Sump pump check valve

If you have a home with a basement, then you’re most likely aware of water flooding . As any basement is below the ground level, water naturally accrues in the deepest part of a structure.

Most homeowners install a sump pump and business owners install an industrial sump pump to protect the basement against flooding. Sump pumps usually require little maintenance.One of the elements that you will have to check regularly is your sump pump check valve.

However the sump pump check valve looks like very little, it does extend the life of sump pumps.

The functions of the check valve

The sump pump check valve is an important part in the pumping system:

1. The check valve prevents the water which is still in the discharge pipe from re-entering the sump pump basin once the pump shuts off .
2. If the sump pump check valve is not found , the returned water causing the sump pump to keep pumping the same water over and over causing the motor to overwork and wear out faster.
3. The sump check valve also keeps insects and rodents from crawling through your outside discharge pipe and following it all the way down to the sump pump.

If the check valve is not installed and your discharge pipe is

• A vertical pipe.
• with a length of 8 feet
• and 1.5-inch in diameter.

Then when the sump pump shuts off , approximately 1/2 gallon of water per cycle runs back into the sump pit.This causes the sump pump to work twice pumping out this additional 1/2 gallon of water per pumping cycle

Replacing the Sump Pump Check Valve

When you want to purchase a new check valve , you have to:

1. Examine the diameter of your existing drain pipe.
2. Buy a valve with a diameter not smaller than the existing drain pipe.
3. Buy the fittings “couplings or adapters" according to the size of your drain pipe.
4. if you’re not sure about the size that you need to replace , it is a good idea to bring a part of the pipe to the hardware store.

Sump Pump Check Valve installation.

1. Turn off the electrical circuit breaker to the sump pump at the circuit panel.
2. Use a tape measure and a marker to determine the sump pump check valve location (12 inches on the discharge pump from the base).
3. On the 12-inch mark , Use a hacksaw to cut the pipe in half . Lift the sump pump up and then out of the sump pit .
4. At a location of 4 inches up the discharge pipe(attached to the sump pump) from the base,use a power drill  to drill a1/8-inch hole in the side of the pipe .
5. Now we will connect the check valve to the sump pump side.Attach one side of the rubber coupling to the discharge .Use a screwdriver to tight the clamps on the rubber coupling.Secure the other side of the rubber coupling to the the check valve.
6. Note:The check valve must be installed with their right direction.The direction-of-flow arrow on the check valve body will refer to the top.
7. Attach the second rubber coupling to the the top of the check valve and tighten the clamps.
8. Cut a length of 5-inch from the end of the discharge pipe which is not connected to the sump pump.
9. Place the sump pump back into the sump pit. Connect the rubber coupling which is at the top of the check valve to the discharge pipe. Lift up the discharge pump slightly to attach the rubber coupling.
10. Turn on the circuit breaker for the sump pump and check for any  leakage when the sump pump turns on.