Amateur Plumber
Member
My existing sump has 2 Zoeller M53 pumps installed in a 24 inch sump pit. One is about 3 inches higher than the other, and each has a separate electrical circuit. Both have check valves installed about 2 feet above the pump, which then feed into a single 2 inch line going out of the house. That 2 inch line Wyes into a 4 inch drainage pipe that is also fed by 2 gutter downspouts (one downsput upstream from the wye, the other downstream. That 4 inch line goes downgrade about 100 feet to empty next to a storm sewer grate. This has been in place since I installed the pumps in Oct. of 2008 with no issues.
On Friday, I awoke to find about 2 inches of water in the basement, this after 2 days of heavy rain. Obviously, the sump pump(s) had not pumped the water out of the pit.
During the heavy rain, I did not see any overflow from my gutters, and did see plenty of water discharge from the 4 inch drainage pipe. So, there was no blockage of the 4 inch drain pipe. I don't think that I have a capacity issue with the 4 inch drain line. I have never seen it flow much above about half way up the pipe at the outlet.
I first checked electrical, and found no blown fuses. So, I assumed I would find that both pumps had failed. When I pulled them both from the sump, I tried the float switch on one, and found that it did switch the pump on when the float was raised. That was a surprise, because the pumps were not running in the pit even though they had power. So, I put that pump back into the pit, reattached it to the check valve, and plugged it back in. Again to my surprise, the pump seemed to work normally, and pumped the water out of the basement over about a 30 minute period. The pump cycled on and off normally during this period.
After completing my clean up, I tried the other pump, and again found it to pump water normally.
So, the only conclusion I can come up with is that both pump switches had failed, but were restored to working order after working the float switch by hand. It is possible that there was some interference by one pump on the other's float switch, but I doubt it. Even if that had happened, the other pump still should have worked.
Anyone ever have such as experience with the Zoeller M53 pump? I have read reports of switch failure with this pump.
Assuming that both switches did fail over a period of 4 1/2 years, due to corrosion caused by immersion in sump water, would a better design be to install one of the submersible pumps above the normal water line in the sump, so that it is not normally submersed? This pump would then kick in only when the first failed. I could then tell if the primary pump failed by monitoring the water level in the sump.
I'd also appreciate any recommendations on a water sensor alarm to warn me when water is about to flood the basement.
BTW, I have tried Zoeller's battery backup system in the past, and it too failed before the primary pump failed. So, when the primary pump failed, the basement got flooded.
On Friday, I awoke to find about 2 inches of water in the basement, this after 2 days of heavy rain. Obviously, the sump pump(s) had not pumped the water out of the pit.
During the heavy rain, I did not see any overflow from my gutters, and did see plenty of water discharge from the 4 inch drainage pipe. So, there was no blockage of the 4 inch drain pipe. I don't think that I have a capacity issue with the 4 inch drain line. I have never seen it flow much above about half way up the pipe at the outlet.
I first checked electrical, and found no blown fuses. So, I assumed I would find that both pumps had failed. When I pulled them both from the sump, I tried the float switch on one, and found that it did switch the pump on when the float was raised. That was a surprise, because the pumps were not running in the pit even though they had power. So, I put that pump back into the pit, reattached it to the check valve, and plugged it back in. Again to my surprise, the pump seemed to work normally, and pumped the water out of the basement over about a 30 minute period. The pump cycled on and off normally during this period.
After completing my clean up, I tried the other pump, and again found it to pump water normally.
So, the only conclusion I can come up with is that both pump switches had failed, but were restored to working order after working the float switch by hand. It is possible that there was some interference by one pump on the other's float switch, but I doubt it. Even if that had happened, the other pump still should have worked.
Anyone ever have such as experience with the Zoeller M53 pump? I have read reports of switch failure with this pump.
Assuming that both switches did fail over a period of 4 1/2 years, due to corrosion caused by immersion in sump water, would a better design be to install one of the submersible pumps above the normal water line in the sump, so that it is not normally submersed? This pump would then kick in only when the first failed. I could then tell if the primary pump failed by monitoring the water level in the sump.
I'd also appreciate any recommendations on a water sensor alarm to warn me when water is about to flood the basement.
BTW, I have tried Zoeller's battery backup system in the past, and it too failed before the primary pump failed. So, when the primary pump failed, the basement got flooded.