Sump pump constant drip out exterior pipe
#1
04-18-20, 09:47 AM
Sump pump constant drip out exterior pipe
BV022158
05:18PM | 04/1
For the last week my pump has been just dripping out the exterior pipe 24/7. It has completely stopped the regular periodic 'flush'.
I was told this is normal. I don't believe this to be true, as it has never done this before.
Any suggestions as to what may be wrong or what to do?
05:18PM | 04/1
For the last week my pump has been just dripping out the exterior pipe 24/7. It has completely stopped the regular periodic 'flush'.
I was told this is normal. I don't believe this to be true, as it has never done this before.
Any suggestions as to what may be wrong or what to do?
#2
04-18-20, 10:00 AM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums.
A sump usually pumps up so that if it weren't running you wouldn't get any water out of the pipe.
There is no periodic flush. The sump pump runs based on water in the pit. When the water rises the pump starts. When the water level is lower.... the pump stops.
So your description is not really helping us.
Look in the sump pit. Is there water ? Is it covering the pump ?
A sump usually pumps up so that if it weren't running you wouldn't get any water out of the pipe.
There is no periodic flush. The sump pump runs based on water in the pit. When the water rises the pump starts. When the water level is lower.... the pump stops.
So your description is not really helping us.
Look in the sump pit. Is there water ? Is it covering the pump ?
#3
04-18-20, 10:11 AM
Group Moderator
It's probably condensation. Warm humid air from the basement rising up out of the pipe and coming into contact with colder outside air.
#4
04-18-20, 02:04 PM
Member
It has completely stopped the regular periodic 'flush'.
#5
04-18-20, 02:18 PM
Is the outlet pipe shaped in a way that it could have sags that may hold water? If you found such a sag and pushed up a tad on that portion would a small torrent of water come out and then the dripping stop?
#6
04-20-20, 01:22 PM
Sorry That's the only way I could explain what we were seeing.
We didn't understand it either.
We ended up opening up the pit and pouring some water into it to see if the pump would work.
The pump started to smoke and we could smell burning. Of course, we unplugged it immediately.
The best we could tell, the pump was constantly running for the last week emitting just the small amount of water (the constant drip). Note: You could not hear the pump working. Apparently the pump was getting ready to burn out and apparently did just that when we tried to add water to the hole to see if pump would pump it out. We ended up having to have the pump replaced. It was completely dead after we tried plugging back in.
If we would have left it alone, chances are it would have eventually burned out and could have caused a fire without us even knowing, if it happened at night, or a flood.
A very strange way for a pump to act, but this is what it did. thanks for your reply.
We didn't understand it either.
We ended up opening up the pit and pouring some water into it to see if the pump would work.
The pump started to smoke and we could smell burning. Of course, we unplugged it immediately.
The best we could tell, the pump was constantly running for the last week emitting just the small amount of water (the constant drip). Note: You could not hear the pump working. Apparently the pump was getting ready to burn out and apparently did just that when we tried to add water to the hole to see if pump would pump it out. We ended up having to have the pump replaced. It was completely dead after we tried plugging back in.
If we would have left it alone, chances are it would have eventually burned out and could have caused a fire without us even knowing, if it happened at night, or a flood.
A very strange way for a pump to act, but this is what it did. thanks for your reply.
#8
04-20-20, 03:39 PM
Group Moderator
It's very likely the float either got physically stuck keeping the pump running or the float switch shorted on. The pump would keep running until the bearings or seals froze. If it's the submersible type.... it would run hot without water and eventually burn up. They are thermally protected and that would cause the pump to cycle for a while.
