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Sump Pump Plumbing Question griffinmatt 04-28-2008
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Posted by on April 28, 2008, 1:34 pm
Hi guys. I have a few sump pump pipe questions. My current sump pump
setup is a submersible Zoeller 1/2 or 1/3 hp (don't know the exact
specs on it but I know its low hp) pump. The pipe currently is
basically vertical about 10ft. where it exits the house. It is 1"
pipe. The problem is it exits the house on the wrong side and causes
the ground to be always saturated and wet at the surface. I suspect
the water just seeps back down to my sump, which runs quite a lot. My
neighbor and I am not happy with this situation, since the area from
my sump pump to where it runs to the back of our lots, it is muddy and
wet all the time along the border of our lots.

The other side of my house goes downhill to a creek, and would be a
much better place to send the sump pump water. My question is would
it be possible to just run pipe to the other side of the house (about
45-50 ft) and have the sump pump exit there, connect that pipe to the
sump pump and be done with it? There is no additional vertical height
that the pump has to move water, but there is the 50ft of additional
horizontal pipe the pump would have to move water through.

An additional part I should mention is that to run pipe over, there is
only enough room between the floor joists and the top of the
foundation that I have to run the pipe horizontally, since there is
not enough room to have a declining angle of the pipe (it would have
to go perpendicular to the main floor joists). Where it exits the
house at the end of the horizontal section, the pipe will have to go
up another inch or 2 to get above the foundation.

To be clear, from the sump pump, the pipe goes horizontal along the
floor to the wall (this is how the builder installed it), vertical
about 10ft. to where it currently exits the house. I would connect
the new pipe here, along the basement ceiling (floor joists of main
floor), and run horizontal about 50' to the other side of the house,
then up again another inch to get to the outside of the house. I was
going to install a check valve at the pump since the builder did not
install one with the pump, so that if I were to set this up, the water
in the horizontal section along the floor would always be full of
water. Is that ok?

Everything I have read about pumps is that they are rated based on how
much they have to pump water vertically, and make no mention of
pumping water horizontally. Would my low hp pump be enough, or would
I need a larger pump?

Any suggestions? Would this horizontal section of pipe pass code? I
can link some pictures to clarify my situation if it's needed.

Posted by Speedy Jim on April 28, 2008, 2:42 pm
griffinmatt@gmail.com wrote:

> Hi guys. I have a few sump pump pipe questions. My current sump pump
> setup is a submersible Zoeller 1/2 or 1/3 hp (don't know the exact
> specs on it but I know its low hp) pump. The pipe currently is
> basically vertical about 10ft. where it exits the house. It is 1"
> pipe. The problem is it exits the house on the wrong side and causes
> the ground to be always saturated and wet at the surface. I suspect
> the water just seeps back down to my sump, which runs quite a lot. My
> neighbor and I am not happy with this situation, since the area from
> my sump pump to where it runs to the back of our lots, it is muddy and
> wet all the time along the border of our lots.
>
> The other side of my house goes downhill to a creek, and would be a
> much better place to send the sump pump water. My question is would
> it be possible to just run pipe to the other side of the house (about
> 45-50 ft) and have the sump pump exit there, connect that pipe to the
> sump pump and be done with it? There is no additional vertical height
> that the pump has to move water, but there is the 50ft of additional
> horizontal pipe the pump would have to move water through.
>
> An additional part I should mention is that to run pipe over, there is
> only enough room between the floor joists and the top of the
> foundation that I have to run the pipe horizontally, since there is
> not enough room to have a declining angle of the pipe (it would have
> to go perpendicular to the main floor joists). Where it exits the
> house at the end of the horizontal section, the pipe will have to go
> up another inch or 2 to get above the foundation.
>
> To be clear, from the sump pump, the pipe goes horizontal along the
> floor to the wall (this is how the builder installed it), vertical
> about 10ft. to where it currently exits the house. I would connect
> the new pipe here, along the basement ceiling (floor joists of main
> floor), and run horizontal about 50' to the other side of the house,
> then up again another inch to get to the outside of the house. I was
> going to install a check valve at the pump since the builder did not
> install one with the pump, so that if I were to set this up, the water
> in the horizontal section along the floor would always be full of
> water. Is that ok?
>
> Everything I have read about pumps is that they are rated based on how
> much they have to pump water vertically, and make no mention of
> pumping water horizontally. Would my low hp pump be enough, or would
> I need a larger pump?
>
> Any suggestions? Would this horizontal section of pipe pass code? I
> can link some pictures to clarify my situation if it's needed.


Make the horizontal run 1 1/2" pipe minimum, maybe 2".
Avoid 90 deg EL's. Use 45's or long sweep EL's.

I don't see any problem having zero pitch under pumped conditions.

Yes, install a check valve.

Posted by John Gilmer on April 28, 2008, 3:21 pm
You might just want to "plumb" from where the pipe now exits your house.
The run should end up near the lowest part of your lot boundary.

With a little luck when the pump starts the water will syphon out once the
line is primed. If the lower end of the pipe is below your sump, you don't
need or want a check valve. A check valve might trap water outside where
it could freeze.


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Posted by on April 28, 2008, 3:50 pm
On Apr 28, 1:34=A0pm, griffinm...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi guys. =A0I have a few sump pump pipe questions. =A0My current sump pump=

> setup is a submersible Zoeller 1/2 or 1/3 hp (don't know the exact
> specs on it but I know its low hp) pump. =A0The pipe currently is
> basically vertical about 10ft. where it exits the house. =A0It is 1"
> pipe. =A0The problem is it exits the house on the wrong side and causes
> the ground to be always saturated and wet at the surface. I suspect
> the water just seeps back down to my sump, which runs quite a lot. =A0My
> neighbor and I am not happy with this situation, since the area from
> my sump pump to where it runs to the back of our lots, it is muddy and
> wet all the time along the border of our lots.
>
> The other side of my house goes downhill to a creek, and would be a
> much better place to send the sump pump water. =A0My question is would
> it be possible to just run pipe to the other side of the house (about
> 45-50 ft) and have the sump pump exit there, connect that pipe to the
> sump pump and be done with it? =A0There is no additional vertical height
> that the pump has to move water, but there is the 50ft of additional
> horizontal pipe the pump would have to move water through.
>
> An additional part I should mention is that to run pipe over, there is
> only enough =A0room between the floor joists and the top of the
> foundation that I have to run the pipe horizontally, since there is
> not enough room to have a declining angle of the pipe (it would have
> to go perpendicular to the main floor joists). =A0Where it exits the
> house at the end of the horizontal section, the pipe will have to go
> up another inch or 2 to get above the foundation.
>
> To be clear, from the sump pump, the pipe goes horizontal along the
> floor to the wall (this is how the builder installed it), vertical
> about 10ft. to where it currently exits the house. =A0I would connect
> the new pipe here, along the basement ceiling (floor joists of main
> floor), and run horizontal about 50' to the other side of the house,
> then up again another inch to get to the outside of the house. =A0I was
> going to install a check valve at the pump since the builder did not
> install one with the pump, so that if I were to set this up, the water
> in the horizontal section along the floor would always be full of
> water. =A0Is that ok?
>
> Everything I have read about pumps is that they are rated based on how
> much they have to pump water vertically, and make no mention of
> pumping water horizontally. =A0Would my low hp pump be enough, or would
> I need a larger pump?
>
> Any suggestions? =A0Would this horizontal section of pipe pass code? =A0I
> can link some pictures to clarify my situation if it's needed.

You can do it as you have proposed. But before going to all that
work, why can't you just extend the pipe outside at the existing
location? If you can get it 15+ ft away from the foundation, with
properly graded soil, that should be sufficient.

Posted by ransley on April 28, 2008, 3:53 pm
On Apr 28, 12:34=A0pm, griffinm...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi guys. =A0I have a few sump pump pipe questions. =A0My current sump pump=

> setup is a submersible Zoeller 1/2 or 1/3 hp (don't know the exact
> specs on it but I know its low hp) pump. =A0The pipe currently is
> basically vertical about 10ft. where it exits the house. =A0It is 1"
> pipe. =A0The problem is it exits the house on the wrong side and causes
> the ground to be always saturated and wet at the surface. I suspect
> the water just seeps back down to my sump, which runs quite a lot. =A0My
> neighbor and I am not happy with this situation, since the area from
> my sump pump to where it runs to the back of our lots, it is muddy and
> wet all the time along the border of our lots.
>
> The other side of my house goes downhill to a creek, and would be a
> much better place to send the sump pump water. =A0My question is would
> it be possible to just run pipe to the other side of the house (about
> 45-50 ft) and have the sump pump exit there, connect that pipe to the
> sump pump and be done with it? =A0There is no additional vertical height
> that the pump has to move water, but there is the 50ft of additional
> horizontal pipe the pump would have to move water through.
>
> An additional part I should mention is that to run pipe over, there is
> only enough =A0room between the floor joists and the top of the
> foundation that I have to run the pipe horizontally, since there is
> not enough room to have a declining angle of the pipe (it would have
> to go perpendicular to the main floor joists). =A0Where it exits the
> house at the end of the horizontal section, the pipe will have to go
> up another inch or 2 to get above the foundation.
>
> To be clear, from the sump pump, the pipe goes horizontal along the
> floor to the wall (this is how the builder installed it), vertical
> about 10ft. to where it currently exits the house. =A0I would connect
> the new pipe here, along the basement ceiling (floor joists of main
> floor), and run horizontal about 50' to the other side of the house,
> then up again another inch to get to the outside of the house. =A0I was
> going to install a check valve at the pump since the builder did not
> install one with the pump, so that if I were to set this up, the water
> in the horizontal section along the floor would always be full of
> water. =A0Is that ok?
>
> Everything I have read about pumps is that they are rated based on how
> much they have to pump water vertically, and make no mention of
> pumping water horizontally. =A0Would my low hp pump be enough, or would
> I need a larger pump?
>
> Any suggestions? =A0Would this horizontal section of pipe pass code? =A0I
> can link some pictures to clarify my situation if it's needed.

contact zoeller, they also might have online specs

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