Water in Sump Pump

Hi, We are trying to buy a home and have some questions about the sump pump that I hope the experts in this formum can offer some help. Today we saw a very nice house with a full basement and a sump pump filled with water. It is raining but not hard. When I leaned over and looked, I can see the water about 1.5 feet below the edge, but the pump is not kicked on. The realtor went: " the seller didn't disclose any water problem, and I don't smell any water in here". Yes the basement does not smell damp only because it smells full of fresh paint, since the seller just painted the floor. I am just wondering why the sump pump is not working. To me the water is high enough to make me panic. I have read some horror story about water problem and, as opposed to the experts here who can fix almost everything, I know absolutely nothing about the sump and the pump and drainage etc. Should I go ahead with this house? Is water in the inactive sump pump and a refreshly painted basement signs of water problem?

Thanks

If you walk away from every home that has water in a sump pump pit that is 1 1/2 ' below the basement floor you are sure eliminating a lot of real estate.

Yes, it is an indication that water could be a problem, however, in many homes a single sump pump keeps the problem well under control. If the basement is finished there are backup systems that are available. I would be very concerned if the pump was running almost continously with large amounts of water being pumped. In most homes it just sits there most of the time ready to take care of the problem when it occurs. Usually during the wet season with spring runoff.

The fact that you are posting here tells me something very obvious.
You don't need the opinion of a bunch of people on the internet-- you need a qualified home inspector. An inspection should included inspecting of the plumbing systems, including the sump pump. An inspection for past water damage should also be easy for a decent inspector.

Thanks for the help. If I decide to go ahead with the house, I will definitely hire a good inspector. However, at this stage, I am trying to decide if what I see indicates an obvious problem, and if it is, I won't even bother bidding on the house. From your posts, I sensed that it may or may not be a problem. Plus a lot of newer homes have the sump pumps and french drains installed as standard feature. The only suspicious sign is that the seller re-painted the basement floor. This house needs many works on the main levels. The seller didn't bother to clean the carpet before selling. He didn't bother repaint the familiy room walls full of pencil marks. He didn't bother cleaning the cabinets. BUT he took the effort of repainting his unfinished basement floor. That is a little unusual.

Well, I guess I will never know for sure unless I hire an inspector...

If there is a water problem look for that new floor paint to be peeling soon! Also you may want to look at the house during or, after heavy rains and high ground water conditions to get an idea of how frequently the pump is operating.