What type of pump can I use to drain out shallow water? - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

Brutpwr · 02-15-2005, 11:50 PM

So I get to my shop today and the back parking area is flooded. It is in a low spot so there are two sump pumps that turn on when it rains. Apparently one of the pumps did not turn on (sometimes the floats stick or get clogged with dirt or debris). Anyway it must have rained hard as water got past my back door which is 6" higher than the back low point of the parking lot. So I used the submissible 1/4 pump to pump the water out so it would not flood right away if it started to rain hard again. Well about 2 hrs later a good 1/2 of the water was gone but I noticed the pump had stopped. I had to zip tie the float upright so the pump would work since there was only about 3" of water in the lot. Well then I noticed the pump was super hot--like burned up hot. So did I burn up this pump. Do these things have to be submerged. I'm hoping there is a heat switch and it will work when it cools down. No breakers were tripped. Is there a type of pump to use for shallow flooded areas? I would like one that will turn off automatically when the water is all pumped out...

Jason

PTSchram · 02-16-2005, 03:40 AM

You're probably gonna need some sort of sump for the water to accumulate to so it can be pumped.

You probably wiped out the pump that got hot. I have had incredibly good luck with cheap pumps from HF. I have property that floods frequently and the HF pumps last longer than even the expensive ones from plumbing supply shops.

ChiScouter · 02-16-2005, 06:53 AM

I think most submersible utility pumps have built in thermal overloads. I have a cheap flowtron that has pumped much shallow water, tripped the overheat many times and is still working fine. Mine looks like a sump pump just without the float switch mechanism. My first guess is that you clogged the intake on yours which caused the overheat. When pumping with lots of solids I try to put the pump in a 5 gal bucket filled with small holes to try and filter out more crap. I have even wrapped a screen around the outside of the bucket to filter things smaller. Another trick is to drill a few small holes on the discharge hose thus shooting some cooling water back at the pump.

jerseyzuks · 02-16-2005, 08:07 AM

If it's an older pump, and it doesn't turn on when you plug it back in, it may have a thermal fuse that may need to be replaced.

Thermal fuses normally look like a little silver can with pigtails soldered on either side. Normally there will be a temp rating on the fuse.

Brutpwr · 02-16-2005, 09:10 AM

Thanks for the tips... I'll check the pump when I get to the shop. Didn't rain too much last night so I'm hoping I don't have to push water out of the shop again. Put out the Tide last night and it was nice to clean the crud off the floor and see paint again! The inlet was just a bit clogged and I was pumping the water up about 2 ft so that did not help the load any.

Jason

Just-fabricate-it · 02-17-2005, 09:03 AM

You might want to consider a pump that they use to take the water off of swimming pool covers. They are fully submersible. I think they are about $170, and it on a flat plastic base. They will pump down to about 3/4" of the base. You use a garden hose for the output side. It will clog if the water has debris in it though because the 'suck area' is a slit about 1/4" high right above the plastic base.

They also have a aux sensor that (if you can put it in about a 2" sump) will automatically turn it on/off when the water rises.

This is similar to the ones I am familiar with.
http://store.yahoo.com/discountpoold...gianautco.html

Brutpwr · 02-21-2005, 11:47 PM

I checked out the pump the other day and it still works and it does say themally protected on the pump... Will the auxillary switch turn on the pump if the water gets say 2" high or higher. The one I have will not work unless there is like almost 1 ft of water and then the water is already flooding into my shop!

Jason

02-15-2005, 11:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Brutpwr Zeus of the Sluice Join Date: Mar 2000 Member # 481 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 3,848	What type of pump can I use to drain out shallow water? So I get to my shop today and the back parking area is flooded. It is in a low spot so there are two sump pumps that turn on when it rains. Apparently one of the pumps did not turn on (sometimes the floats stick or get clogged with dirt or debris). Anyway it must have rained hard as water got past my back door which is 6" higher than the back low point of the parking lot. So I used the submissible 1/4 pump to pump the water out so it would not flood right away if it started to rain hard again. Well about 2 hrs later a good 1/2 of the water was gone but I noticed the pump had stopped. I had to zip tie the float upright so the pump would work since there was only about 3" of water in the lot. Well then I noticed the pump was super hot--like burned up hot. So did I burn up this pump. Do these things have to be submerged. I'm hoping there is a heat switch and it will work when it cools down. No breakers were tripped. Is there a type of pump to use for shallow flooded areas? I would like one that will turn off automatically when the water is all pumped out... Jason

02-16-2005, 03:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
PTSchram Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Member # 12499 Location: In a Snap-On truck tryin' to make it pay Posts: 10,543	You're probably gonna need some sort of sump for the water to accumulate to so it can be pumped. You probably wiped out the pump that got hot. I have had incredibly good luck with cheap pumps from HF. I have property that floods frequently and the HF pumps last longer than even the expensive ones from plumbing supply shops. __________________ Wrenchin' to riches! If you want peace, prepare for war.

02-16-2005, 08:07 AM	#4 (permalink)
jerseyzuks Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Member # 24273 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 1,413	If it's an older pump, and it doesn't turn on when you plug it back in, it may have a thermal fuse that may need to be replaced. Thermal fuses normally look like a little silver can with pigtails soldered on either side. Normally there will be a temp rating on the fuse. __________________ gunracer1- You must have the reading comprehension of a first graded

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02-16-2005, 06:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
ChiScouter Zeus of the Sluice Join Date: Feb 2002 Member # 9835 Location: Chicago Posts: 4,078	I think most submersible utility pumps have built in thermal overloads. I have a cheap flowtron that has pumped much shallow water, tripped the overheat many times and is still working fine. Mine looks like a sump pump just without the float switch mechanism. My first guess is that you clogged the intake on yours which caused the overheat. When pumping with lots of solids I try to put the pump in a 5 gal bucket filled with small holes to try and filter out more crap. I have even wrapped a screen around the outside of the bucket to filter things smaller. Another trick is to drill a few small holes on the discharge hose thus shooting some cooling water back at the pump.

02-16-2005, 09:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
Brutpwr Zeus of the Sluice Join Date: Mar 2000 Member # 481 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 3,848	Thanks for the tips... I'll check the pump when I get to the shop. Didn't rain too much last night so I'm hoping I don't have to push water out of the shop again. Put out the Tide last night and it was nice to clean the crud off the floor and see paint again! The inlet was just a bit clogged and I was pumping the water up about 2 ft so that did not help the load any. Jason

02-17-2005, 09:03 AM	#6 (permalink)
Just-fabricate-it Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Member # 13069 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 148	You might want to consider a pump that they use to take the water off of swimming pool covers. They are fully submersible. I think they are about $170, and it on a flat plastic base. They will pump down to about 3/4" of the base. You use a garden hose for the output side. It will clog if the water has debris in it though because the 'suck area' is a slit about 1/4" high right above the plastic base. They also have a aux sensor that (if you can put it in about a 2" sump) will automatically turn it on/off when the water rises. This is similar to the ones I am familiar with. http://store.yahoo.com/discountpoold...gianautco.html

02-21-2005, 11:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
Brutpwr Zeus of the Sluice Join Date: Mar 2000 Member # 481 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 3,848	I checked out the pump the other day and it still works and it does say themally protected on the pump... Will the auxillary switch turn on the pump if the water gets say 2" high or higher. The one I have will not work unless there is like almost 1 ft of water and then the water is already flooding into my shop! Jason