Sump Basin is always full of water

[papa smurf]

Hello all. I'm a fairly new homeowner. I purchased a ranch that sits on about 3 acres of land... This house has had its fair share of issues for only being 9 years old. It has a basement with two sump pumps. One I'm sure is connected into the septic system and the other I believe is intended to divert water that is collected beneath the house? Anyhow, I have replaced my sump pump for my second time. * I was lucky to purchase a pump with a lifetime warranty the last go. * The sump basin is almost always full of water. Would it be safe to say there is a clog somewhere in the pipe going outside of my property or even a hole that is causing the water to just filter back into the basement? My pumps can barely keep up with the constant flow of water going into the sump basin. There have been occasions where the electric has gone out, and the basement will flood. (I=92m planning to get a back up pump but that is another story all together.) I know that water problems should be corrected from the outside in. So I have made sure to clean my gutters, clear any derbies from the connecting gutter outlets and made sure everything is properly diverted away from the house. This has actually helped to keep water from entering into the basement while the electric is out. However, I still seem to have a consistent flow of water in the sump basin. Any suggestions on how I can remediate this problem is much appreciated!

[Phil Again]

Papa Smurf:

Be aware that due to massive amount of problems with posters from GMAIL, many readers of this newsgroup filter out all posts that come from @gmail like your original post.

Your post needs as wide an audience as you can get. There is a remote chance that the leach field for your septic tank system may be in some way influencing the extra moisture in your sump pumps.

Also, with 3 acres of land I suspect your sump pumps would be directed to a dry well (hole in ground filled with rocks and covered with dirt and sod.) Rain fall in this wet summer may have soaked land around you and dry well is saturated.

I am not an expert on this. Please post back about where you are located, i.e.: dry southwest, Upper Midwest, Great lakes region, East coast shore line. If you are in Iowa flood plain, or Mississippi valley, go away until next year.

[papa smurf]

I am in Ohio. Unfortunately, leaving home isn't an option for me. haha... Wish I could sometimes though. I don't know much about the septic system it's self. Are there any good resources I could tap into to educate myself before I call people to correct this issue?

[dpb]

That's generally a no-no and undoubtedly would be disallowed by whatever is the jurisdiction in charge if there were one.

...

No, if the pipe were shut it wouldn't flow -- what it means is whatever is the water source is higher than the sump pit. If you're in one of the super wet areas this summer, more than likely the ground is saturated and the groundwater level is just below the surface a few feet and essentially your basement is acting as a boat. Again, if you have any rise around the house, quitting putting the outflow into the septic and exhausting it to run away on the surface may help slightly over time.

...

See above and check w/ locals on what the normal water tables, etc., are. There's too little anybody remote can know about the area and the location and house in particular to do more than just generalize.

--

[dpb]

ransley wrote: ...

3A _in_ the city??? :)

[ransley]

It could be many issues and just simply high water level. You need to get the water sampled to see if it is city water=3D main break, sewer water=3D sewer or septic, or ground water meaning high water table. Contack your water co, mine would come out for free for ideas and quick evaluation and know who could test water. I imagine you pay alot to keep it pumped out. If its just the water table then it will be hard to fix, only maybe will trees plants, and diverting water help. You need onsite pro advise your water co may be able to give, or even the city inspector.

[trader4]

Agree with all of the above. A sump pump should not be connected into the septic system as it can put a lot of water into a place where you don't need it. Sump pump water can be discharged on the surface,

15ft+ from the house. I'd check with neighbors to see what their experience with ground water has been. Even then, it can vary significantly from one house to the next. You should check as to exactly where the water is going when it pumps out and make sure a lot of it's not running back into the sump pit (check valve).

Your next step may be to bring in a home inspector or similar to evaluate what is going on as it's impossible to diagnose this by remote control.

[zzyzzx]

I also agree.

[HeyBub]

I would think the posters from GMAIL would have the problem inasmuch as you can't post to a newsgroup using GMAIL.

You can post via Google Groups and/or use a return address of a gmail account, but as far as using gmail itself to post, sorry, can't be done.

[Don & Lucille]

[jmeehan]

I happen to be in Ohio as well, and I suggest you find a local professional who knows what he is doing and have him take a good look at what you have. Local conditions make a big difference in these situations so you need local advice. Stick with the local codes. Not doing so is likely to result in a poor job and more bigger problems later and could kill the deal if and when you decide to move.

[jack]

It is not uncommon to have really wet basements. My old house used to pump continually when wet and every few minutes when dry.

The first thing you want to do is find out where you are pumping to, and see if you can improve on that.

[Jerry - OHIO]

A broken pipe will let water to come back into the crock if it isn't going far away from the house.I would pay to have a drain camera sent out both sumps. Is one pump a grinder for a sewer line ? Jerry

[ransley]

Have sump pit water tested to see if its City, Sewer or ground water

[papa smurf]

e in message

Yes... There is a long pipe that etends to the ceiling and exits just above the seal plate of the house... The check valve is working great. I recently purchased a new one and installed it.

[ransley]

ote in message

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How far does it drain away from the house, is house in low area, with a high water table it might not be far enough. I would not drain into a septic system also.

[starrin]

And where does it go from there. In other words where are you pumping the water?

[mm]

Hard to read your one fat paragraph. Snipped.

You should ask your neighbors how their basements are doing. It's a good way to get to know your neighbors and they will probably know a lot. Start with one and he may introduce you to others who know the most about a certain problem.

I guess in this case if you can find someone whose property is about the same height, that would be good, but otoh, I've heard that water table will go up and down sort of parallel to the ground surface sometimes. And you can find someone whose house is lower.