LOUD Sump Pump--New Installation

[G33Z3R]

My 1/3hp Zoeller sump pump went out a couple weeks back. It was original to the house, making it about 9 nears old, I believe.

As a replacement, I bought a 1/2hp Wayne ReliantOne, model 59868, with the diaphragm style switch from Lowe's. I realize (now) that Zoeller is a highly regarded brand, but I don't know who sells them locally (Muncie, Indiana). Besides, my crawlspace was flooded and I needed to do this fast.

So long as the sump pit is full, and the pump is submerged or nearly so, the pump runs quietly and sucks water out FAST. But when the water gets down to a level just above the pump's intakes, the pump gets LOUD and runs LOUD for several minutes. The sound is a mix of a loud rumbling and gurgling. As the pump is just below my bedroom, the sound is a bit of an issue. I was under the house at 4:00 am last night, trying to figure things out.

The old pump was never loud, except for the last few weeks of its life, when it would make the occasional loud slurping.

Before I go drilling a weep hole, I want to be pretty sure that's what I need, and not another new pump. The check valve is about two feet above the base of the pump. The evacuation piping then goes up a bit and runs between joists and out into the back yard for another 10 feet, sloping downward to the ground. Right now, there is NO weep hole. Maybe what I'm hearing is the air lock I've been reading about? One pump may be fine without a weep hole, but another may not?

There is ALWAYS water around the base of the new pump; water never drops below the pump's intake. But when it reaches that low level, the pump gets loud, as I've described.

I'd like to call Mr. Dunbar, because he's obviously the expert, but I'm not exactly in his service area!

Do I crawl back down there and drill a weep hole? I've got a 3/16" bit in my drill and I'm ready to go, if that's what I need.

Bless you for helping, if you got the time!

[Mr T]

You need to adjust your low level shut off.. and it sounds like you need to install a check valve. You may have left it attached to the old pump.

If your piping is at attached to your floor joists it may resonate sound up into the house, try putting something between the pipe and the floor joists to dampen it.

[G33Z3R]

How do you adjust low level shut off? Here's a picture of my pump:

http://images.lowes.com/product/040066/040066209658.jpg

The "instructions" that came with the thing said nothing about any adjustments, so I have not idea how to do this.

The check valve is still in place from the previous pump--I even made sure it was still oriented correctly when installing the new pump! The check valve is about a foot higher than the top of the pump.

The plumping runs between the joists but isn't attached to them, probably to avoid the noise you described.

I drilled a 3/16" weep hole between the top of the pump and the check valve, but that didn't quiet the pump down, as far as I can tell. I fabricated a sump pit cover out of 2" foam and that helped the noise more than the hole I drilled.

[fordrules]

with the diaphragm style switch

As far as I'm aware, there is no way to adjust a diphragm switch. If it's bad you have to replace it. It works off of water pressure above the pump to tell what the level is. The sump pumps I install are made to maintain a 7-10" water level above the pump before it kicks on, and pump down to a 3-4" level in the pit. If it was a float switch, you'd be able to adjust it.

[G33Z3R]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

Looking back, it's clear that the pump just continues to run long after the diaphragm switch should have shut it off. Maybe it's running until it gets too hot, and only then does it shut off?--I don't know. I'm sure it's wasting electricity, besides being loud.

Funny thing, too, is that the diaphragm switch doesn't look like the one on the picture or on the box. The top of my switch looks to be a flat, flexible rubber membrane with a little hole in the middle, rather than the bell shape seen above. The cord comes out the side of my switch, and not the top. Must be a design change made AFTER the product packaging was put together.

[suemarkp]

You also put in a bigger pump than you had before. That could make it louder too. I wonder if the diaphram switch is defective or just too stiff.

[Mr T]

If you cant get the switch to work and you've had the pump too long to take back for exchange or warranty, you can find a way to lock the existing switch to always on and buy a replacement float switch that plugs inline with the power cord.