How a modern sump pump works.

[ML]

Yesterday I discovered standing water in the basement of the house we are renting. It had probably been there for 2-3 days. Made my day.

On the plus side, I now know more about modern sump pump technology than I ever wanted to. Being a sharing guy, I'm going to explain:

The existing sump pump looked something like the picture on the right.. The funny thing in the reddish circles is the float switch. It turns the pump on and off based on the water level. The previous float switch appears to have developed a loose contact, because it would only turn on if you reached your hand down into the cold, nasty water and shook the thing. This float switch is attached directly to the pump (greenish circle). They don't sell replacement switches like that at midnight, so you need to buy a new pump when the switch goes.

Not wanting the basement to reflood while we were sleeping, my wife and I went to Meijer's (a horrible store, but opan 24 hours) and bought a new sump pump. Its float switch was on a separate cord, which means that you can buy a replacement if it breaks.

Installing a the sump pump is very straightforward. We pretty much attach a piece of PVC to the pump, drop it in the whole, and then attach the pipe the drain pipe.

There are a few things to keep in mind (or, things that I did wrong). First, not all pumps have the same threading on their outlet. PVC pipe is cheap (thank you Pablo) so you should go ahead and buy a new piece of pipe and a few fittings "just in case". PVC cement is kind of fun.

Second, notice how the float switch in the picture is very close to the edge of the hole? That is dangerous. The damn thing tries to catch on the side of the hole, and then it won't float, defeating the whole point. Watch it carefully a few times and make sure that it is unobstructed. If it is obstructed, then you can either reposition the pump (hint: all the way to one side of the hole) or shorten the cord length. But don't make it too short, because the cord is somewhat stiff. If you make it too short the switch cannot turn upright.

Now the new pump appears to be installed and running, lowering the water table of the neighborhood. Now all we have left to do is get everything dried out. Maybe later this week you can get a report on "how to pull up wet, nasty carpet".

[Ghost Post]

how much did Pablo pay you for that PVC plug?

[ML]

Damn, I forgot to negotiate for a cut. When will I ever learn?