How Long Can a Sump Pump Discharge Pipe Be

Wondering why your sump pump is not working properly? Well, there could be a chance that the sump pump discharge pipe is not much longer as recommended by the manufacturer. But a question that you must be thinking about right now would be that how long should the sump pump discharge pipe so that it can work perfectly, right?

Well, there are various sizes available in the market, and choosing the right one can become easier if you assure two major points just before buying the discharge pipe. Choosing the right size of sump pump pipe will save you from a lot of troubles in a long term. Keep on reading and find out those two magical points that will save your basement from flooding. Also check out, how sump pumps saves your basement.

How Long Can a Sump Pump Discharge Pipe Be

Along with keeping an eye over the length of the sump pump keep in mind that the pipe you are considering buying has a huge diameter as well. This is because in most cases the length of the pipe is accurate as recommended by the manufacturer, but due to less diameter one faces several problems. So the length of the pipe and the diameter of the pipe should be long enough to discharge all the rain and flood water out of the basement. Also check out, Why Is There Gravel In Sump Pit.

Now come to the main question: how long should be this pipe? Well, the answer is the longer the better. On average, around 20 feet is recommended by almost every sump pump manufacturer but let me explain why I said the bigger the better. Bigger pipe in terms of both length and diameter, will dispose of water as far from the house as it could and no muddy pool will be created near the house. 

Now most of you must be wondering why the diameter and length of the pipe matter, what’s the science behind? Well, the diameter and length of the sump pump pipes matter because if one intends to fit a short length of pipe as compared to the one recommended then the water will not be pushed out of the pipe in the rated time and thus the efficiency of the sump pump will be reduced.

As the pipe will get empty more quickly it will put pressure on the sump pump more than it deserves. This pressure will cause the sump pump to burn out. To eliminate all these problems it is better that you make sure from the company which length pipe will suit a certain sump pump and even if two to three inches are extra than the original size recommended, it will still work better.

FAQs

How deep should a sump pump drain line be buried?

The sump pump pipes should be buried at least 3 to 4 feet in the ground. This is conditional especially if you live in snowy areas. The low temperature might cause the pipe to block and the sump pump would fail to discharge the water.

Should the sump pump sit at the bottom of the pit?

Yes, it is important that your sump pump should sit on the bottom of the pit. Why? This will let all the waterfall into the pit and then it will be easier for the sump pump to pump out all the rain or flood water out of your house.

Can a sump pump be too powerful?

A sump pump pipe can be too powerful and some people consider it to be good but in the long run, it will cause problems. The extra powerful sump pump will have short cycles and it will start quickly and stop quickly. This can damage the engineering of the sump pump way too before and the life span will decrease.

Conclusion

It is best that you discuss the length of the sump pump with the manufacturer’s support center but if the support center is not available then keep in mind that you should consider buying a sump pump that is at least 20 feet long to drain away all water far from your house. Moreover, also consider the diameter of the sump pump discharge pipe to be as wide as it can be because a smaller diameter sump pump pipe creates problems, especially in winters.