Plumber in the house?

[Debacle]

Ill be posting this in a few places to try to find someone who knows. My sump is in the basement. I can either run a waste water line 40' or so to my rough in, or I can go 5' or so to my sump basin. Thing is, my sump basin cover has 2 holes. One for a vent and one for discharge. Any reason NOT to drill a third hole, insert a smaller piece of pvc, silicone around it to prevent leakage, and alternate between a barb fitting (to attach a siphon hose) and a cap (when not in use)? Not a fan of running a long line to the rough in as someday there will be a bathroom down there.

Anyone have better ideas?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Can you post a picture?

 

[Debacle]

Pit cover and location in relation to sump

 

[theMeat]

Not a problem drilling another hole in cover.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Dumping saltwater into a sump pit with a sump pump, may corrode the sump pump.

Me personally, would want my drain water to go into the waste water drain of the house.

 

[Citycop89]

If you have a Radon mitigation system, I would suggest not drilling drilling. This plus salt water sitting with you pump.

 

[theMeat]

What does is have to do with radon vent ?

Saltwater will corrode the sump pump faster but it’s not like it’s going to melt. if rinsed with fresh water after salt has been discharged it will be minimal. Salt won’t ruin the impeller or the motor, but will the housing. Would say the pump will fail before the housing corrodes to a point of failure, so imo not much of an issue. Maybe get 9 years out of pump instead of 10

 

[Citycop89]

I mentioned radon because you have to make sure it is all sealed up. No point in it being sealed if your adding holes. Just have to make sure all is sealed up.

 

[Chuk]

Unless your sump pump is all plastic don’t do it as others have said. Saltwater will eat cast iron impellers faster than you would believe and then you will end up with water in your basement.

 

[Matt Carden]

I have to agree that you wouldn't want to tamper with your sump. Picture this, your basement floods, you call your ins. company, they come out to do an assessment, see your modification, deny your claim!

 

[theMeat]

Unless your sump pump is all plastic don’t do it as others have said. Saltwater will eat cast iron impellers faster than you would believe and then you will end up with water in your basement.

Impeller is not cast iron.

 

[theMeat]

I have to agree that you wouldn't want to tamper with your sump. Picture this, your basement floods, you call your ins. company, they come out to do an assessment, see your modification, deny your claim!

I’m doing another drainage system in house near beach where many houses have a inside foundation wall perimeter French drain that spills into sump basin with sump. Much salt content, not much of an issue.
Zoeller pumps are imo the best, last longest and have completely cast iron body

 

[theMeat]

I mentioned radon because you have to make sure it is all sealed up. No point in it being sealed if your adding holes. Just have to make sure all is sealed up.

Good point. But if the basin has a vent it is likely a sewage sump basin. Meaning it has toilet water. So yeah, you’d want to make sure it’s sealed up tight.
The other thing that vent can be is a radon vent.
If there’s no sewage, or it’s not a radon vent, it’s not needed

 

[Matt Carden]

Impeller is not cast iron.

+1

 

[theMeat]

@Debacle
The pipe on right is water discharge. If you take that black rubber one way valve that is clamped on, and lower it, preferably inside basin, if there’s enough room, will give the valve more head pressure/work better, and will allow pump not to come on as often because less water that has already been pumped falls back to basin.
Another thing to look for that many overlook, but is important is make sure you have a 1/4” hole drilled into pvc discharge pipe right around the height of top of pump. Prevents air lock and makes motor come back on more smooth for longer life

If the pipe on left is vent back into house plumbing you can cut a tee into it for drain, instead of drilling cover

 

[Burrito]

I did this exact thing. My house has a very high water table any my sump will run nearly every day. Even in a drought. I have 2 sumps in opposite corners. I drilled a small hole for My Awc drain line, my rodi waste line and my dehumidifier water waste. My hope is between all the fresh water source the 2 gallons of saltwater a night won’t screw my pump up too quickly.

Door cover has since been put back with a small hole for wires.

 

[Debacle]

Sorry guys. Been busy at work and with family stuff. Im used to calling it a sump, but I guess technically it is an ejector pump. The rough in for the basement bath dumps into there. Hence the sealed cover. The current pump I have in there I replaced after being in the house 12 years and replaced it with this model. I know the body is cast iron, and people say that salt water will corrode it, but I will also be running my RODI waste water into the pump as well, making 40-50g of RODI water a week.

The ejector pump discharges into the municipal sewage line, so it doesent dump it outside (if so my grass would be greener with all the fertilizer). The plan has been to put a bathroom in the basement for years, but as I just said, that plan has been going on for years. Right now no sewage goes down that line.

 

[Erica-Renee]

I would NOT Drain Saltwater into your sump pump basin . This will damage your pump in no time.. I know this first hand.. I pump the waste water up and over about 30 feet to washing machine drain to solve this issue. RO/DI Waste water should be ok. But its best to recycle / reuse that if possible.. Mine Goes out to flower beds at the front and side of the house..

 

[redfishbluefish]

So it's an ejection pump.

Another question....ejecting into a septic system or municipal sewer?

What volume of saltwater per week or month? I know folks do it, but I'm not a fan of pumping saltwater into a septic system. Impact bacteria in septic as well as contaminating drainage field.

Anyway, if you do cut into the ejection pump (either by cutting a new hole of putting a sanitary tee on the current pipe, you'll need to have that system sealed so you don't get sewer gas in the basement. Maybe valve off that new drain, opening only when needed, or including a p trap??? Not sure.

 

[Debacle]

Discharges to a municipal sewer. Volume wise would be 30-40g once per week. lets say 40 (Size of my mixing drums). Immediately after create another 40g of RO water for topoffs and next weeks water change. Also, once my old system is taken down (once this new one is up and running) I will be moving washer/dryer to basement laundry room. So that will be even more water being ran down the drain to rinse salt residue off the ejector pump.

@Erica-Renee As stated above this, its not as if the pump will be wallowing in a sump full of salt water for an indefinite period of time. A quick submersion followed by several rinses of pure RO waste/Laundry waste water. But you did make me think when you said down your laundry waste line. The existing laundr waste lines do come into the house (currently in room in attached garage) right above the new sump room.