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I now have two sump pumps that I replaced but have not trashed. The switch on both seems to still work, so is there an obvious next simple repair that is suggested, or do I really have two landfill candidates here? It seems silly to keep buying new if there is a repair I can make, even though that seems to be the way of today's world.
Posts: 5,732
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Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Fort Worth
If it's not the switch then usually the pump has had a little water leak in and destroy it from the inside. It's an issue of mounting a motor under water which is never good.
Much better to keep the motor out of the water and the pump in the water but that's a more expensive method. There are a few sump pumps that style but they are not very common.
Also if you are going through lots of pumps you may have it set to short cycle. Either the pump is too low in the hole or the switch needs to be set for a bigger differential. Or just allot of ground water coming in.
It's funny here when we have flooding the corporate guys at depot and lowes ship the stores pallets of sump pumps... The employees look at it like what are we supposed to do with these. Few here even know what they are for since almost no one has a basement...
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Location: Mid-MI
What are they doing or not doing?
Mine wouldn't come on... I replaced it and pulled the old one apart. The impeller had some sand that kept it from spinning.
Mark
I'm no expert, unlike everybody else here - Busdrver
Nah...I like you, young feller...You remind me of my son... Timberwolf 03/27/12
Here's a fact: Benghazi is a Pub Legend... CharlieD 04/19/15
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Location: Lewiston, NY
Mine have each lasted at least 10 years, generally longer. When I took them out they were covered in the world's worst black gunk that stains anything it touches. There's no way I want to work on them though I have in my even more frugal days and regretted it. $150 for 10+ years service is pretty cheap even to me. If a new float fixes the problem, OK, otherwise I replace it and call it good.
I justify it by remembering that that sump pump is what keeps my basement dry. That thought motivated me to install two pumps, just in case.
John
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Location: Centre County Pennsylvania
I ruined my sump pump after cleaning out a very badly silted water heater into the sump and not cleaning out the pump very well. It wouldn't turn on, and I figured maybe it was just clogged, but it was such a rusty, dirty mess it looked impossible to get it apart. And it was a cheap pump I bought at a big box anyway. I shop vacuumed out the sump and just bought a Zoeller and called it good.
Now if the Zoeller has a problem, I might try to fix that.
