Sump Pump Help

[electronman1729]

Need some insight into my sump pump.

Just a background on the location of my home. I live relatively close to Standly lake.

My sump pump has been kicking on every few days. I know before the well used to be bone dry. Does any one know why water would be seeping into my well? The water is also crystal clear. I also have a concern will the pump sucking up the sand at the bottom of the well, can someone help me out on this one?

Thanks

[Brian]

Hm, so this is not a normal seasonal thing for you I assume. Maybe check your downspouts, etc. - we've had steady snow and melt lately, maybe you have water dripping off the house right next to the foundation? Any problems with your hot water heater or furnace that would result in a lot of condensate going somewhere? You did winterize your sprinkler system, right? So no system that you have a pipe leaking somewhere...?

[henpecked]

Im right off 99th place, our pumps been working to. Very poor drainage around the house. Our water iscoming from downspouts.

[MarkCO]

We were in a drought for about 10 years, but are no more. The rain/snowfall is at ~125% of normal, which is about 50% more than we had from about 2002 to 20012. It takes a while for subterranean water to move. There are things called "perched water" and even underground rivers that had no pressure which are now seeing pressure, so things are a changing. I have worked on a lot of cases in the last 6 months related to sump pumps, foundation movement, etc. that is directly related to an increase in the top layer of soils. A 10% grade 5 feet around the perimeter of your flat-work and foundation with the downspouts going out 5 feet is proper. Maintenance of those is the owners responsibility and if you end up with damage, lack of maintenance is grounds for a denial of claim in most cases.

Also realize that the pump will evacuate the sump down to about 3/4" of water if you have a slack float and when it turns off, some or all of the water in the riser will drain back into the sump. The evacuation level is a few inches with a shaft mounted float.

A shop vac can be used to clean out the sump and that should be done annually. A 5 gallon bucket billed with lime-away is nice to descale and such, but that will be pumped out to ground level, so if you want to take the extra step for pump longevity, have a way to catch that 5 gallons.

[rbeau30]

I need to add a sump pump, but the friggin guy who put the Radon system in, put a cover on the sump well that has no holes and glued the shit out of it..

[electronman1729]

Hm, so this is not a normal seasonal thing for you I assume. Maybe check your downspouts, etc. - we've had steady snow and melt lately, maybe you have water dripping off the house right next to the foundation? Any problems with your hot water heater or furnace that would result in a lot of condensate going somewhere? You did winterize your sprinkler system, right? So no system that you have a pipe leaking somewhere...?

down spouts end at least five feet away from the house.

[electronman1729]

if i had an under leak crack in one of my pipes and the water was seeping all the way down could the cause the well to fill? I know the routing of the under slab pipes and they run no where near the sump well.