Eric says: I have one on hand to give away and can make a couple more if needed. Anyone who wants one can call me (Eric Christianson) at 253-7325 or email at address above.


How-to make your own…take a 5 gal pail and (or pail that will accommodate your pump) and take a ¾ or 1 inch hole saw and electric drill and start cutting holes. If the sump is to be placed in a hole you’ve dug, then drill the first row of holes a couple inches from the bottom of the bucket. If the sump is to sit on a concrete slab, drill the holes all the way to the bottom. If the hole you dig for the sump is sandy or unstable, wrap the sump in a coarse fabric to prevent sand entering the sump and clogging the pump. Place pump in sump, check clearance for floats and switches and place weight on sump to prevent it floating or tipping when pump operates.

There are some points to remember about installing and operating your sump pump behind your sandbag dike.



1. Understand how your sump pump works: On a typical sump pump, there is a float that turns on the pump when the water gets to a certain height above the base of the pump. The same float turns off the pump when the water level drops to near the bottom of the pump.

2. The sump pump should be placed in a “sump” which is a container that allows water to flow in freely but keeps out debris like leaves or sand that could clog the pump. (see the “how to” posting from Saturday).

3. The depth of the “sump” is determined by how high the water can be allowed to get before the pump’s float turns on the pump.

a. For example, if the water level above the ground where you locate the pump can be allowed to get 4 inches deep, then for a pump that turns on when the water is 10 inches above it’s base, needs to be dug down at least 6 inches below the surrounding ground. It is not a good idea to dig the pump down a lot lower than needed since this will make the pump turn on and shut off more frequently, and create extra wear on the electronics of the pump and it will be more likely to fail. A good rule of thumb is to dig the sump down so that the pump will turn on at least 2 inches below where the water could become a problem. When in doubt, dig the sump deeper. It is better to have some leeway and have the pumps turn on and off more often than have to go back and dig the sump deeper. The best option is to have 2 sump pumps dug a bit deeper than needed. This way, if one pump burns out the other can take over. With modern pumps and good power supply, the pumps you buy locally should have no problems with many thousands of on-off cycles. Do not put 2 pumps in the same sump unless you really know what you are doing.

4. Do not use a long discharge pipe. If you need a 15 foot hose or pipe to get the pumped water over the dike, do no use a 50 foot garden hose. The longer the hose or pipe, the harder the pump has to work. Also if you coil the excess hose or pipe before you rout it over the dike, the sediment (soil or sand that is floating in the water you pump) will settle out and clog the hose or pipe when the pump turns off. (I know from personal experience that you cannot use a garden hose on a reel as a discharge pipe for this very reason). It is better to cut your discharge pipe or hose 2 or 3 feet longer than you need than it is to coil up the excess, or worse, run the excess pipe over the dike and into the water on the wet side. Remember that discharge pipes should squirt water into the air over the sides of your dike. If you let the discharge end of your pipe or hose get submerged in the floodwater you will get a siphon effect when the pump shuts off that will bring water back to your side of the dike unless you have a check valve. Better to just get the discharge hose over the top of the dike and place a sandbag on top of it to keep it from moving. The best place to discharge your pump is as close as you can to the pump. Don’t let the discharge hit the ground on the wet side of the dike as this can erode the soil below the sandbags. This is important and you can call me or the Call Center if you are unsure of your situation( Eric Christianson, 253-7325 or call center – 251-6241). The best place to discharge is onto the water surface on the wet side as close to the pump as convenient

5. Finally – monitor your pumps! Check a new pump installation at least every hour and watch how it works. The pump will twist and jerk when it turns on. This movement can move the pump and if the pump moves the float against the sump wall it may bind and not turn on the pump when it should. Place the weights on the sump such that they don’t interfere with the floats but keep the pump more or less centered in the sump.

6. Good Luck!

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