I have a home I did a plumbing job for where I had installed plumbing for a wet bar. The sewer line is below grade but the owner did not want me to make a concrete trench to tap into the main for just a wet bar sink.
My solution was to install a sump bucket under the sink with a small sump pump attached to a garden hose which was routed vertically 8′ then traverses above a drop ceiling over to the mechanical room about 25′ away where it taps into the main drain tree.
The prob is the sump comes on then shuts off, but due to the 8′ rise what’s left in that rise appears to drain back into the sump bucket enough to cause the pump to turn on again, resulting in an endless off/on cycle.
Any ideas to prevent this? I can’t get away from the 8′ rise. I noticed home big sumps do not do this and they often have an immediate vertical rise and I don’t know that I ever saw a check valve on them either. I don’t know enough about sumps to know how you fix this. There is a check valve installed on this pump right as it comes off the pump and if I recall correctly it’s installed sideways.
Edited 11/29/2004 11:29 am ET by Pyrotechie
Edited 11/29/2004 11:31 am ET by Pyrotechie
Replies
Look at the check valve to see if its flapper is sticking open. I believe the CV is supposed to be mounted vertically so gravity can close the flapper. You're not just getting the liquid in the vertical run, you're getting whatever didn't make it to the other drop and can make it back to the vertical leg. If you create a drop in the hose at the transition form vertical to horizontal, you won't have as much coming back.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like this is a system you kludged together (reference to garden hose....); there are pre engineered systems available for exactly this, they inlude the check valve, most have a level switch.
I'd go with one of the pre built systems; they have the check valve and are designed to handle any solids that will (you can bet on it) get put down the drain. I think using garden hose you're asking for a plug.
Yep, hopefully you got the purpose-made unit that comes inside its own rougly 2-gallon bucket. Sometimes they have a built-in check valve, sometimes you have to supply your own, but you want/need one.Note that code requires that the bucket be vented in the "usual" fashion, and that the plumbing meet the "usual" standards for drains.
Dan, I guess this is one of those t hings I never knew existed, thus the concoction I threw together. Now I"m feeling a little less professional for not having known about the "package" you're referring to. Any chance you know a website, or name or brand name of one of these so I can go look at it?
Interesting note on the venting. I consider it a "bucket of water" under the sink, never would've considered venting the dang thing.
It's a bit of a (sic) grey area, but technically it's "grey water" and is subject to the usual venting, etc.A unit we have in our building here is a "Liberty Pumps" model 403, if that helps. I'm sure there are several other brands.
Here you are: http://www.libertypumps.com/product_display.asp?ID=10&MainCat=2&SubCat=5
Some others:http://www.plumbingsupply.com/drainsystem.html
That type of check valve generally must be installed vertically.
Check valve. Gravity operated check valves need to be installed so the disk can swing closed. If you have an application where gravity won't help, there are spring-loaded check valves (which I have in my condensate pump line to my main drain.) These are made of brass and are much more expensive than your garden variety swing checks. Self-contained pump units usually - but not always - have a 'foot valve', which is a check valve at the suction of the pump. Some condensate sumps/pumps have a nylon check valve at the discharge which is a POS, and you should consider placing an in-line check not far from it.