[sweaty]

My Flotec pedestal sump pump churns the water around, but the level does not go down. Consequently, the float is always up and it runs for days, gets hot, and makes a burning smell.

I bailed out the well with a bucket. Is there possible a pipe not connected? I didn't see a problem.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Is there a check valve in the system?

Where does it pump to?

 

[handy man88]

My Flotec pedestal sump pump churns the water around, but the level does not go down. Consequently, the float is always up and it runs for days, gets hot, and makes a burning smell.

I bailed out the well with a bucket. Is there possible a pipe not connected? I didn't see a problem.

Did you make any changes recently? Is the check valve reversed?

 

[hayewe farm]

Could be the impeller has come loose.

 

[sweaty]

No changes. I do not know if there is a check valve. It pumps through plastic pipe, goes through the wall, underground, and empties about 20 feet from the house.

The house was built in 1977 and I suspect this is the original pump.

 

[MALCO.New.York]

Disconnect the line and blow it out. If the line is clear, the impeller has broken down to bits. "Bits" is enough to churn but NOT create a flow pattern!


Flotec brand (nowadays anyway) is part of the problem!!!

 

[nelsonned]

is a check valve always necessary?

 

[Dave Carney]

Check the inlet, is it clogged?

 

[sweaty]

The old pump bit the dust. I bought a new Rigid 1/2 hp pump at HD and it's great! Real quiet and powerful.

 

[piercekiltoff]

Check valves are generally necessary. Primarily, they are to keep a) the pump from spinning backwards and b) water from flowing back into the area you're trying to drain.

In deep well pumps, the well pump shuts off and then suddenly the flow reverses for a split second - without enough check valves that could end up being a LOT of water that is reversing. For example, at the bottom of a 300 foot bore, you can see up to 189 PSI in the pump discharge head (300 feet of head X 0.43 PSI per foot, plus 60 PSI for the cut-off pressure).