Sump pits aim to collect unwanted materials including debris in the sump pump. When dust particles get accumulated at the base of a pump, it causes unevenness and eventually blocks the water flow. All this scenario is also a threatening situation to the shelf life of your sump pump, thus to save you money, you need to know why is there gravel in sump pit and how to find a way out of it. In this article, I’ll define some root terminologies related to gravel in the sump pit, so stay tuned:
Why Is There Gravel In Sump Pit
As the name suggests, the sump pump is a kind of a pump located usually in backyards to suck the water from the earth. The pit is a channel that is connected to the pump. In simple words, a pit is the temporary water storage—as soon as water enters the sump pump pit, the pump gets activated and starts working.
The purpose of gravel is to bring the surface back to level and remove excavated-ness because water has dynamic viscosity and it flows in all directions. Therefore, gravel works as a resistance to avoid flooding. You can spot the gravel, of course, by its appearance—but there is a case in which gravel is invisible apparently. In this sequence, you need to take a pit fork and do a small test. To follow the test, please put the fork into the sump pit and search for the muddy shade gravel in the base. The visibility of gravel will clear your uncertainty.
There are some primary reasons behind “why is there gravel in sump pit”: First, the gravel resists the kids or pets from falling into the pit or water area. Secondly, it improves the overall flow of water and reduces debris accumulation. Over that, the gravel indirectly protects the sump pump machine and makes it last longer than usual.
FAQs
Should there be gravel in the sump pit?
Yes! The addition of gravel in the sump pump pit reduces the debris accumulation; otherwise, debris causes water flow blockage and might jam the sump pump motor due to excessive working. Once the gravel reaches the volume of one inch or more, remove it right away to avoid any negative impact on the performance of your sump pump.
How high should the water level be in a sump pit?
The water level should not exceed two to three inches down there; however, it also depends upon the efficiency of the motor equipped with your sump pump. To know the exact water level on behalf of your sump pump, read the instructions or manual provided by the manufacturer for a certain model.
Conclusion
Gravel reduces the debris accumulation and indirectly keeps your sump pump maintained. But there is a need to remove the excessive gravel otherwise it will block the water flow. Long story short if you regularly maintain the sump pump pit and gravel, it will promote the constant water flow and remove excessive unwanted particles.
Adam Wilson is the plumbing products Editor for Mechanics Gear, covering everything related to plumbing. He have 15 years of experience as a plumber and written about plumbing gear for over two years and plans to continue writing for a long while to come. Since he started sharing his plumbing knowledge on Mechanics Gear, he loves nothing more than relaxing in his home and and writing his plumbing experiences. Adam Wilson likes finding new plumbing products and dive into, from manuals, forums and different plumbing groups.