Does a sump pump need to be constantly submersed in water to protect seals, etc., or could it sit on a dry bed and still be ready to do its work when sufficient water collects? My sump pump works “as advertised” but a significant amount of water remains in the sump after the float switch drops to shut off the pump. I think this residual water is a major source of moisture/humidity in the basement that I’d like to remove.
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Trying to pump all the water out would be almost impossible. Even if you could, you would still have moisture in the air in the pit from the pit drying out. And you'd probably get more from the perforations in the pit liner - Lots of moisture in the ground, gravel, or whatever is behind the pit liner.
Your best bet may be to put a cover on the sump pit, and keep the moisture in it that way.
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Thanks for your reply. My thought was to stick my Wet-Dry vac hose down there and suck up the residual water. The sump is covered now but my tools are showing signs of rust so I thought if there was no requirement to keep the pump wet, I'd try to pump out the water and see if that made a difference in the moisture level in my basement shop.
Try using a dehumidifier
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Thanks for taking time to reply, Woodrow. I use a dehumidifier. But it seems to me that, logically, using a dehumidifier is simply doing over a long period of time what I would like to do in a shorter period--namely remove water from the air. I thought I could expedite the move if I removed a large amount of the water by pumping or sucking it out of the sump. Logic also tells me that a sump pump started its "life" dry. The question I'm asking is, once it gets wet, does it have to stay wet to function properly?
My sump pump has been dry for a couple of years now. It started Thursday for the first time in probably three years, and has run several times since. We have had a couple of dry years, but a lot of rain recently, so the ground water level has risen.
I don't think it would hurt to vacuum out the pump well, because it will be submerged before it turns on, but I don't think it would do any good either. The ground water will seek it's own level and refill the hole. That is why it is not drying out in the first place. I agree that a cover is your best bet.
The pump only needs to be wet when it runs. If you're concerned with the residual water, use the shop vac. I'm a pump guy (big ones, not household) and you only need water when the pump runs to keep the seals lubricated. Just don't start it up dry and run it that way for a long time. Other than that, worry pas, as they say.
Edited 3/22/2003 8:23:51 PM ET by Cairo