Sump pump discharge set-up

moneymgmt · 02-06-2012, 06:22 PM

Just bought this house, previous owner said originally the discharge blew right out the front of the house so he put this run into the ground and ran it out to the ditch. This is 1 1/2" pipe, the run to the street is roughly 120'.

When I first got here he didn't have the Fernco on tightly and there was a hairline gap where a bit of water would shoot out, but what I noticed more was the huge vacuum it created when the pump shut off. My thought was to put some type of AAV-type connection on it to feed the vacuum and take the pressure out of the pipe. A neighbor this weekend put his 2 cents in and said he thought I should remove the Fernco and put some type of funnel/reducer (bigger than the 1 1/2") so if the discharge ever froze out to the street it wouldn't back up into the house, and it would fill the vacuum issue also. My initial thought is that would just let crap get into the discharge line and be more prone to clogging than freezing.

Thoughts? How should it be set up?

Plumber101 · 02-06-2012, 07:21 PM

I'd like to see a pic of the sump pump itself

moneymgmt · 02-06-2012, 07:38 PM

It is a Rigid SP500

Plumber101 · 02-06-2012, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moneymgmt

It is a Rigid SP500

I NEED to see a pic of the sump pump and connected piping inside. Before I can tell you what you need to do.

It doesn't matter what pump you have. I am looking at the instalation and what was done.

Pic please

broox · 02-06-2012, 07:48 PM

So maybe the fernco was purposefully loose. Wouldn't that solve it ? Or was too much water leaking out?

joecaption · 02-06-2012, 07:55 PM

Trying to figure out how a vacuum can be formed with an open ended drain system.
Also why someone ran that drain out the wall like that instead of out though the foundation so it would not be seen and less likly to freeze.
Is there at least a check valve near the pump?

Plumber101 · 02-06-2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecaption

Trying to figure out how a vacuum can be formed with an open ended drain system.
Also why someone ran that drain out the wall like that instead of out though the foundation so it would not be seen and less likly to freeze.
Is there at least a check valve near the pump?

And that's why we need a pic. SO is there a swing gate there

moneymgmt · 02-06-2012, 08:10 PM

check valve is immediately out of the pit, on the floor in the pic. The vacuum comes as the water is trying to get down the 120' run but has no air on the back side of it. Like when you put a straw in a glass of liquid, cover the end with your finger, and pull it out.... the liquid stays in the straw.

joecaption · 02-06-2012, 08:13 PM

Drill an 1/8" hole in the pipe outside the wall.

moneymgmt · 02-06-2012, 08:19 PM

When he originally set this up he left a gap just longer than the Fernco would cover, thus the miss in proper connection. I dry fit the union and a 2" piece on so the Fernco fit better. Problem with the gap was it sprayed against the house and immediately froze (Michigan). Although the 1/8" hole is a quick fix I think we'd have the same spray issue.

Plumber101 · 02-06-2012, 08:25 PM

I remember talking to a yard sprinkler guy one time about a check valve that you could install that could work really great.

They weren't very expensive but you could cut the 90 going down outside and put a "T" in with check valve on the top.

joecaption · 02-06-2012, 08:26 PM

It does not need to be above ground to work. Or right up close to the foundation.

Ever seen an outside water hydrant. Not the ones by the street for the fire dept. That's how they work to keep from freezing. The valve gets closed and the water drains from the pipe below ground.

Plumber101 · 02-06-2012, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecaption

It does not need to be above ground to work. Or right up close to the foundation.

Ever seen an outside water hydrant. Not the ones by the street for the fire dept. That's how they work to keep from freezing. The valve gets closed and the water drains from the pipe below ground.

But the problem here is the check valve needs to be in a high spot since the water comes from inside the house and not below ground. Need to drain as much pipe as possible above ground to keep from freezing

joecaption · 02-06-2012, 08:42 PM

One more reason to not have it running up that high and back down again.
It should have ran up the wall, a 90 and out the foundation not up into the rim joist.

moneymgmt · 02-06-2012, 09:42 PM

Might be a bigger project than I want but what about this:
Behind the pipe, half way up the wall, is a 4" hole I planned to fill. Any reason not to go out that hole and then up to where the underground run connects in? Probably have to pull out about 2' down the foundation to find that hole. Doesn't do much for the vacuum issue but should clear up any concern of freezing.