Help

[ecox1]

Today I found pump in a crawlspace and could not get it to turn on any advice

[Brian E. Kelly]

Earl, write in your report that there was a pump in the crawl space that you did not operate, reccomend the the current owners demostrate the pump functions properly.

Now this begs the question as to why the pump was in the crawl space?????

Was the crawl wet/damp? Were there signs of moisture? How was the grading?

[Erby Crofutt]

"I could not get the sump pump in the crawl space to operate using the normal operating controls. Have it repaired by a qualified repair person."

Of course, you DID use the normal operating controls, didn't you and you did check to make sure it had power, didn't you.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

"The crawlspace could be subject to moisture intrusion, but is equipped with a float activated sump pump. Common sense dictates that moisture should be handled before it even enters a residence, but many older residences do have sump pumps. Nevertheless, the sump pump is defective and should be repaired or replaced. Thereafter, the crawlspace and the sump pump should be periodically monitored, and particularly before each rainy season, and storage items should be isolated from the floor and walls."

[Russel Ray]

We have lots of new hillside homes that have sump pumps. They dig into the hillside so that the back half of the house is covered by soil. Then they create a small 2-ft-wide space between the exterior wall covered with soil and the interior wall. That is where they put the sump pump.

Areas where I am familiar with new homes being built with sump pumps include Mt Helix and Dictionary Hill here in Spring Valley and ritzy La Jolla.