I thought I had a blocked vent or dry p trap in my basement but I'm pretty sure my sump pit is the source of the foul odor. I bypassed the float switch to empty the water and noticed my pump is covered in brown sludge. I poured a small amount of bleach and a few gallons of bleached, stirred and pumped it out. It's been very cold and has warmed up to 18 F as I'm writing. My house is in a valley so my pump goes off every 10 min on wet summer days and 3-5 times a day in the winter. I have a coupling in a bad spot and decided to bracket my float switch above the coupling. The water level has to reach a 1/4 inch above the bottom of the drain tile pipe to activate the pump. I should also mention that I had a cracked sewer line that was leaching into the drain tile. Last summer that cast iron sewer line was abandoned and I had PVC rerouted and connected further down stream.

Am I "activating" the smell of the old sewer line by installing my sump pump float switch too high? Is it common for a house from 53' to get lots of dirt and scum in the drain tile and sump pit? Anything else I can do besides cleaning the pit and adjusting the float switch?

Your sump pit should be sealed and vented... to be safe from any sub-surface fumes, like Radon. The brown grease could be the results of years the sewer line was cracked and waste in the soil.

Best Wishes

Thanks. I'll be cleaning it this weekend and looking for a cover. Would a plumbing specialty store have something with a lip I could place on top of my concrete hole. It won't be a perfect seal but it will be better than before. I'll also add the vent pipe. Thanks

There is such a company in South Bend, IN. Jackel Inc. I don't believe they sell to the public but are very helpful in resolving your custom sump pit top.

Best Wishes

I have seen plexiglass lids made with rubber grommets for penetrations. They were just squares that the homeowner made with 1x2's around the edge, siliconed on, with weatherstripping underneath. I think they were anchored with tapcons, but I don't remember now. I know they worked well, and you could still see inside the pit to verify the presence of water in the pit. I don't know where he got the grommets as I didn't ask.
Actually, I would guess that he got them from Hanna Rubber Company, but I don't know. I know I used them quite a bit for rubber for grease trap seals.[www.hannarubbercompany.com]



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Is your sump connected to the city sewer system or does it discharge outside? If it does connect to the city sewer or some form of sewer line, do you have a sump check valve installed in the riser pipe from the pit? This assist's in helping the pump discharge quicker using the standing water above the check valve AND it allows water to stand in the riser which keeps gas's from coming back through the pipe if there is no P-Trap after the pump. It also keeps all the remaining water in the riser from flowing back into the pit after the pump shuts off. Hope this was helpful

My sump pump discharges outside. I definitely had the float switch clamped too high on discharge pipe as the water level had to rise slightly above the bottom of the drain tile pipe that feeds the pit. I have a quiet check valve (spring inside). I just cleaned the pit today and the smell is much better. I basically just cleaned the pump carefully as the warm temps and melting snow had the water discharging every 15 minutes. Besides the cracked sewer line that leach waste into the soil for possibly several years before I bought it, the discharge pipe runs about 45 feet horizontally inside the basement before exiting the house. It may angle up right before it exits house so that the plumber could poke it out above the cement foundation. I'm guessing my pump and check valve experience a lot of head pressure so they will have shortened life spans. Not to mention there's standing water (sewer resident ) at room temp for several hours during dry conditions.