How often should my sump pump come on?

Question

I just bought a house and I've noticed that my sump pump comes on about every 30-45 minutes. Thats seems a bit excessive so I'm wondering if it needs to be replaced. The house is about 4 years old and it sits at the bottom of a hill so I'm told the sump pump comes on because I get the water from the homes that sit above me. I would appreciate any advise or ideas as I am a first time home owner. Thanks.

i also forgot to mention. The house was not winterized before we bought it so the sprinkler system busted. But we turned off the water to the sprinkler...so that should stop water from flowing to the sprinklers, right? Besides, its winter and we wont be using the sprinklers until Spring so we werent concerned about fixing it right away...unless it is what's causing the sump pump to kick on..hmmmm :)

Answer 1

The pump should turn on whenever the water level rises to the set level. You could try to set the water level to a higher point. This would cause the sump pump to turn less times during the day, but it would take longer to drain when the pump turns on.

If it is set too low it will turn on whenever you get just a little bit of water in your sump.

Answer 2

I have one at my House too. The sump pump should come on when the float reaches a certain level, kinda like the thing in the back of your toilet. When the water lever reaches a certain level the water is shut off. The sump pump works kinda in reverse when the water gets too high it comes on. Make sure it has not come dislodged and is running all the time or something is under the lift making it think there is watter. It will burn up of it runs all the time.

Answer 3

the pumps should run continuously until the water line is below a certain level.
it doesn't matter if people live above you, it ground water that's coming up into your basement.
the only concern with the neighbors above is if they have an open/frozen line that's seeping downhill to your home.
the weather must be wet or snow is on the ground there to create this much drainage in your cellar.
you can adjust the kick-in switch on the pump for a more distant turn-on between drains.
your pump may be sitting in a small hole and it fills fast, therefore put it in a bigger hole or broaden the size of the existing hole to allow a longer period of time between turnon's.

Answer 4

In a recent This Old House episode, a similar problem was caused by a plugged perimeter drain- at the low end. Grass roots had grown into the drain, and had to be pulled out. When they did this, a rush of water came from the drain, and the problem was cured.

Answer 5

could be ground water. does anything else drain into the sump? (shower, sink, toilet) could have a water leak somewhere, you could check this by shutting off the main water supply to your house for a couple hours and see if the frequency of the sump pump changes

Answer 6

It comes on as the water rises, and then shuts down when the water gets to a low level. You might want to check those levels (easy to adjust).

You'd replace that pump when it DOESN'T come on.

I'm wondering why you have so much water... that is the $100,000 question (literally). You might have some drainage problems that need to be fixed.

Answer 7

30 to 45 minutes is no big deal. how often it runs depends on amount of rain, type of soil you have away from house. we have clay soil here which is very compact. my sump will kick on days after a rain. it sounds like your pump is running normal.

Answer 8

a sump pump should have a sensor indicating liquid level..
when sensor is activated, sump pump should then turn on to extract liquid./

Answer 9

It could be drainage but you may need to seal your cellar before it becomes serious