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Newbie just bought home sump pump issues

6522 Views 54 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  psilva8
I just purchased a home up here in cny I have noticed my sump runs once every minute and that the water coming in to the well is constant flow what can I do to address this. What could be my problem what should I do first they also had a back up water pressure pump installed in case I lose power. It also is loud and annoying is there anythign I can do to fix that also. Any of your help is appreciated Thanks again all of you guys and gals.
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1. Does the pump send the water away from the house and downhill far enough that water does not pond next to the foundation?

2. If you turned the pump off for several minutes after it stopped, does the bottom half of the pit refill fast and the top half refill slowly? If so re-adjust the float switch on the pump so it shuts off when the pit is half empty and does not turn on until the pit is almost full.

3. You may need to regrade the land around the foundation so other water does not pond next to the foundation.
yes it is plenty far away and they also installed a check valve to make sure it does not come back in. I will try what you said to do with the pump thanks for the help.
how do you change the setting on the pump.
Most sump pumps have a float switch. When the level rises, the float rises thereby turning the pump on. When the water level drops the float drops thereby turning the pump off.

There are differnent kinds of float valves but they all work on the same principle. Try to see if you can find the float and then describe it to us. Then you need to see at what level the pump starts and at what level the pump shuts off. Sometimes the pump shuts off too early, or starts too early.

Have a look at the type of float switch you have and monitor it and get back to us. Take a picture of the pump and post that for us if you can't find what I describe.
I will take some pictures this afternoon and post them thanks for the help
sorry, just saying that might be something that you are going to have to live with. Heard of new homes having been built in wet areas having pumps run constant. I doubt you'll get rid of the water, you might want to try insulating the noise some, although if it was me, I'd like to know that pump was running, versus forgetting to keep an eye on it and having a flood issue.
They installed a backup water pressure pump also what would be a good way to insulate somethign like that.
I said insulate, but was trying to say, if its the noise that is the most bothersome, you might be able to isolate the noise level. Maybe building something around the pump to keep the noise level down some. Not sure of your set-up but you should be able to do something so its not disturbing the household.
Is the check valve close to the bottom of the pipe coming out of the sump pump. also might want to check and make sure you don't have an underground water leak on your plumbing inside and out. It might be you have a spring under the house which would cause it to run constantly As far as the noise goes you can try insulating the pipe and strapping it down nice and tight so it doesn,t vibrate against the joist or any other part of the house. another thing is wait until this summer when the ground water level outside drops and see if it slows down then. A lot of places tend to have high ground water levels in the spring when the snow melts. Might let us know where you live and see if this might be an issue.
I just purchased a home up here in cny I have noticed my sump runs once every minute and that the water coming in to the well is constant flow what can I do to address this. What could be my problem what should I do first they also had a back up water pressure pump installed in case I lose power. It also is loud and annoying is there anythign I can do to fix that also. Any of your help is appreciated Thanks again all of you guys and gals.
ok i see you are from ny. Did you have a lot of snow this year and is it melting rapidly. posting some pics would help also. I was raised in northern maine and we had that problem every spring. Just a thought
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I live in upstate ny cicero to be exact do you think by now that the ground has thawed also here are some pics of the sump pump setup if anyone could help me to adjust it

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here are some more pics it is made by zoeller

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Probably a big reason why it's so noisy is b/c there is no cover.

Also, most sump pumps are not adjustable.

Water from the backup water pressure pump could be leaking into the pit.

I would start by first shutting off the supply valve to the backup to see if the pit stops filling up and thus the pump will not run "every minute."
If the backup water pump is the problem how would I fix that. That needs to stay on in case of power loss or pump failure.
Is the home in a low area?
Do you have all your downspouts removing the water as far away from the foundation as possible?
How deep was the snow pack near the home before it started to melt?
Was the sump running when the temperature outside was below freezing for many days?
I just purchased the home it is actually higher than the houses around me the snow has been melted for at least a month now. just do not know if the groung is damp due to the winter frost.
If the backup water pump is the problem how would I fix that. That needs to stay on in case of power loss or pump failure.
You may just need to tighten up loose fittings, which can happen over time. The important thing is to find the leak.
which fittings would you be talking about and where would they be.
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