Sump Pump Cycling Too Often

The Little Giant 6E-CIA-SFS, 1/3 hp sump pump in the basement of my new house cycles for 3 seconds every 3 minutes. I think that this frequent on/off cycle is hard on the motor and controls. There is also a noise issue, since the pump is underneath the master bedroom. The pump turns on with only a couple inches of water in the basin.

Little Giant tells me that there is no way to adjust this pump or any of their pumps to be of much help to me. Their only suggestion was to widen the diameter of the basin, which is not practical. Does someone make a level switch that I could use to control the pump?

Rigid makes a electronic float switch that you could set at any height you want...

Possible Solution

I installed a SJE Verticalmaster switch that attaches directly to the water discharge pipe. You can place it at any height you want. To use it with your pump you would have to make sure that the original float switch is secured in the up or "on" position.

You can use a switch, such as the SJE suggested, to control a receptacle. Then plug the "Little Giant" into the receptacle. The pump will operate based on the new switch as long as the water is higher than "Little Giant" control range, which is too low based on your description of the problem.

Many of the switches you can buy have a "receptacle plug" which is controlled by the switch. You plug the new switch into a standard receptacle, and you plug the pump into the back of the plug that is attached to the new switch. No new wiring is required and everything operates based on the positioning of the new switch, as long as it is higher than the switch on the pump.

What BobHN mentioned is a float switch and you can tape or wire tie the float to the droppipe in the sump if it's deep enough and stretch out the range of on/off cycles by tethering the floats cord.

bob...