# Yard Sump Pump



## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

Does anyone use a sump pump for pumping out standing water in their yard? I had a wayne water bug but that thing crapped out on me. I'm thinking about something that I can set on top of a paver in the water when it floods and pump it to the street. I've seen some pumps at the hardware store here that will pump debris up to .5" in size. I'm looking to pump it using a garden hose to the street which is 125' away. This only floods 2-3 times a year when we get heavy down pours. This water has nowhere to go because this is the lowest spot in my yard and neighbors yard. Any ideas?


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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Looking at that pic, I would slowly build up the yard so that it is higher than the adjoining field.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

Shindoman said:


> Looking at that pic, I would slowly build up the yard so that it is higher than the adjoining field.


That's not an option because my property line is 5ft to the right of the shed up to those ugly tree/shrub things the neighbor planted down here. That much dirt would also be super expensive. My only option is to pump the water out to the storm drain in my driveway.


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## driver_7 (Jun 28, 2018)

I use the water bug to pump out my yard right now, what symptoms are you experiencing with it? Mine gets clogged up with sand about every 3rd time I use it. I open the bottom cover and free spin that center unit/blast it with air until it seems to be clear and then re-install the cover. Good as new!

I'm installing a Zoeller M98 in a big ol' sump pit this month. 70ft of French drain will empty into this pit. Drainage problems are never fixed cheaply. I tried that route and now I'm spending double what I should've spent originally.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

My water bug was working fine for about 15 minutes and then it went into a "thermal break" according to their customer service. It has quick 1 second bursts of on and off constantly so it doesn't put out much water at all. The customer service said it was shot. I took the cover off the bottom and moved the propeller but didn't use canned air on it. Where did you shoot the air at?


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## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

717driver said:


> I'm installing a Zoeller M98 in a big ol' sump pit this month. 70ft of French drain will empty into this pit. Drainage problems are never fixed cheaply. I tried that route and now I'm spending double what I should've spent originally.


I hope you document this process. Very interested...


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

Wasn't sure if this should go here or in equipment and tools. I am looking for a sump pump that I can put in a 5 gallon bucket that I will put down in a hole in my yard to pump out standing water. I tried a Waterbug pump but it clogged up and overheated. Any suggestions for a decent pump to use probably twice a year for this sort of thing?


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

There is a guy on youtube that shows how to build lawn drainage systems, including sump pumps. He seems to like this one.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Zoeller-53-0001-Model-M53-Mighty-Mate-Automatic-Cast-Iron-Effluent-Pump-115-V-03-HP?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2dT_59qc6QIVAe21Ch1SCgbMEAQYASABEgImU_D_BwE

Also seen him install bigger pumps, but it always looks to be that brand. It probably depends how far and high you need to push the water.

If looking to spend less since it will have minimal use, I think the key to what you want is an "effluent" pump, so it wont choke on dirty water.

Here is one of his videos. He has a ton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhZcwQT_yjU&feature=emb_title


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

I've seen all of the Apple Drain videos for sump pumps. All but one have him putting the sump in clean water and the sump will permanently be there. I'm looking for a sump that will be able to handle some dirt that's in the water or maybe the occasional leaf if it blows into the bucket. I've only seen him do my method once but he used his normal sump I think.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Okay. My understanding was the effluent pumps were made to push sewage, which would obviously contain things other than clean water. What if you used a catch basin rather than a bucket allowing water to get in through the grill, but kept large solids out?


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

With flooding like that, you should consider doing it right by installing a permanent catch basin and discharge pipe along with an effluent sump pump like linked above.

That's way too much water to only halfway do the job.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

I only get that kind of flooding maybe one time a year and it will be gone in a couple days. I don't want it permanent because it would cost a lot more than it's worth to trench in power and trench discharge. I'm also going to put a garden in down there on the property line to make that area not look so bad.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

The goal this year is to till up a 17'x30' area that is the area that floods the most just on the edge of my property line and turn it into a garden. Inside of there I will have a hole dug with a 5 gallon bucket or a basin that will have holes in it to let water in. Then I can throw a sump pump down there when I need to in order to pump the water out and off of my side of the yard. I haven't totally decided what I will use on top of the dirt, rock or mulch. Mulch I'm worried will float away if we do get a heavy rain. I'm not a big fan of rock because it can get hot and make the plants struggle.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

If you are planning on using that area for anything, you've got to fix that sawed off shotgun blast instead of trying to squirt it with some hydrogen peroxide. A 5gal bucket and a pump isn't going to cut it. If it only happens twice year, it would be wise to start scanning the non-retail markets for deals and get what you need together to fix it properly.....otherwise you'll be dealing with associated headaches as long as you are in that property.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

Gilley11 said:


> If you are planning on using that area for anything, you've got to fix that sawed off shotgun blast instead of trying to squirt it with some hydrogen peroxide. A 5gal bucket and a pump isn't going to cut it. If it only happens twice year, it would be wise to start scanning the non-retail markets for deals and get what you need together to fix it properly.....otherwise you'll be dealing with associated headaches as long as you are in that property.


The reason I don't want to make this a big ordeal is because to do it properly would be quite expensive and there isn't really fixing it because it's just a low spot. The only two ways to "fix" it is to possibly tie in with the farmers tile in the field or to put a permanent sump pump in that pumps to the storm drain in the front of our house and that is around 135 feet away. It only floods into our yard maybe twice a year and is only there for a week to two weeks tops before it drains away. I am going to use it to my advantage instead of fight it completely. I will plant some plants and maybe a tree down there that like wet soil. It will be a fun project. This picture below maybe gives a better idea of what I'm dealing with.


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## Tadow781 (Oct 11, 2019)

Tsurumi makes the HS pump and an accessory kit that allows pumping down to 1/2". I think little giant has a pump that goes lower, don't quote me.

Google something like a tennis court pump.

Edit - Little Giant 5-APCP goes down to 1/8", but it'd probably clog up.

The tsurumi can handle a .28" solids, and has the patent oil lifter technology, so the seal runs in an oil bath that circulates, the mechanical seal never sees the pumpage and can run dry for an extended period of time. I represent Tsurumi through a distributor and sell these to excavators all the time for throwing in holes. For my money I'd buy the Tsurumi because it will be a rock solid pump that you can use in an emergency too.


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## driver_7 (Jun 28, 2018)

You'd be surprised how many gallons of water it takes to make a puddle that size. I ended up with 700gpm of flow to the street to even keep up with the incoming water. I can't stress it enough, do not halfway do this. You will regret it just like I did. Looks like your neighbor has a way bigger share of the problem too. How are they contributing to this? Lots to consider here. If you want to resell your home, are you going to be able to sell it with a lake in the backyard during prime selling season?


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

I am not sure how "halfway" doing this with a sump pump and a basin would be a bad thing. If I end up wanting to make it permanent down the road, I just add onto it to make it permanent. I wouldn't have to tear anything out the way I'm doing it. The water only bothers me because the grass struggles in that small area if it lingers longer than a couple days. That's why I'm going to put some plants down there to not have to worry about mowing when it's wet down there. I just need a pump that can pump out enough water to get it mostly out of my yard and it will recede to the neighbor's yard. I did it with a small drill pump last fall and it worked ok. It was slow but I could see the water receding in my yard. This is what the area looks like most of the year if I work hard at it.


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## Tadow781 (Oct 11, 2019)

The only question I can think of is where is the water going to go? Is it going into a storm drain or just back into the farm field? I'd think pumping your water onto someone else property is a no-no.

I'm not from Iowa, but in the video, I assume they are just shooting water onto the road? Is that legal? Even if it is shooting directly into a storm sewer, that may not be legal too. Id imagine the local municipality, DPW or WWTP might frown upon it, especially if it is a combined sewer.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

I will pump some of it onto the rest of the yard like I did last fall and if I get crazy enough with a long enough piping, I'll pump it to the storm drain in mu driveway. That's where we legally pump our basement sump pump to and I had asked the city planning and zone guy if I could pump this flood water to the street and he said it was ok. I won't be pumping it to the neighbor's yard because that would just come right back to me.


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## Tadow781 (Oct 11, 2019)

Yes, for sure then, Tsurumi pump, but it's a 2" line so, obviously you'd need a 2" line. Something like a 2" layflat hose would be easy enough to store and haul around when needed. I wouldn't even worry about a bucket, I'd just sit it on a scrap piece of plywood and it'll pump it out.

As far as flow rate, Likely, you will be operating to the far right of any curve since you are not lifting the water or have any back pressure. So, that Tsurumi HS you will likely be around the 50gpm mark, which is basically half a tanker truck of water every couple hours.

Again, down the road if you run into an emergency you can throw this in. If you want to get crazy, it can be operated with a piggy back switch, otherwise it's manual operation as a standard setup.


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## southernbuckeye (Sep 29, 2019)

Can you rent a trencher and install a French drain to the street? Not sure what the grading difference is between your low spot and the road, but if it's less than 2 feet or so it seems like it's possible without going to the hassle of some sort of temporary deal like a bucket and pump. You'd have maybe $500 and your own labor in something like this.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

southernbuckeye said:


> Can you rent a trencher and install a French drain to the street? Not sure what the grading difference is between your low spot and the road, but if it's less than 2 feet or so it seems like it's possible without going to the hassle of some sort of temporary deal like a bucket and pump. You'd have maybe $500 and your own labor in something like this.


It is much more than 2 feet of fall from the street to the backyard unfortunately.


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## Tadow781 (Oct 11, 2019)

Your probably close to 500 if you got the residue kit, layflat hose and piggy back switch. But your not out 500, you have a working pump that can handle debris and can run dry for a period of time. Unlike a basic sump pump that as soon as it runs dry your seals are shot. But yeah, a yard drain and tied into storm sewer would be ideal. If you can tie directly into the storm sewer. If you have to tie into your sump pump line, id be worried about debris getting into the line and causing a problem downstream from your home sump pump. But maybe not.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

It won't ever tie into the sump line from the house because that runs under my driveway. Found that out the hard way a couple years ago. It will be just pumped around the yard until I can get it to recede a little bit and that's it. I'm not pumping that whole area dry.


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## twolf (Jan 25, 2019)

Looking at the bird-eye picture, you are solving your neighbor's problem... Most of the water is on his property, and if you're pumping it, you are helping him for free. How about negotiate a common solution with you paying a part of the cost?

Another way to maybe look at this: How deep this pool on your yard? If it is like 1 ft, I would consider a retaining wall along the property line and a dirt fill. If less, it can be just grading towards his property. You will solve it for good. Wet-loving tree and shrubs will still love it there, but you be able to walk, not wade on this part of your property.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

It is only an inch to two inches tops that is actually in my yard the day after it rains. My yard gently slopes down to the neighbors yard so most of it stays in their yard. I added dirt a year or two after we moved in to help keep it in their yard as much as possible. I think part of the problem is my neighbor has two or three downspouts on that side of the house and they all go to that area but could easily be rerouted to the driveway or front yard area so they at least absorb into the ground as it works that way to the low area. What's funny is they built their shed right in the middle of the low area so they get water in their shed when this happens. They just open the door and let it dry out haha. I purposely built my shed right outside of the flooded area.

My goal is not to make this a big ordeal of a fancy pump or piping. I don't want to spend $500 to remedy the problem. I want to have something available to me that I can speed up the drying process on my side of the yard. Could I slap a sewage pump down in a basin and run some lay flat tubing out into the yard? Then I could reuse the sump pump if I ever had problems in my basement. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I don't think I was very clear in my original post.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

krusej23 said:


> It is only an inch to two inches tops that is actually in my yard the day after it rains...


If that's the case, I would just fill/raise that area of your lawn by a couple inches.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

twolf said:


> Looking at the bird-eye picture, you are solving your neighbor's problem...


I would tend to agree.


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

Ware said:


> twolf said:
> 
> 
> > Looking at the bird-eye picture, you are solving your neighbor's problem...
> ...


I am probably helping them by helping myself but my side always dries up way before there yard does because my area is higher up than theirs. I think bringing in some more dirt could definitely work. It would be A LOT of dirt unfortunately but something I've wanted to do for awhile to level out some areas right around there.


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