Hi there I'm Vance and welcome to Spec Sense.
Today we're going to be talking about sump pumps
and I'll show you how to pick the right size,
what features to consider and how to maintain your pump.
Sump pumps are integral part of flood prevention in many homes.
During a rainstorm water will saturate the soil beside your house
and can accumulate under the foundation
Sump basin sits under your house and collects this water.
Once the basin collects enough water,
the float switch triggers and the pump activates.
The water is then pushed up through a discharge pipe
and safely away from your home.
As the water level drops, float switch will disengage
and turn off the pump.
To find the right size sump pump for your house,
you'll need to know a few different factors.
Each sump pump comes with a reference chart,
which explains how much water it can pump.
GPM is the flow rate in gallons per minute.
HEAD is the vertical distance of piping,
that the water must travel through.
as the head increases, the pump must work harder
and the maximum flow rate decreases.
To figure out the flow rate wait for a steady rainy day to do a test.
Run your pump until the water drops below the shutoff level.
Now turn off the unit
and measure how far the water rises in one minute.
For an 18-inch Basin,
1-inch of water is equal to one gallon.
In a 24-inch basin, 1-inch of water is equal to two gallons,
so if you have an 18-inch basin
and water rises 20 inches in one minute.
Then the flow rate is 20 gallons per minute.
keep in mind there will be even more water during heavy storms,
so it's best to be safe and multiply your flow rate by 1.5.
Next let's calculate the vertical head.
If your sump pump is 2-feet below the basement floor,
and there's 6 feet to the ceiling then that equals an 8-foot head,
so in this case a pump rated for 30 GPM at 10 feet would be enough.
When considering the power rating you'll want a 1/3 horsepower motor or better.
This should be adequate for most average sized home.
Friction loss or friction head is also an important consideration when sizing a pump.
Narrow pipes, elbows, check valves and any additional piping will increase friction.
and could require a larger pump. It's best to call a plumber to do these calculations,
so they can estimate the Total Dynamic Head for your system.
Now that you've selected the pump size, let's take a look at some of the features.
Submersible pumps are the most common and are recommended as they are more resistant to overheating.
As for build quality Cast iron pumps are the most reliable
and offer better durability than thermal plastic models.
Now if your sump pump fails and you don't notice in time,
your basement is at risk of flooding.
Fortunately you can install an external tank alert,
which sounds an alarm when the water rises to a critical level.
Some models come with an additional battery-powered backup pump,
that will run in the event of a power failure.
also there are dedicated backup battery systems available,
that will keep your pumps operating until power is restored.
To avoid any future troubles here are a few precautions, you can take to protect your sump pump.
Make sure you know the model and details of your pump in case you need to replace any parts.
We recommend keeping the manual in a Ziploc bag beside your sump basin for future reference.
Once every six months you should perform some light maintenance.
Turn off the breaker and unplug the Sump Pump.
Now disconnect the check valve,
and remove the pump.
Clean the pump in that screen with a wire brush.
Now inspect the check valve and make sure it has a clear pathway.
Now set the pump into place,
next reconnect the pump
and turn the power back on.
Finally use a bucket of water to fill the basin and test that your pump is in good working order.
Whether you're replacing or maintaining hopefully you've gained a better understanding of some pumps.
if you like this and want to see more tutorials and informational videos,
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and if you need help call or visit a AMRE location to talk with our knowledgeable staff.
Thanks for watching !