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Is it necessary to have a sump pump stand installed between the bottom of the sump-pit and the sump pump to keep sediment and debris out of the pump intake?

Alternatively, can I just put a brick or some other material under the sump pump to raise the pump intake a couple of inches away from the bottom of the pit to serve the same purpose?

The idea of a stand makes sense, but is it an add on that companies sell, or do many pumps fail every year because of sediment and debris in their intakes?

Examples of sump pump stands from the googles: http://www.google.com/search?q=sump+pump+stand

A common search result on the googles are branded sites in different geographic locations selling their very expensive branded "Triple Safe" systems: http://www.basementsystems.com/sump-pump/cleanpump-sump-pump-pedestal.html

Mueller
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  • interesting, i think I could use one of these! – mohlsen Aug 25 '11 at 13:16
  • Wouldn't using a stand just delay the inevitable? I would suspect the sediment will eventually build up above the stand to the base of the pump, at which time you would... buy another, taller stand? If there is that much junk in the sump pit, suck it out with a shop vac (annually if required). – Tester101 Aug 26 '11 at 12:36

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Newer sump pumps have larger openings for the impeller. If your has gravel at the bottom like mine then you need something under it to prevent damage

Samsquatch
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I stopped at several home improvement stores today to ask about sump pump stands to several different opinions from those who sell sump pumps directly:

Gary at Home Depot:
More interested in his phone than talking to me. His recommendation was not to worry about it. "Why is there sediment in your sump basin? It should just be water in your sump basin."

Dave at Menards:
He pointed out that the sump pumps with intakes on the bottom are designed to "pass any solids that will fit into the intake". He pointed to two separate models with different size holes near the intake and explained that it acts as a filter to keep any larger sediment out of the pump.

Lesley at Lowes:
She suggested not to buy one of the stands, but instead to just place the pump on a brick. The brick will serve the same purpose by raising the pump up a couple of inches.

None of the stores sold a stand of any kind. The three people that I talked to had neither heard of nor seen a sump pump stand like the one that is linked to above.

Mueller
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  • I'm glad you found the answer to your question! :D I'd been googling like crazy trying to see if I could unearth some sort of solution for you, but alas my efforts were in vain. But hey, Menard's is like the best of big box and mom-and-pop places; they have experts on staff and a good selection. :D – Aarthi Aug 26 '11 at 02:17
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Just put it on the bottom of put. You will have less standing water in pit and mine has worked fine this way for eight years and counting. Same pump from day one.

Jim fx
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Mine was installed right on the bottom and has lasted for 32 years so far. I am replacing it tomorrow just because im afraid the old one will finally fail. I regenerate my water softner into sump well and it runs quite often during heavy rains. I guess I just got lucky with the builders installed off brand one from a local TSC store.

John
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I had some issues with water in my basement last year, so I got a new more powerful sump pump and a battery backup system. The sump pump came with a small foot built in that kept it a couple of inches off the bottom to prevent the sediment from causing issues.

SchwartzE
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The big box stores mainly just have kids working in them that really don't know anything. Sump stands are sold by some pump manufacturers and serve the same purpose as a few bricks laid side by side in the sump basin. The difference with the stands is that they usually have some attachment to the pump whereas bricks just sit under the pump. The key to any of this is not to raise the pump so high that the weep tile under the floor stays constantly flooded (not good).

Good (not cheap) sump pumps are made to come on often to drain the basin. The weak point always being the switch mechanism. I live in the Chicago area where sump pumps are the norm. My sump pump comes on once a minute during heavy rain and will keep coming on every few hours for two weeks afterward. During the dry summer or freezing winter, the sump basin will be as dry as a bone. As such, I change out the switch on my Zoeller M98 once a year (usually in July). So far, no problem.

user54658
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