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I’ve replaced one of two sump pumps and check valves in my basement. Water still fills the basin. Check valve is holding, it’s transparent so I can see so. Is this just accumulated water beneath the slab? Are sump basins typically perforated to allow this to occur? (Water is not coming from the drain tile that enters the basin) Thank for any advice! Will

isherwood
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Will
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    The one I have, installed about 40 years ago, allows water to flow in without coming in the drain pipe. One of the drain pipes is for the floor drains, another one is for the footer tiles. I have no clue about the second pump but check it as well. You can put some die in the other sump and see if it appears where you are having problems. – Gil Apr 15 '22 at 19:07
  • they always have some water in them, unless there's a drought. – dandavis Apr 15 '22 at 21:19

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The vast majority of sumps for drainage (as opposed to those for pumped sanitary sewer, which need to be well-sealed to keep the stinky stuff in) are permeable so that water can flow into them from the surrounding soil.

Most of the ones I've personally experienced are just an open-ended concrete or clay pipe with gravel or sand on the bottom, and usually a hunk of concrete or a few bricks to keep the pump out of the sand/gravel. I've seen a few of the "modern" plastic type, but not a majority of the ones I see.

Removing groundwater from below the floor is why you install a sump in the first place. Sounds like it's working as it should.

Ecnerwal
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  • That hasn't been my experience in my region. Around here they're plastic and have one or more drain tile pipes connected to dedicated port extensions near the top of the pail. You wouldn't want to be pumping water from down two feet below the slab. – isherwood Apr 15 '22 at 20:35