# Sump Pump Water Level



## Lucky000 (Oct 1, 2010)

To all the expers in this forum,

Sorry if I posted this twice. My previous post doesn't seem to make it.

We have replaced our sump pump. Our old pump starts to work at a higher water level and the new pump starts to work at a lower water level. The new pump works find and keeps pumping water out. Now I have a concern: since the new pump works at a lower water level, will it draw water from around the house and change the water lever for the surrounding area? Will this do any harm to the plants/trees around the house? 

Thank you!


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

You can adjust the level at which the sump pump starts to pump and quits pumping using the float. Every pump system has a float, usually the pump plugs into the float, and the float is set by adjusting a set screw that holds the on/off switch in place. So you can reset the float so the new pump turns on and off at the same elevation as the old pump.

Generally sump pumps are designed to operate only occasionally, when the water table is high. Most of the time the water table should be below the turn on point for the pump, so you will not affect the average water table around the house.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

Most sump pumps with tethered floats have instructions to not adjust the float.

If you want your sump to initiate faster, get a sump pump with a vertical float.

If you want a sump pump to initiate with more water in the pit, get a sump pump with a tethered float.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Generally the sump pump should come on when any of the perimeter drain pipe ends as seen in the pit start to get covered by the water level.

Generally the sump pump should not shut off until the pit is as empty as the pump can make it.

It is possible that the pump may run much less frequenly during dry weather if you set the turn on level higher. But if the drain pipe ends stay mostly submerged for long periods of time you may start to see water seeping up into the far corner of the basement.


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## Lucky000 (Oct 1, 2010)

Daniel Holzman said:


> Generally sump pumps are designed to operate only occasionally, when the water table is high. Most of the time the water table should be below the turn on point for the pump, so you will not affect the average water table around the house.


What you said really makes sense. But how can I check the water level at my house? Is there any easy way?


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Adjust the sump pump by viewing the water level in the pit. Don't worry about the water table in the vicinity of the house unless you start having basement flooding problems.


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