ᐅ Water in the sump of the lifting station

Hello everyone,

We have purchased our dream house, which unfortunately has water damage in the basement. We do not yet know the cause. Last week, I opened a pit in the basement, and it was filled with water (see photo). The building plans indicate that there should either be a lifting station or a backwater valve there. I believe it is more likely a lifting station since the pit is about 2.60m (8.5 ft) below the inspection shaft for sewage water on the street. Strangely, the water does not smell as bad as it looks in the photo; in fact, it smells quite pleasant (fabric softener?!). In the basement, there is a washing machine, a shower, a sink, and a toilet that all produce sewage water. My question is whether standing water like this is normal — probably not. Should I pump out the water? There is a floor drain in the middle of the same room. I will also include a photo of this drain. It is much deeper, and there is only about 5cm to 10cm (2 to 4 inches) of water at the very bottom. The drain is approximately 80cm (31.5 inches) deep. Additionally, not far from the pit with the pleasantly smelling water, there is a funnel-shaped drain pipe. This pipe is connected to the air-water heat pump by a condensate pipe, presumably draining the condensate from the heat pump. Unfortunately, I noticed that the water from this drain pipe drains extremely slowly. Can I use a cleaning device on this drain pipe, or should I be careful since I might damage the assumed lifting station?

I thank everyone who tries to help us save our dream house.

Thank you

If your house has a lifting station, you should be able to hear the pump or pumps operating; they should run for a few seconds whenever water is used. The shaft seems far too small for a lifting station, and there should only be a minimal amount of water inside. There should also be a power connection present.

Why don’t you ask the seller?

k-man2021 schrieb:

If your house has a lifting station, you should be able to hear the pump or pumps running; they should operate for a few seconds whenever water is used. The pit seems way too small for a lifting station, plus there should only be a minimal amount of water inside, and there should also be a power connection.

Why don’t you ask the seller?

Okay, thanks. I’ll try to pump out the water. In addition, I’m digging through the documents to see if I can find anything. I’ll write as soon as I have any news. Unfortunately, I can’t ask the seller anymore because he has passed away.

I would first empty and wipe out each shaft to see what comes to light, and then make sure it is fully operational again. Anyone who has such extensive installations must have had a reason for it.

Pumping out sounds interesting… do you then pump the water into the drain next to it? If the open shaft is supposed to be the lifting station, the water would have to flow back there exactly.

k-man2021 schrieb:

I find the pumping process interesting… do you pump the water into the drain next to it? If the open chamber is supposed to be the lifting station, the water would have to flow back exactly there.

I don’t have a plan yet on how to do it. But you’re right. I don’t own a pump to transfer the water into a container. For now, I will have to rely on rubber gloves and a vessel.