The sump pits are most commonly used in different industries and houses. They use to remove the additional water from a specific area to the desired area. The sump pump pits are most commonly used in different houses to remove water and other fluids. The sump pit is also called a sump well or sump basin. This article explains the working, cleaning process, and many other aspects of the sump pit.
What is a Sump Pit?
A sump pit is a temporary hole constructed to collect and filter additional water for pumping into the desired drainage area. A sump pit is also known as a sump basin.
The sump pump pit has a vertical standpipe in the center to catch the filtered water. This vertical standpipe has a hole. The main function of the sump pump pit is to remove the additional amount of water to improve the water quality.
The sump pit has a sump pump that periodically removes the extra water from the pit to prevent it from overflowing. The proper maintenance of the pump and pit is very important for the proper operation of the system.
Your floor basement is the best suitable place, where you can collect maximum water to protect it from flooding. Therefore, you must install your pit in the basement.
As the water level in the surrounding area becomes more than the basement, it starts flowing from the surroundings to the basement and produces many problems.
In case of heavy rain, especially if you don’t have a properly maintained septic tank or gutter, water may flow into your basement from where it may freely drain in various areas. When water floods the basement, it causes severe flood damage, promotes mold growth, and produces different health hazards.
Therefore, you must install a sump pit in your basement. In this way, you can easily collect and drain your rain or additional water from your basement floor and can prevent different health hazards.
Working of Sump Pit
A sump pit acts as a hole used to catch water and other spilled liquids. Drain tiling is one of the most common methods of sump pits.
These tiles have holes. They are installed horizontally below the basement. They install at a specific angle for an excellent discharge. The angle of these tiles confirms that water will collect in the place where you want it. The drain tiles are most frequently used around the construction of a house but don’t essentially have to be there.
A sump pit works in the following way:
As we discussed above, the pit is most commonly installed in the basement. The surrounding area water collects in the basement from where it enters the pit. A sump pump installs in the pit.
Each pit has a different water level saving capacity. The pit has a water level detector. As the water level in the pit reaches a specific level, the detector activates the pump, and it drains the pit water to the desired area.
Read Also: Working of Sump Pump
Design of Sump Pump Pit
The sump pit uses to collect different fluids and materials. For example, a car engine repair shop has a pit to collect spilled diesel, petrol, lubricating oil, and other liquids.
The sump pits are also used in hospitals and medical stores to collect hazardous waste. In this case, special care is required during the maintenance of the pit.
The pits have a sump pump which uses to pump the collected waste. You may also use the pits to catch the small debris. Therefore, sometimes algae can grow in them.
Therefore, you must regularly flush your pit and clean the pump parts with special care to avoid clogging the pump lines. This can be uncomfortable, but it will be prevented from overflowing. If you regularly clean your pit regularly, it will work properly and will not take long to clean your system.
Firstly, you need to disconnect the pump from the power source and wear gloves for cleaning the pit. You can also use a portable shop light and tarp to place the pump in while cleaning the pit so you can see the area clearly.
Planning Consideration
- The water withdrawn from the standpipe should be drained to a convenient location, such as a sedimentation trap, sedimentation tank, or stabilized
- If water is pumped from the sump pit directly into the drainage system, you must surround a geotextile filter cloth around the standpipe to ensure proper and clean drainage. After wrapping cloth around the filter, you should wrap the 0.25-to-0.51-inch mesh hardware cables around the standpipe to secure it. In this way, you can increase the water entry speed to the standpipe.
Read Also: Different Types of Pumps
Why is Sump Pump Pit Maintenance important?
The maintenance of the sump pit is important because of the following major reasons:
- Over time, the pit can become blocked due to organic matter, oil, and sediment. Therefore, you must properly clean and maintain it to remove clippings and leaves from the surface of the unit.
- The proper maintenance of the system extends the efficiency and service life of the system.
- You must inspect your pit after each storm to check its efficiency. If the pit and filter fabric are clogged with residue, you need to clean your pit. Sometimes, the entire drying well may need to be removed and replaced.
How to Clean a Sump Pit?
If you are also planning to clean your sump pump pit, follow the below-given steps:
- Turn Off the Sump Pump and Remove the power supply connection: First of all, disconnect the power supply of the sump pump and turn it off. The pump must be unplugged from the AC outlet. It may be very hazardous if you try to clean your pit and pump without disconnecting the power connection.
- Drain Pipe Removal: Remove the pump from the drain pipe.
- Sump Pump Removal from the Pit: Wear gloves, eliminate your pump from the pit, and place it outside the pit.
- Wrap the pump: Wrap a plastic sheet around the bottom of the pump to avoid additional cleaning. You must place the pump in a location that permits you to access all sides of the pump for comfortable cleaning.
- Sump Pump cleaning: Spray the garden hose over the pump to clean it. As you spray the pump, all the loose debris and other contaminations will be eliminated; utilize a cleaning tool (such as a cleaning brush) to remove stuck-on residue from the pump.
- Rinse the pump: Spray the garden hose over the pump one more time to remove the remaining debris.
- Drain the check valve: Now, remove the remaining water from the check valve. Use a bucket to collect the valve water.
- Use a dry/wet vacuum to drain the remaining water from the sump pit. Now use a shop vacuum to remove any residue or standing water in the sump pit bottom.
- Reconnect the pump. After pump and pit cleaning, it’s time to reconnect all the connections and components back to their places. Reconnect the pump to the power source and turn it ‘on’ to check either your pump is working fine or not.
FAQ Section
What is Sump Crock?
A Sump Pump Crock is a basin installed on the basement floor. It is used to catch and discharge wastewater. Plastic, perforated metal, or prefabricated is used to construct the sump crock.
What is a Sump Well?
A sump pit is also known as a sump well or sump hole. It is a hole or well installed in the basement. A sump well uses to pump the additional fluid out of the home into a specific area.
What is a sump pit used for?
The sump pits are used to collect and pump the additional water to the drainage area. The pits are most commonly placed on the basement floor. In residential applications, it is also known as a sump basin. You can easily see it in your concrete basement.
What are the disadvantages of sump pits?
- It requires a large area for installation
- Sump pits are complicated to install
- The sump pit and sump pump are very expensive
- Sump pumps may have extreme operational sound
- They have the potential to fail
What is the difference between sewage and sump pit?
A sewage pump is usually used to regulate larger solid particles, and its main function is to process manure and transport it to the main sewer system. On the other hand, sump pumps or drainage pumps are primarily used for managing clear water. Their primary purpose is to mitigate surplus water to avert the occurrence of flooding.
What size is a sump pit?
The usual sump pit is 30 inches deep and spans 18 to 24 inches in width. Standard sump pit liners, readily available at home improvement stores, have a capacity of 26 gallons and a diameter of 18 inches. However, in certain situations, the pit may need to have a minimum depth ranging up to 36 inches and a width of 24 inches.