Posts: 5,733
Threads: 2
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Fort Worth
The float adjustment probably needs to be messed with. Just cause the pump is running doesn't mean the basement is being flooded. Different soil conditions and waterproofing on the basement wall etc or ground water from under the house needing to be pumped out. Normal for those fortunate enough to live in a climate that is nice enough to have a basement... Here in Crematoria(Texas) we only have to deal with pumping heat out 9 months of the year. Cheaper and easier to pump water...
Posts: 12,892
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Lewiston, NY
Posts: 12,607
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
Our pump cycles regularly when we have rain, and in heavy rain it cycles quite a bit. That's the purpose of the sump. That said, if you think there's a problem like John said, call the owner.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Posts: 2,273
Threads: 3
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Central America
04-13-2020, 11:38 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-13-2020, 11:42 AM by atgcpaul.)
We'll send a note to the owner just as a CYA. There aren't even any pipes leading out the top of the sump pit. At least the rain is supposed to move out of here in a couple hours.
Posts: 22,714
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Regina Saskatchewan Canada
In the meantime, get her a radio with good volume.
Blackhat
Bad experiences come from poor decisions. So do good stories.
Posts: 16,604
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Ra-cha-cha, NY
It's possible the check valve is stuck open, allowing the line to backflow and refill the pit and reducing the net level change.
It can also be that the on/off points are just too close, which happened to me the one time I'm aware of that my sump pump actually got a real workout from heavy, extended rain a few years ago. Mine's a pedestal type, and the on and off points are separately adjustable, so I lowered the off and raised the on to take up most of the depth.
Being so noisy, it sounds like you have the pedestal type rather than a submersible. I'd suggest replacing it with a submersible, but it's not your house.
One thing I noticed is that the water rose slower as the water depth increased, so increasing the 'off' depth probably resulted in less total run time once the ground water dropped a little. I could actually see it pouring into the pit through the crushed stone base. That's a quick adjustment that I'd look into if I were you, and while in the pit, take a look to see if the water level rises a lot when the pump shuts off. Then call the owner if it does.
Tom
“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
Posts: 64,702
Threads: 3
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Merryland
Like stated above, check valve stuck open or there's no check valve at all. Pretty common. But, if there's high ground water... it will run a lot. .
Posts: 10,778
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Front seat on the Struggle Bus
High groundwater table and poor drainage can cause a sump pump to run almost non-stop.
The fact the house has 2 seperate systems doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
Ed