I went to visit my mother and noticed a new pump was installed next to the old unit, the pit cover is steel 5ft wide with several acess covers, so it fit in fine. I was told by my mom the old unit would not turn off, the plumber turned it off, told her it was "obsolete, broke, a new unit needed". The pump is in a 80 yr old house built to the highest standard then, it is apx a 500- 800 gallon pit, the pump is 240v with alarm bell system, the motor itself is apx 1ft wide by 14 " high. The motor unit is
2ft above the floor. It is a commercial unit that works well, is oiled every 6 months and in 30 years stuck on once from a sock falling off the laundry machine. Even with the pump off in spring for weeks no flooding ever occured. A basement sink and washing machine drain into it as does the Tile system. Ive checked the brushes on the motor and even after possibly 30-80 years have 30% life left, it operates well, I oil its 5 ports regularly, every 6 months. I imagine it is a 2-4000$ commercial unit to replace today. The plumber turned off the pump at the units separate hardwired breaker box , my mom did not know how to do this. [On the receipt the plumber states she turned it off] she said this is a not true, that is why she called them.Well being the very suspicious person I am, I figured it was a
50-100$ bad switch or rusted out shaft or bushing. So I flipped it on expecting nothing , but it pumped, it cycled, the switch worked fine as I expected, and I re tested it many, many times, and all is fine. Knowing the 2nd floor laundry shute is above and slightly in front, that the dryer rests on part of the pit, and having pulled laundry off the pump many many times im guessing something might have caught on the exposed float rod or switch handle keeping it from shutting off.So now im angry and check the install. The new 120v 1.5" pump the plumber plugged into the dryer 15a circuit with a power strip sitting on the floor , behind the washer-dryer, plugging the dryer in that also. I don`t know amp draw of either unit but guess that if both turn on at the same time the 15a fuse will likely blow. So I get a bit more angry. I notice the plumber put a check valve at the pump base, not at the 7ft ceiling as I thought should be done, but then I noticed the old pump had no check valve that an Air Trap was designed into the discharge pipe flowing outside at the ceiling, I don`t see the new unit needed one and this one was most likely improperly installed to low anyway.
I am planning on contacting and recording a conversation with the plumber [here it is legal for me to record conversations] possibly get a permit, and city inspector out. I wont know if the Stop Pay order was successful until Monday. Now I have 2 good pumps. In Ilinois penalites can be doubled for ripping off the elderly, my mom is 88. What would you have done and do now.