This Phat Crib Ep 2: Sump Pumps

Ok..I learned a bit. Sump pumps come in a few flavors. Those with switches that are wired straight to the pump, and those with external replaceable switches that have their own cord with piggy back switch. You plug the pump into the back of the switch sort of like Christmas lights.

Switches also come in two flavors, float and diaphragm. Floats work sort of like toilet floats, when they get to a certain height (or degree of tilt) they start the pump. Diaphragm switches don't have to move, and can start the pump in far less water. These are the variety most likely to have piggy back cables and be replaceable. They basically have a rubber diaphragm inside, and when the water pressure on the diaphragm gets high enough (aka the water deep enough) click and the pump comes on. This is the type of switch that was on my dear departed sump pump. Actually the pump still works the switch doesn't. I suspected such things were replaceable but my local home improvement warehouse had no such things and the guy in the department didn't know they existed. So I replaced my sump pump with one he assured me would work. See the previous entries to figure out how that worked.

After last night and no sleep I opted to call around to a specialty plumbing supply place, that has signs all over the door that says they don't sell to the public. Well in 30 seconds the guy tells me the rubber clicky thing is a diaphragm switch, a replacement switch is $40, and new pump with switch is $100. Yippee, yeah that was three times the cost of the one from Lowe's but hey.. it seems like good deal if it will actually work in my tiny sump well. The guy proceeds to spit out minimum depths and dimensions for this pump to work. They are all smaller than my well! I ask how late they are open. 5pm, dang rarely back in town by then, carpool negotiation time.. Well Tony and I take off at noon, and head back to Ames, get the new pump, from the somewhat discouraging looking store that we have to enter from the rear with signs all over that say no cash sales, no sales to the public. I walk in, say that I talked to someone about a sump pump this morning. The guy hops off his stool and runs and fetches me one!

Installation was relatively painless. unscrew the hose from the last one, screw it into the new one. Put it in the well, hook to output line. Oh wait.. it isn't pumping. Brief panic. That's when I discovered the water has to be over the top of the pump not just the top of the sensor to start. Actually it has to be just slightly higher than the 7-7/8" the instructions claim. Maybe 10" but hey.... still way less than my pump well holds. Joy bliss. Stay tuned for more sump pump adventures. As it is raining all week here.