Summary: Repairing the sump pumps may prove to be a costly affair and the damages are not easy to fix. The sump pumps may malfunction because of improper installation, faulty fixtures, clogging of the drain line to name a few.

Question: My sump system installed in the house few years ago, is not working quite right. I also have a problem with the flooding of the basement when it rains cats and dogs. Suddenly the pump lines get blocked and the water rushes back and forth. I could not trace out the problem after many efforts. Is there a solution for the problem? Please specify the size of the sump pump for a non-commercial purpose.

Answer: Your problem seems to be a common yet an expensive affair. One must be very cautious and take complete care while installing the pump. Minor mistakes may cause many dollars in the future. The most common problem is caused due to flooding of water in the basement. However you need not worry as I have experienced lot many problems of the kind.

First and foremost thing to notice is whether your sump switch and the float arm is working fine. Often it happens so that the switch does not work properly when the sump shifts towards the basin. There is another possibility of fixing of the movable float arm which leads to the malfunctioning of the switch. Other obvious reason is the interference of dirt and garbage with the switch.

If this is all fine there must surely a problem with the pipelines that drain back the water into the sump once the pump is switched off. There must be an air lock in the pipe. The process is as follows. Once the switch is turned down the water between the check valve and the pump drains back. The solid pipe compresses the air next time when the pump is emptied. This air stops the water from draining off. For this purpose, the pumps are manufactured with a 3/16 inch hole in the pipe. The hole sucks the air, thus allowing the water to escape.

Regarding the size of the sump, an average house sump has a diameter of 18 inches and depth of 22 inches. Thinking a big bucket acts as a good sump basin is indeed a bad idea. Often the improper selection size may lead to switching failures.

To avoid such problems you have the sump backups which run on batteries. Once installed these keep a check on the flooding water level. The alarm attached to these turns on automatically when the charge of the battery is down. You need not worry about the overflow of the sump waters during heavy rain and completely rely on the high performance automotive batteries. The problem of pumping the water is also solved using these back ups. The other safe alternative for this is to install those that operate on pressure. These maintain the pressure to avoid the flooding of the water in the sumps. Thus you can save a few dollars as well as power. At times of emergency, these act as best friends of the sump pumps.

If your current pump has a 1/3 or one half horsepower rating, you should be OK. Higher horsepower pumps will pump more water. Cast iron can dissipate heat buildup much better than a pump with a plastic or thin metal housing. Remember, price is usually an excellent indicator of quality. Higher priced pumps often have better parts!

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