to exercise the bearings. I also make a point to test it when I hear a prediction of heavy rain.

Mark

[clare]

A mesh will plug from the inside if any crud builds up in the sump or discharge hose - not a good idea.

[clare]

The loose connection is also for "venting" so you always have air following the water down the pipe.

[bob haller]

I saw a vacant home totally covered in black mold, the entire home:(

The home sat on a hill but teres was no outlet if the sump pump failed.

So the home in foreclosure power was shut off, the basement had 6 inches of water in it when we looked, no doubt for many months. the house would need a mold abatement company to do a full gut job on the once nice house:(

The costs of abatement and rebulid probaly exceeded the value of the home, all preventable with a bit of digging and a french drain sump overflow pipe......

besides the overflow pipe would prevent a flood in a power outage