Hello from MidWest

[jagwinn]

Hi!
John here. Retired Packaging Machine Repairman. Worked for Pillsbury Mills; Lehn & Fink; Del Labs; Coty Cosmetics; GlaxoSmithKline and Starbucks Coffee Co., Sandy Run Roasting Plant...yeah! coffee!

Retired three years ago. Now Maintenance Director and Project Manager for Harvest Temple UPCI church in Jacksonville, Illinois.

Hope that I found a pure IM forum; was posting and following the sub-forum on Garage Journal.

[AllenBolt]

Welcome aboard John! Things are sometimes alive here and sometimes not so busy...

[jagwinn]

Still here, just moved physically from Jacksonville, Illinois to Virden, Illinois.
Doing maintenance around the UPC Virden church, now. So far repairing several vacuum cleaners and some power hand tools (HF saws-all).
New house has a 32'X28' garage. So setting up a 10'x28' puttering shop. Found a display in the dumpster behind the pharmacy and recovered 3 sheets of peg board! Two at 56"X43" and one at 56"X28".
Built 8'X20" and 4'X20" L-shaped bench.
One major concern is that there was two rusted sump pumps in the basement and one sump pump running in the sump-well. I first thought it was a water line break as it is coming in under the wall 15' from the meter in the yard. It is producing 3 gallons per "flush" every 49 seconds!!!!! and it is doing this since purchased the house in October of 2021.
I shut off the main water valve on the supply line coming into the house (20' from where the water is coming under the wall) and took a picture of the meter in the meter-well. No movement of the meter after one hour, so I called city water department.
They tested the water and found it to be "fresh" water; meaning no chlorine detected. They suggested that a field tile was blocked or collapsed from when this used to be farm property.
So, now I have to pay electricity to run this pump virtually continuously and replace it when needed! $$$!

Oh well....

Cute project I am doing...a kids electric ride on vehicle - a VW Bus! Sat outside and is faded and rusted electrics. Found a suppler for repair parts, but it has no pictures of the parts...bummer.

[actionjack]

If you're stuck with the sump pump, maybe you can at least make it more energy efficient?

How about adding an external float that's adjustable so the pump cycles less often?

Can you find a single phase soft starter to decrease your electricity cost and make the pump more energy efficient?

If you have to live with a water problem, maybe that would ease the pain. Good luck.

[jagwinn]

Hello actionjack, nice to hear from you.
Sump pump has a water sensor that is adjustable on a rod along the pump. It appears to be ON/OFF within the length of the sensor itself; about 5 inches. As far as I can see, it has a set pump duration and controls how much water is left in the well, don't see how to allow the water to increase in volume in the well and still pump it down to 2 inches.

Next pump I will look for that feature - adjustable pump window, if I am reading your comment correctly!

On an aside note, talked to new neighbor to the side and they have the same issue. How can a town with 3 coal mines under it have such a high water table. Elevation is 650' above sea level!!!