Installing a Sump

[rdw5466]

Here's my dilema. Our central Illinois home is a 120 year old farmhouse, with an addition built in the '30s including a basement. It's typical poured concrete farmhouse basement, functional only. The furnace, washer/dryer, freezer and a second flush-up toilet are there, along with some storage shelves. In their wisdom, the builders tied the floor drain into a field tile which also used to run through the septic tank and discharge about 400 feet away. (We installed a new septic system about 10 years ago)

The problem is the tile discharges at the corner of our property, where rain runoff collects and enters a culvert under the road. This culvert is the beginning of a small creek and collects water from 3 directions. during heavy rain, the area can flood causing the field tile to the basement drain to back up. We keep a compression plug in the floor drain, as the hydrostatic pressure causes water to geyser out of the drain about 12" high. When the plug is in, the floor raises up, opening cracks an water flows in. My only option at is to set a low profile pump on the floor near the drain, flop a hose out the window and hope for the best. During 1 memorable 6" rainstorm water got as deep as 14".

I would like to install a sump system to at least catch some of the water in case we are not at home during flooding. The obvious location would be to replace the floor drain with a sump, but the field tile might be a problem. Any suggestions would be helpful. Getting tired of "family bonding" time in the basement.

[jnaas2]

If you can get to the drain line where it discharges into the ditch install a bach-flow preventer or as some people call it a check valve. Then when the creek fills up you wont need the plug. You can install a sump pump at the location of the floor drain or in the lowest area in the floor but as you know that will take busting up the concrete. If its installed where the floor drain is you can purchase a pump with a adjustable float so the only time it kicks on is when the check valve wont allow water to flow outside by the gravity drain

[rdw5466]

Thanks for thereply. I have considered a check valve, just didn't know if it would really work. Would it need to go onto the end of the tile, or upstream? The ditch is about 48" deep at the tile discharge and it's near the bottom.

[HayZee518]

put the check near end of the outlet line of the sump pump. too close to the house you may be looking at water.

[jnaas2]

The type of check valve is a swing check valve it swings up to let water out but is normally in the closed position, if its installed where the water exits the pipe its easy to make sure nothing gets in it to keep it from closing properly if you want to be double sure install one inside and one outside

[HayZee518]

a swing check valve if its not perfectly horizontal or slightly pitched back from its inlet will stay open rendering it useless. perhaps a spring loaded "foot" valve would be better. that way you can install a strainer on its end too!

[jnaas2]

The style check valve Im talking about is made with the seat that the flapper seals against that is at a slight angle so it can be installed on a drain line with pitch and still be in the closed position without the help of a spring. The problem with a spring assisted valve is that you need extra water pressure to open it, and you may not get enough pressure from a gravity flow drain line to open it. If you go to a plumbing supply dealer they can get what you need

[HayZee518]

check valve

here's a picture of a horizontal check valve

[jnaas2]

What is the size of the line where it emptys into the ditch

[rdw5466]

It's a 3 or 4" clay tile, hard to tell as its underwater at the moment.

[rdw5466]

I'm leaning towards an ABS backwater valve, on the outlet side of a new sump, from Canplas Plumbing (on their website).

[rdw5466]

Canplas DWV Plumbing Fittings: Specialty Plumbing

[jnaas2]

If you install a sump pump pit and pump that will take care of the problem of water coming in thru the cracks in the floor but I would install a backflow preventer on the line outside to keep it from getting under the floor or I would completly discontinue the gravity drain to keep it from backing into the house. Go to clearpvcpipe.com they have a 3" and 4" backflow preventer that will work on the line outside that is designed for the problem that you have

[rdw5466]

I will have to install the backflow valve near the sump pit in the floor with an acccess pit for maintenance. I would install the valve at the end of the field tile, but I'm not sure how many other tiles are tied in.

[rdw5466]

Ok, I am in the middle of digging out the pit and noticed the sump liner is solid ABS. I'm thinking I should drill a few holes to let hydrostatic water in and for a drain at the bottom?