Building a raised wall around sump pump pit??

17 years ago

Recently, we had too much water (from record rainfalls) coming into the sump pit for the existing pit to handle. (for purposes of this inquiry, assume any and all other measures for keeping the water out of the pit in the first instance have been employed).

I want to add an additional pump to handle future events. My furnace fan motor is close to the existing pit, and is but a few inches off the floor. As such, I have no "cushion" in the event I get even a few inches of water in the future. This recent event cost me $650.00 in furnace repairs.

The sump pit is too samll for two submersible pumps. Even if I could cram another pump in, the difference between the two float level settings would only be a few gallons at best, causing the second pump to run for only seconds at a time.

Basically, I want to increase the dimensions and volume of the sump pit, while at the same time adding a cushion of protection before water starts flowing out onto the basement floor. I'm thinking of getting some bricks and a bag of Quikcrete and simply building a little wall around the sump pit.

I will have to come up with some way of allowing water that does happen to end up on the basement floor (broken water heater, plumbing disaster, ect) to be pushed into the pit. Perhaps a PVC pipe at ot below floor level that can be capped when not needed?

Anyone have thoughts, comments, or suggestions? Is there a simpler solution? Are there bettier materials for constucting the "wall" (I've never laid a brick in my life BTW). Am I missing any pitfalls of this design?

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Comments (4)

mele63
Original Author
17 years ago
Would it be easier to add a second sump pit? Anyone done that before? I've used a concrete saw before and they make more dust than just about anything I've ever seen.
Jolly__Roger
17 years ago
Put in a second sump pit about 16' - 18" from the first. You can drill several holes in a circular pattern and then take to it with with a small sledge. You can Fill the gap with concrete or sand mix, depending on how big of a hole you make.
Connect the sump pits together with a solid 4" PVC drain pipe. That should be at a level just above the level that the first sump pump is triggered by its float so that the sump in the second pit only goes on if the first fails.
The pre-formed plastic sumps have knock-out slots for two side connections and you will use the one not already taken by the drain tile. If it is a clay drain tile you have to take to the side with a masonry hole saw if it doesn't have a knock out.
I have this set-up with the Big Dog AC/DC back-up sump for number 2. It automatically acts as an AC back-up sump if the first sump fails and a 12 battery powered DC back-up sump if the power fails. It is nice because this set up gives you back-up without reducing the volume in the first sump by having another pump in there.
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GammyT
17 years ago
My thought is why? Why would you want to build a wall around the sump to stop water getting to it?

What you need to be doing is stopping the water from getting in in the first place. Is the yard graded so rain runs away from the house instead of towards it?
rprzybyl
3 years ago
Build the wall, attach a 2” drain Pipe through the wall Running to a floor drain. Let pitch and gravity do the work.