Flooded basement

[Bolt action]

I shared on here that my mom passed back in September. Since then, my siblings and I have been going to the house periodically to check on it and work on cleaning it out. When I went out Sunday, the basement was flooded.. probably 12" of standing water. The sump pump that was there was old, but still worked. I think that the water got deep enough that the sump fell over, pulling the cord out of the wall. once that was unplugged, there was nothing keeping the water level in check. The house is older and keeping the basement dry was always a challenge. Anyway on Sunday, I plugged the sump back in and reconnected the output pvc pipe to the sewer line. I went back to check on it on Tuesday, and the same thing had happened where the pump was tipped over, the pvc disconnected, and the power cord unplugged. I tried to reconnect it again, but this time it wouldn't pump. I bought a similar pedestal style sump and installed it that night thinking I'd be in good shape. I went back to check on it again yesterday, and the pump was off. plugged in, but not on. It turns out that pedestal sump pumps are not submersible. So now i'm going to get a submersible unit. I'm guesstimating that there's about 10-12,000 gallons that need to be pumped out. I'm looking at 1/3 hp units, but have no experience with this. 

Does anyone have any experience with submersible units that they could share? Things to look for, stay away from, etc... Any suggestions are appreciated. 

[squirrelwhisperer]

What size is your discharge line (the pvc you mentioned)? I would look for a pump with similar sized outlet. an external check with respect to the motor, bigger is better. Don't shy away from a 1/2 or even 3/4 hp pump, if you can swing it. It will pump more, faster and with less strain on the motor. 

I was never a fan of the external float switches. They can hang up on something, usually the well and render the pump inoperable. 

[Kmartinson]

I'm with the whisperer,  bigger is better, make sure that it isn't a plugged waste line, may be watch the pump work, and look at the outflow if possible. Some times silt will raise hell with these pumps as well. It's good to keep it off of the direct soil, place it inside of a filter or perforated bucket. It's tough to make a suggestion without seeing the setup.

[wolc123]

Our current sump pump is a Rigid 1/2 hp stainless steel submersible from Home Depot.  They usually last me about 3-4 years and currently come with a 5 year warranty, that renews each time you bring one back.   They stocked some other brand as their “premium” line for a while.

I keep the box with the receipt in it on a shelf near the pump. They have never given me any trouble at the Home Depot return counter, when I brought in my worn out pumps.  The first one actually came with a lifetime warranty.  I have been running those for about 20 years.  I keep a pedestal pump on standby for backup, for when the main submersible fails.

[luberhill]

2 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

Our current sump pump is a Rigid 1/2 hp stainless steel submersible from Home Depot.  They usually last me about 3-4 years and currently come with a 5 year warranty, that renews each time you bring one back.   They stocked some other brand as their “premium” line for a while.

I keep the box with the receipt in it on a shelf near the pump. They have never given me any trouble at the Home Depot return counter, when I brought in my worn out pumps.  The first one actually came with a lifetime warranty.  I have been running those for about 20 years.  I keep a pedestal pump on standby for backup, for when the main submersible fails.

Could you keep the pedestal near the crock on the basement floor plugged in and piped so if the main failed , this one would kick on if the crock overflows ?

[squirrelwhisperer]

4 minutes ago, luberhill said:

Could you keep the pedestal near the crock on the basement floor plugged in and piped so if the main failed , this one would kick on if the crock overflows ?

Redundant pumps are always a good idea 

[Wildcat]

I know someone that had a similar thing happen this year and they called their local fire department..   they came and pumped the water out in quick order..    Even a large sump pump is not made to deal with 12k gallons of water.

[BizCT]

sorry to hear. I have this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JNVQVBY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for emptying a hot tub. It does like 300 gallon in 10min. So maybe it can do your job in a half a day?

 

On side note, I have one of these in my utlity room (where the furnace, water softener, hot water heater, is.) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JNVQVBY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Ive tested it with just a tiny bit of water on the floor and it immediately notified me.

[Daveboone]

Bigger is better...side note....sump discharge usually is not to be put into the sewer lines, as it then needs to be treated. Pump it to a street gutter/etc.  I was politely but very firmly directed in this matter by our town. It is very easy for the sewer systems to get overwhelmed by storm water.

[Bolt action]

Just went to HD and picked up an Everbilt 1/2 hp cast iron unit. It's rated for 5100 gph, so I'm hoping that if I set it up tonight that the majority of the water should be out by tomorrow so I can get to cleaning up the mess. The original had a 1 1/2" discharge, and so does the new one. The PVC should swap right over without much fabrication needed. I like the idea of a redundant pump, but that will take some figuring out as far as the configuration goes. A project for another day. In the short term, I hope to get this running in the crock tonight, and my brother is going to bring over another unit to use at the other end of the basement tomorrow. Hopefully there's not much standing water left at that point. 

[SpacemanSpiff]

My grandfather keeps a spare pump in the basement at all times. Smart man. 

[Lawdwaz]

Top this!!!  It was a customer’s house when I was in the water restoration business.    The problem was a sanitary sewer backed up!! (Black water)

Edited March 24, 2022 by Lawdwaz

[Bolt action]

29 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Top this!!!  It was a customer’s house when I was in the water restoration business.    The problem was a sanitary sewer backed up!! (Black water)

Sounds like a ... crappy ... situation!

[Lawdwaz]

36 minutes ago, Bolt action said:

Sounds like a ... crappy ... situation!

It was very minor but as you can see from the elaborate setup, I was dealing with a very frustrated engineer.   Lol

[fasteddie]

3 hours ago, Daveboone said:

Bigger is better...side note....sump discharge usually is not to be put into the sewer lines, as it then needs to be treated. Pump it to a street gutter/etc.  I was politely but very firmly directed in this matter by our town. It is very easy for the sewer systems to get overwhelmed by storm water.

I was told that I could be fined for pumping water into the sewer system . But do what ypou have to do .

I was also told that the submersible cast iron sump pumps are better that the plastic  pumps 

[Nomad]

Your local FD will pump it out in no time flat . After that I’d install a 
Liberty pump ( made down the road in a Bergen ) and add one of their back ups that runs off a water line.

Wait that’s my set up , and I’ve only gone on a few hundred “ water calls “ and had a couple issues here at home as well .

[Nomad]

2 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

Top this!!!  It was a customer’s house when I was in the water restoration business.    The problem was a sanitary sewer backed up!! (Black water)

Not hard to beat that battery  back up has a very short run time . Those floats are at risk of getting hung up , and those walls show a problem from the ground not graded properly, or perhaps downspouts not long enough as well .

Edited March 24, 2022 by Nomad

[BizCT]

I have a beautiful sewage ejector pump for my basement bathroom.

It’s a Liberty @nomad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Lawdwaz]

3 hours ago, Nomad said:

Not hard to beat that battery  back up has a very short run time . Those floats are at risk of getting hung up , and those walls show a problem from the ground not graded properly, or perhaps downspouts not long enough as well .

The battery back up at my father's house ran for 5 days during the ice storm here in 2006.  Every house is different as you know; he doesn't get near as much as me.  I've seen battery back up and water powered back ups fail.  No system is perfect and every house is different.

[luberhill]

Basements are a PITA

[wolc123]

18 hours ago, luberhill said:

Could you keep the pedestal near the crock on the basement floor plugged in and piped so if the main failed , this one would kick on if the crock overflows ?

The crock isn’t big enough for both pumps (my backup pedestal pump is 3/4 hp).  I rerouted the discharge line (2” pvc) and ran it out the back of the house, where it slopes away pretty good, and connected it to a drain tile that runs to the creek further out back.   That has reduced the cycle times of the pump significantly, compared to when it was plumbed into a line that ran towards the road.

I have tried various means of “backup” over the years,  including a battery model that lacked the capacity to keep up with inflow.  The one that screwed me the worst was a water backup, during the legendary “October storm”, about 16 years ago.  That storm was so widespread, that it took out the power at the County pumping station on Lake Erie, which dropped city water pressure to a trickle.  All that trickle of water did was add to my flooded basement. 
 

Having a spare, big AC pump, all set up and ready to go at all times, and a generator and plenty of gas available, and checking on the basement every day, has been working well since my last flood.   The only time I worry about it at all now, is when I am away for a week up North for the early ML season.  I call my wife each day then and ask her if she can hear the sump pump cycling from our bedroom.  So far so good.

[luberhill]

1 hour ago, wolc123 said:

The crock isn’t big enough for both pumps (my backup pedestal pump is 3/4 hp).  I rerouted the discharge line (2” pvc) and ran it out the back of the house, where it slopes away pretty good, and connected it to a drain tile that runs to the creek further out back.   That has reduced the cycle times of the pump significantly, compared to when it was plumbed into a line that ran towards the road.

I have tried various means of “backup” over the years,  including a battery model that lacked the capacity to keep up with inflow.  The one that screwed me the worst was a water backup, during the legendary “October storm”, about 16 years ago.  That storm was so widespread, that it took out the power at the County pumping station on Lake Erie, which dropped city water pressure to a trickle.  All that trickle of water did was add to my flooded basement. 
 

Having a spare, big AC pump, all set up and ready to go at all times, and a generator and plenty of gas available, and checking on the basement every day, has been working well since my last flood.   The only time I worry about it at all now, is when I am away for a week up North for the early ML season.  I call my wife each day then and ask her if she can hear the sump pump cycling from our bedroom.  So far so good.

I meant set the pedestal on the floor next to the crock incase the main one fails 

[Nomad]

16 hours ago, fasteddie said:

I was told that I could be fined for pumping water into the sewer system . But do what ypou have to do .

I was also told that the submersible cast iron sump pumps are better that the plastic  pumps 

We pump it into the storm drain , run the hose down the driveway, it’s sewage that  we can’t pump into it .

11 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

The battery back up at my father's house ran for 5 days during the ice storm here in 2006.  Every house is different as you know; he doesn't get near as much as me.  I've seen battery back up and water powered back ups fail.  No system is perfect and every house is different.

Sure makes sense . My back up ran every few minutes for three straight days in ‘03 , battery just won’t last for me . Iirc it’s like a few hours of use on the battery . 

The first water back ups had plastic bodies and parts , gearing ect . They were terrible, I went through  two in short order complete junk . 

[wolc123]

2 hours ago, Nomad said:

We pump it into the storm drain , run the hose down the driveway, it’s sewage that  we can’t pump into it .

Sure makes sense . My back up ran every few minutes for three straight days in ‘03 , battery just won’t last for me . Iirc it’s like a few hours of use on the battery . 

The first water back ups had plastic bodies and parts , gearing ect . They were terrible, I went through  two in short order complete junk . 

Regardless of the materials of construction, a water back up pump requires an certain pressure to function properly.  A widespread power outage, such as the “October storm”, that I mentioned in my earlier post, may take out the power to the water pumping station , rendering your water backup pump less than useles.

They are good for when your primary pump wears out I suppose.  I sold mine cheap at a garage sale the spring after the October storm that flooded my basement.  I’ll never own another water or battery backup sump pump.  A false sense of security is far worse than no security. 

Edited March 25, 2022 by wolc123

[Nomad]

21 hours ago, wolc123 said:

Regardless of the materials of construction, a water back up pump requires an certain pressure to function properly.  A widespread power outage, such as the “October storm”, that I mentioned in my earlier post, may take out the power to the water pumping station , rendering your water backup pump less than useles.

They are good for when your primary pump wears out I suppose.  I sold mine cheap at a garage sale the spring after the October storm that flooded my basement.  I’ll never own another water or battery backup sump pump.  A false sense of security is far worse than no security. 

Well mine has run through a few “ wide spread “ outages for days ,  in addition to an 11 day outage where my pressure reminded  fine  . I’ve responded to hundreds of water problems ,ie flooded basements and my plumber friend recommends  the Liberty brand one and has installed countless ones over the years  with no issues . I’m pretty confident I’m familiar with what works and doesn’t . lol 

oh and I’d never have a garage sale