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Sump Pump Question AE Todd 05-26-2008
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Posted by AE Todd on May 26, 2008, 9:20 am
I have a pedestal sump pump set in a fairly deep pit, roughly 30", and
it is time to replace the pump. Most squat pumps will turn on at very
low water levels, but mine starts when the pit is fully filled, and
stops when emptied, and I am looking to replicate this feature so that
it cycles less often. Do all pedestal pumps work this way? Would any
other type of sump pump work in the same way? (I hear that pedestal
pumps are noisier and I am open to other types that would be
quieter.) Any suggestions on types or brands? By the way, my
pedestal pump has a tethered float that is at the end of a rope.

Posted by RBM on May 26, 2008, 10:13 am

>I have a pedestal sump pump set in a fairly deep pit, roughly 30", and
> it is time to replace the pump. Most squat pumps will turn on at very
> low water levels, but mine starts when the pit is fully filled, and
> stops when emptied, and I am looking to replicate this feature so that
> it cycles less often. Do all pedestal pumps work this way? Would any
> other type of sump pump work in the same way? (I hear that pedestal
> pumps are noisier and I am open to other types that would be
> quieter.) Any suggestions on types or brands? By the way, my
> pedestal pump has a tethered float that is at the end of a rope.

If the diameter of the pit is large enough, you can get a float switch to
control a submersible pump. This would give you more flexibility than a
pressure switch as to turn on and off positions. Some companies like Zoeller
make submersible pumps with a tethered float switch as well, but wouldn't
give you the range of a pedestal pump



Posted by EXT on May 26, 2008, 11:24 am
CAUTION: Most pedestal pumps besides being very lightly and cheaply built,
are not much over 30" high themselves and in your situation of a deep pit, a
power outage could result in the open frame motor being underwater when the
power comes back on -- it has happened to me -- the pump actually turned on
and pumped out the water despite the motor being totally full of water --
but I don't recommend the practice, I have changed to a submersible pump.

Many pedestal pumps work on a two float system. The bottom float determines
the shut off level and the top float determines the turn on level and are
user adjustable to suit your needs.

Most submergible pumps have either a fixed on/off level or some have a
mercury type switch on the end of a power cord, this can be adjusted by
lengthening the cord providing there is enough clearance to prevent it from
hanging up on the edge of the sump pit.


>I have a pedestal sump pump set in a fairly deep pit, roughly 30", and
> it is time to replace the pump. Most squat pumps will turn on at very
> low water levels, but mine starts when the pit is fully filled, and
> stops when emptied, and I am looking to replicate this feature so that
> it cycles less often. Do all pedestal pumps work this way? Would any
> other type of sump pump work in the same way? (I hear that pedestal
> pumps are noisier and I am open to other types that would be
> quieter.) Any suggestions on types or brands? By the way, my
> pedestal pump has a tethered float that is at the end of a rope.


Posted by AE Todd on May 26, 2008, 12:22 pm
I don't think a submersible pump with a tethered mercury float will
work, but I could be wrong. The ones I have seen at Home Depot can't
be lengthened long enough to reach the top of my pit; they would short
cycle as the water rises halfway up the pit. Besides, I would bet
that the float would snag on something on the way up or the way down
if it could reach the top of the pit.

By the way, thinking a little more about my current system, I don't
exactly have a pedestal pump, but rather some sort of hybrid system
with a submersed pump with a float tethered to a separate switch
assembly that is clamped to the discharge pipe that rises out of the
pit. I was thinking that a pedestal pump would handle the deepness of
the pit, but maybe a submersible with an appropriate switch system is
the way to go.

And just another idea, I suppose that since the pump is what I really
want to switch out, I could keep the existing switch system and plug
the new pump into it. Do they make a pump that relies on a non-built
in switch?

Posted by Mark on May 27, 2008, 11:46 am
> I don't think a submersible pump with a tethered mercury float will
> work, but I could be wrong. =A0The ones I have seen at Home Depot can't
> be lengthened long enough to reach the top of my pit; they would short
> cycle as the water rises halfway up the pit. =A0Besides, I would bet
> that the float would snag on something on the way up or the way down
> if it could reach the top of the pit.
>
> By the way, thinking a little more about my current system, I don't
> exactly have a pedestal pump, but rather some sort of hybrid system
> with a submersed pump with a float tethered to a separate switch
> assembly that is clamped to the discharge pipe that rises out of the
> pit. =A0I was thinking that a pedestal pump would handle the deepness of
> the pit, but maybe a submersible with an appropriate switch system is
> the way to go.
>
> And just another idea, I suppose that since the pump is what I really
> want to switch out, I could keep the existing switch system and plug
> the new pump into it. =A0Do they make a pump that relies on a non-built
> in switch?

you said:
=2E....mine starts when the pit is fully filled, and
stops when emptied, and I am looking to replicate this feature so that
it cycles less often.....

if the present pump comes on when the sump is full and off when it is
empty, then it already is cycling as less often as possible. If it
came on any sooner or switched off any sooner, then it would cycle
MORE often. If you REALLY want it to cycle less often, you need to
make the sump bigger.

Mark


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