"Y" or why? screws

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JohnRoberts

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I am still trying to get my sump pump back working properly after a nearby lightning strike last weekend.

First the lightning trashed the after market float controller but that replacement arrived yesterday. Now the pump itself is not pulling water reliably.

I tried to take it apart and discovered screwball "Y" screws.  I have some screw drivers on order but why on a sump pump?

JR 
 
JohnRoberts said:
I am still trying to get my sump pump back working properly after a nearby lightning strike last weekend.

First the lightning trashed the after market float controller but that replacement arrived yesterday. Now the pump itself is not pulling water reliably.

I tried to take it apart and discovered screwball "Y" screws.  I have some screw drivers on order but why on a sump pump?

JR
Probably because a lesser skilled person may ruin a gasket.
 
This was a relatively inexpensive 1/2 hp pump, made in china and the factory that made them probably had a surplus of Nintendo game console screws they wanted to use up.

The self priming pump is not priming, and I can see air bubble coming out of the housing while it refuses to start pulling water... after it eventually starts pumping it pulls like a mule.

I already ordered an old school 1/4 hp pump, roughly the same price. The new low tech 1/4hp pump doesn't have a cheap float switch that I would have to disable to use with my aftermarket float switch.
===
I also ordered a set of Y screwdrivers so I can dissect the old faulty pump and see what is wrong with it... It might be as simple as an internal passage clogged by mud, or physical lightning damage, while there is no suspicious visible external trauma. 

JR
 
JohnRoberts said:
I already ordered an old school 1/4 hp pump, roughly the same price. The new low tech 1/4hp pump doesn't have a cheap float switch that I would have to disable to use with my aftermarket float switch.
I had to replace one last week, because of a leaky float switch that made the GFCI to trip. It happened when we had very heavy rain, so my basement had about 2 inches of water.
I couldn't replace the fault switch, because the whole thing is completely sealed, there's not a screw in sight. I don't think I can buy a float switch as a spare...
 
abbey road d enfer said:
I had to replace one last week, because of a leaky float switch that made the GFCI to trip. It happened when we had very heavy rain, so my basement had about 2 inches of water.
I couldn't replace the fault switch, because the whole thing is completely sealed, there's not a screw in sight. I don't think I can buy a float switch as a spare...

I could cut the tethered float switch dongle off my old unit and mail it to you... right now I have it tied up so my external controller can control switching the pump.

Speaking of GFCI, when that lightning strike hit a tree about 50' from my bedroom it tripped the GFCI outlet my cell phone repeater was plugged into... I had a couple appliances get stupid from the brief power outage but only the sump pump controller was totally fried, and maybe the pump itself.

Both of my neighbors suffered far worse damage. Both lost phones and internet, one a TV set and computer. the other his washing machine. I feel pretty lucky except for the the price quote of $1,000 to drop the tree that was hit, if it dies, and that price is with me doing the clean up. 

JR
 
I figured out that the bottom pump chamber housing is attached with regular phillips head screws so I was able to get it apart. I hindsight I suspect the "Y" screws were to keep the unwashed from messing with the waterproof electric circuitry. So Abbey for the win...

I got the pump apart and no obvious visible damage from lightning trauma but the o-ring race on the pump housing side doesn't look very round or smooth.

JR 
 

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