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The Same Water, Over and Over

The smallest component on the system, and the one that explains the symptom people replace whole pumps over.

The gist

A pump that starts and stops every few seconds is usually not failing. Without a working check valve, the water standing in the discharge line falls back into the pit the moment the pump stops, refills it, and starts the pump again.

Pit and Pump is a referral service, not a contractor. We connect homeowners with independent contractors. Contractors are required to hold whatever credential their state or municipality demands, and a discharge connection is usually a permitted alteration — ask to see the permit. We carry out no work, we sell no equipment, we do not set prices, and we never charge homeowners anything — the contractors in our network pay us when we route them a call.

What it does

When the pump stops, everything standing in the vertical discharge pipe above it wants to come back down. A check valve is a one-way gate that stops it.

Without one, or with a failed one, that column of water returns to the pit, refills it past the float, and starts the pump again. Which lifts the same water up the same pipe, and so on.

Why it matters more than it sounds

FEMA lists frequent cycling among the symptoms that suggest replacing the pump, and it inspects the check valve as its own step in the annual service. Those two sit together for a reason: the symptom and the minor cause are easy to confuse, and the expensive conclusion is the one people reach first.

A pump that short-cycles is also wearing out at several times the rate it should, so the eventual replacement is real — it was just caused by a valve.

Source: FEMA, Maintain your Sump Pump.

What to ask for

Ask whether the check valve was inspected and what was found, before agreeing to a replacement pump on a cycling complaint. If the answer is vague, that is the answer.

Ask also where the valve sits. One mounted too high leaves a long column of water above the pump; one mounted immediately above the discharge is doing its job with the least to hold back.

Where to go next

Done the bucket test?If the pump ran and cleared the pit, you may not need us at all. If it did not, or if you want the discharge looked at, we will route you to somebody who covers your area — the ZIP code is all we need to find them. Free to you. The line is not restricted to sump work; any plumbing job can go through it.

Call (888) 515-3188