Sump Pump cycle

Jan 30, 2008 4 Replies

When my sump runs and discharges fine but after the cycle it kicks on and off about 3 or 4 times for like 2 seconds, not even long enough to lift the water. Then it's fine till the next full discharge. This happens after a full discharge cycle. Do you think it's the check valve or float, or maybe the pump itself?


might be a bad check valve leaking some water back into the sump causing the pump to short cycle

Any luck with this? Mine just started to do these symptoms today, and if I hold the float switch up (on), then it will continue to do those symptoms (turn on and off every 2 seconds for like 3 or 4 times, sometimes longer. I then replaced the float switch with a new one, and I get the same symtoms. Even though I just bought the new switch, it still seemed like the switch was still the culprit, but I ruled it out by bypassing the switch altogether, and it still shows the symptoms...on for like 10 seconds, then on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off, etc.....It's crazy and it makes me think that its a built-in mechanism telling the owner that its on its last leg, and should be replaced soon. I am interested to see what you discovered, since I couldn't find these same symptoms anywhere else.

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