I am through with sump pumps with floats.

[Bushman]

$165.79 down at Lowe's for a high end 1/2 hp pump with a diaphragm switch and I won't worry about 4" of water in the basement any more. What a mess at my mom's house. The float stuck, the motor burned out and the breaker tripped so the basement flooded. Sump pumps don't last forever and it's not so much the hp of the pump as it is that diaphragm switch instead of the float. I've seen those floats jam or get caught against the wall of the sump pit too so the pump motor does not turn on. There is a much better alternative out there now with those diaphragm pressure switches. I'm thinking of replacing my own pumps and using the old ones for spares.

[Bill Gunn]

Their worth it, I had one I paid that much for back in 1990, and it still works. All I had to do was add baby oil to the diaphragm switch once in all those years. It looks like a rust ball because my water softener dumps into the sump after a salt regeneration cycle, but it keeps on truckin' !

Super pump !!

[Bushman]

Okay, now I am worried about mold forming on a plastered interior wall that soaked up some water. I've got a dehumidifier running 24/7 and the block walls are dry, but the plastered wall is holding water like a sponge. I think that bleach kills mold spores, but do you use it full strength or diluted? Thanks.

[ncboman]

I doan know about sump pumps but I highly recommend triple action 20 over bleach.

http://consan.biz/

Much safer. ;)

ncboman

[Bushman]

Where is it sold? Home Depot, Menard's, Lowe's or only mail order? Why is bleach not safe?

[swamp]

you might consider placing your sump pump in 5 gallon bucket like a sheetrock mud bucket and drill that bucket with 1/2" or so diameter holes so the water water can easily flow in. The bucket can provide for a stable platform for your pump so that the float has a better chance of not getting stuck.

[ncboman]

Where is it sold? Home Depot, Menard's, Lowe's or only mail order? Why is bleach not safe?

I bought mine a couple years back and ordered it from the net. We got it for our roses but have found lots of other uses since.

Here's the order page;

http://consan.biz/orderfax.html

Bleach can be nasty stuff. Google bleach dangers.

ncboman

[M99ER]

so the basement flooded.


How deep and for how long? I've tossed in 2 high volume sump pumps through basement windows and left for six hours or so because my chest waders were not tall enough! Also contemplated having the electrical turned off prior to wading on occasion...


Okay, now I am worried about mold forming on a plastered interior wall that soaked up some water.

Nevermind that, what's behind it? Studs? Insulation? I'm sure everything wicked up the water and what's behind the plaster will be wet f-o-r-e-v-e-r-! Having dealt with this many-many times as a licensed Plumber, what I've seen in most cases is a trashed basement. About 50% of what was down there is salvageable. The finished rooms are usually trashed and rebuilt. Thank God for homeowners ins!

Something to consider rather than a backup pump is an alarm that will sound whether there is electrical or not. We get ice storms sometimes that knock down poles and flood basements and spring rains that can come close to that too and power is down on occasion. Some people just don't think to look 'down there' until it knocks the power out which is around 40" bottom of breaker box. :eek:

[AK-49]

http://www.sump-pump-info.com/float-switches.html