Sump Pump Replacement Play by Play

[jteneyck]

I asked for opinions on quality sump pumps a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to everyone for your input, and also the recommendation to purchase through SumpPumpsDirect.com Helpful advise, very fair prices, and quick delivery. It was their recommendation that I consider a 1/3 HP Liberty Pump for my 14" diameter sump pit that I went with. It is about the smallest 1/3 HP pump available with it's very well designed float switch. It also has low starting and running amps. The price was very fair, too, at $139. I bought two of them as well as two Zoeller check valves, and had them in two days. When I got them I found that Liberty Pump's headquarters is in Bergen, NY, about 50 miles away, so I was glad to have helped a local company, too.

Here's what my sump pit looks like with the old 1/2 HP pump at the bottom and battery backup above it.



When I got them out I had this:



It has a clay bottom with a piece of cement block for the pump to sit on. There are two drains that come into the sump, even though it may look like three. There location, along with the drain line above the pit, influenced how I oriented the pumps. With that decided,
I moved the cement block over for the lower pump, and then inserted some bricks to support the higher, backup pump, but other than working in such an awkward location it was pretty straight forward. I elevated the backup pump 3" above the lower, primary one.

I sat them in place and then measured for the new PVC piping I needed to put together. With just a little trimming it fit together nicely so I glued it up and let it set for half an hour. With it all together it looks like this:



The primary pump is at the back.



And all buttoned up. The union made coupling the pumps with the drain line an easy operation.



Very quiet operation; I can hardly hear them run.

Each pump is connected to a separate AC circuit so if one pump dies and trips its breaker in the process the other will still be able to take over. I have a whole house generator, so power's not a problem and this seems like the most fail safe system possible.

John

[crokett™]

I would have thought there'd be a check valve between the backup pump and the wye so that when the primary stops pumping water doesn't drain back into the backup pump. Where are the check valves?

[blackhat]

He mentioned in the narrative that he got 2 check valves. They most certainly are required.

[jteneyck]

There is. There is a check valve screwed into the outlet of both pumps.

John

[crokett™]

blackhat said:

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He mentioned in the narrative that he got 2 check valves. They most certainly are required.

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I read that but didn't see them in the pictures.

[Robert Adams]

crokett™ said:

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[blockquote]blackhat said:

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He mentioned in the narrative that he got 2 check valves. They most certainly are required.

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I read that but didn't see them in the pictures.

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[/blockquote]

Same here I was looking for them but with the angle of the pics I couldn't see them.

Only time I have messed with a double pump was at a club on the lake. They had a sewage pit and had two grinder pumps. They often failed because they were too small and it was a heck of a lift to the sewer. It was a 30' or more lift and to make it worse it was into a pressurized sewer main... it really needed a boost pump but no one would listen...

So those pumps would grind away pretty much 24/7 switching between the two on a timer. One pump died and someone had to go in the pit and it wasn't going to be me....

[jteneyck]

Yeah, sorry, somehow I forgot to take a picture of the pump and check valves before I put them into the pit. After I had them in there I wasn't motivated enough to pull them back out.

John