# secondary sump pit?



## mmazzei (May 27, 2010)

i have a sump pump already installed that runs every 10 min. It's a summer place, but i'm afraid that if the pump fails, i'll have a swimming pool in my basement! I just bought a second pump & well, and i want to know how to install it?


----------



## RoyalAcresRod (May 27, 2009)

I have rarely seen sump pits that have sufficient room for two pumps and associated check valves, trip mechanisms, etc. Of course, yours might.

In any event, the second pump should be on its own breaker. If you do need to install a second pit, it's not brain surgery: Take the size of your new pit, and create a hole approx 1 foot wider in circumference and 6-8 inches deeper. After removing the dirt, line hole with filter fabric, put about 6 inches of gravel in bottom, place pit in, and fill sides with gravel to within 2-3 inches of surface. 

Make up some concrete and repair basement floor around lip of sump pit.

With such an obviously high water table, you'll probably have to do some intermediate pumping while digging the pit. Get ready to be muddy and have a pump plan, so to speak, to get the water out of the pit you are excavating

If I were in an area where there was danger of a basement flood were power to go out, and I had a municipal-type water service I would investigate the purchase of a water-powered backup sump pump. These use your water supply for the source of energy to pump water out.

rod


----------



## mmazzei (May 27, 2010)

*2nd. Sump pump pit*

HEY ROD, Thanks for the info. What i was considering doing was to dig a second pit, along with a second pump. I wanted the first pit to overflow into the 2nd. Pit in case of a pump failure (break down).
I was thinking of having an overflow pipe directed from the first pit, to the second? In the second pit, i was thinking of not making the knockouts in the well container this way the second pump would not be going on due to water entering the well from ground water filling it up. It would only go on when the first one fails, and the overflow happens. Does this make any sense to you? Any other suggestions?


----------



## RoyalAcresRod (May 27, 2009)

I understand your theory, but disagree with your methodology. 

In the scenario you've described, not only would you have to break out the concrete for the 2nd pit, but also break your slab to place an off-horizontal pipe to go from the first to the second pit. 

Seems like a lot of uneccesary extra work to me. 

FWIW, I'd just dig a second pit and make a duplicate installation. 

And again, with such a high water table I might just plumb the second with a water-powered unit if the cost wasn't exorbinant. 
I don't see the value in keeping the second pump useless unless the first totally fails. 

My belief is that pumps and machinery ought to be exercised from time-to-time. 

In that way, you'll know beforehand if it does not work. 

Of course, a probably equally strong arguement could be made that if it's never used, it should work like a brand new pump. 

There are of course battery-powered backup pumps on the market, but I'd be quite leery of such a setup with a high water table, especially if you have no means of automatically recharging the battery. 

Rod


----------



## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

we sell & install batt b/u pumps but they've a short life & capacity,,, even have 1 installation w/4 ( FOUR ) sumps, pumps, & batt b/u ) - more of a peace of mind thing than redundancy to me.

heard zoeller has a water-powered pump perhaps like the perpetual motion machine but certainly better'n a sharp stick in the eye if your batt runs down.


----------



## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

I would agree with Rod's method of installation, but would add one thing: Check your local code first, as many require that the crock be installed 1" above the highest point of the floor to keep a potential sewer back-up out of the sump crock.

As for tieing the two crocks together, they will be, via the interior draintile, when you make that connection to the new crock. Water will find it's own level relatively quickly, so the additional pipe aove the floor has no purpose IMO.


----------



## RoyalAcresRod (May 27, 2009)

Jo: You're quite correct about water finding it's own level. But he had proposed no perforations, so to speak, in the 2nd pit, with only an overflow from the first as the sole method of it receiving water...unless the basement flooded.

Good point on code-mandated height in some locales.

rod


----------



## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

RoyalAcresRod said:


> Jo: But he had proposed no perforations, so to speak, in the 2nd pit, with only an overflow from the first as the sole method of it receiving water...unless the basement flooded.
> 
> rod


 
OK, guess I didn't read it very clearly. I wouldn't suggest no perfs. or holes to the OP. Let each pump run somewhat equally and each pump should benefit very well in lifespan. I would also suggest a simple battery back-up pump if you really want to rest easy. IIRC, I believe that there are back-ups made that can actually remotely alert you when the pump has gone on, but I would imagine there would need to be a monthly service provider for the monitoring somehow.

Do you have any neighbors near the cottage that could check it out for you occasionally? :whistling2:


----------



## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

we have installed series o'flow sumps but ONLY connected by a sub-floor 4" hdpe pipe,,, its rare we DON'T perforate the sump, either,,, no holes = storage facility :laughing:


----------

