Sump Pump Check Valve Vibrates

[dan2590]

Hello, quick question for the experts out there. I live in the midwest and have a sump pump in the basement. PVC from sump pump runs up the basement wall and across a 10 foot ceiling section and connects directly to the city sewer system underground (I think).

Our sump had been making a BANGING noise at the end of each cycle. Reading up about that, I determined it must be a bad check valve. Replaced that myself. Still a lot of vibration. Had a plumber come out...he recommended a new sump pump as our home is 12-years old. Plumber installed that, and told me to secure the ceiling PVC better to remove vibration. Winter came and I forgot about it. ;(

Now that we've had some thaws, vibration came back worse than ever. I got some hangers and secured the PVC as solid as possible. Now, the vibration is localized to the check valve, and it lasts like 30-45 seconds after the pump cycles. No banging, just loud vibration.

I had saved the original check valve, which the plumber had said was still good. I put that back on, and all was quiet, until I noticed it was leaking around the upper rubber flanges. I tightened it down and now it's the same...massive vibration localized to the check valve after a cycle, lasting around 30-45 seconds.

Any ideas what's happening?

[hallerb]

with a vibrating load rubber mounts would be better, think of your cars engine.

are you aware its illegal to put sump pump ground water down a sanitary sewer? during heavy rains the extra groundwater floods the sewer plant.

eventually your sewer company or at home resale will catch up with you.

around here they check on avewrage every 2 years and at home resale have a tanker truck come out with infrared dye stained water dump it in all downspouts sump pumps etc, while checking at a manhole looking for the tell tale of cheating.

[Joe]

Illegal in many communities and just a bad practice generally.

closed system which then relieves the pressure through the check valve. Confirm by allowing the pump to discharge at atmospheric pressure, i.e., out onto your lawn or into a (legal) storm sewer. The water can't all drain, so some will return to the check valve and you will hear a single bang as it closes, then nothing further. if this cenario works, that will tell you how to modify the system for better peac and quiet. Good luck.

Joe

[dan2590]

(1) The check valve has rubber flanges on either side of it attaching to the PVC. The check valve "moves" rapidly with the vibration, but it is strong enough to make noise we can hear throughout the house, and it lasts for quite some time after the sump cycle ends.

(2) I said "sewer" but I honestly have no idea where it goes. There's nothing outside the house that's evident where the sump discharges, so I assume it's hooked up underground to "something" that drains it away. I've asked neighbors in the past and theirs are all the same way, and it's a fairly new neighborhood (

[Ermalina]

Be sure you have a small hole drilled in the sump discharge pipe to prevent air lock.

"Drill a relief hole (1/8" or 3/16" diameter) in the discharge pipe. This hole should be located below the floor line between the pump discharge and the check valve. Unless such a relief hole is provided a bottom intake pump could "air lock" and will not pump water even though it will run."

[mm]

I don't have a check valve, but was considering putting one in.

What say you all, do they all make a bang at the end of the cycle? Or even a noise?

I was considering instead of a battery backup sump pump getting that water powered thing, a bit cheaper but but more work to install.

If the check valve is going to go BANG, I would rather get the water powered thing.

[dan2590]

No, ours originally was quiet, and the neigbors I've asked are quiet as well. Something changed to make it bad in the first place. I wouldn't make a decision based on a check valve making noise in my case. Frankly, I didn't know this existed until last summer, it was normal-sounding prior to that. FWIW a neighbor has a backup water powered thing, and he feels it's a good solution.

[dnoyeB]

damn sure wouldnt. plumbers removed my neighbors water backup and put in a 2nd electrical pump. Not even a backup pump. Those idiots need to be sued. no room for 2 electric pumps with arm style floats. Im disgusted by it.

anyway, this has nothing to do with the water hammer. which I think is just pipes working themselves loose.

[mm]

But this sort of confirms the ebay guy's story. If your neighbor's plumbers could be so stupid, so could an owner!

I agree.

[dnoyeB]

My pumps have had a form of that hole as well. Also, I snake my exhaust lines. I have pictures of that too. My pipes had about a 1/2" coating of red mud on them. Thats why I installed the cleanout. I need to snake once a year. Too bad I didnt know this before I put up the drywall or I would have put in a better elbow...

[dnoyeB]

definitely true. My neighbors pump has been running probably non-stop since the plumber put it in. The arm is blocked and it just runs and runs and steams. probably going on 3 months now. Strong little sucker. But it will give up the ghost at that rate, soon enough...

there was a sewage pump in the pit, its coated with like 1" of red mud. Probably does not work. They just replaced it. but all it needs is to be opened up and clean the gunk off the blades. I guess Plumbers don't do that. Of course they probably saw the Jaguar in the garage and said skip it...