This picture shows a check valve that is spraying water back into the basin because the pump is sitting crooked in the pit. The pit was full of gravel that fell into it and the pump appears to have been thrown together real quick. The pipe is placed into the fitting at an angle it wasn’t designed for. I ran across this picture the other day and thought I would rant about check valves.
It’s surprising the amount of basement and crawlspace sump pumps that DO NOT have a check valve on them to begin with. Most of these pumps recycle the same water constantly. This will shorten the life of the pump. Typically they are installed by the homeowner, but I have seen a plumber or two forget or supposedly “Not know” about the purpose behind a check valve. A check valve keeps water that is ejected by the pump from back flowing back into the sump pit.
The most common mistake made when installing a check valve on a sump pump is installing it upside down. Every check valve has a flow arrow and even if it doesn’t, it’s common sense how it should work if you look inside it. This mistake is only made if the installer isn’t aware of the flow or they get in a hurry and forget to look at the flow arrow as they are putting it together.
If you need someone to install a check valve or a sump pump correctly, give us a call at 1-877-409-2837 or visit our website at www.americanbasementsolutions.com/sumppumps.html.
Thanks for reading the rambling thoughts of a sump pump inspector,
Larry Ralph Jr.
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