Aww Crap

[BuffJim]

So apparently all those weeks in October that my sump pump was running nearly non stop it was using copious amounts of water. Years worth. I got it fixed in November, but the damage was done. My bill is over $1500.  eeek. Normal bill is about $65. The water board said I could appeal to city council, but said not to expect much.  Would I be better off with a Go Fund Me page?

[jsharr ★]

1 minute ago, BuffJim said:

So apparently all those weeks in October that my sump pump was running nearly non stop it was using copious amounts of water. Years worth. I got it fixed in November, but the damage was done. My bill is over $1500.  eeek. Normal bill is about $65. The water board said I could appeal to city council, but said not to expect much.  Would I be better off with a Go Fund Me page?

Reverse the wiring on the sump pump and put the water back.  Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

[Kzoo]

Why is your sump pump running up your water bill?  What am I missing?

[BuffJim]

2 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Why is your sump pump running up your water bill?  What am I missing?

I am not an expert on sump pumps or anything mechanical. But apparently the original failed, and the backup kicked on, which uses city water. In fact when we went shopping to replace it, the salespeople at both stores said not to buy one with a water gravity backup because even for a few days your water bill will be astronomical.

[Kzoo]

I now I understand.  Is the water gravity pump your only pump or was the primary broken for an extended period of time and the water gravity pump was kicked in for an extended period of time?

 

 

[BuffJim]

3 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

I now I understand.  Is the water gravity pump your only pump or was the primary broken for an extended period of time and the water gravity pump was kicked in for an extended period of time?

 

 

Yes this.  At first I thought it was just running heavy due to wet time of year. Then I realized it was broken. I didn't know about the water gravity backup pump thingy. But now I do.

Edited January 19, 2016 by BuffJim

[jsharr ★]

I am glad that basements are almost non existent in Texas.  They sound like a pain in the ass.  The convenience of being able to easily lock up a forum admin seems to be outweighed by the cost of draining water and all the other stuff I hear.

[Longjohn ★]

I had a house one time that the basement was below the water table.  It cost $45 a month for the electricity to keep the basement dry.  Why would a builder go ahead and keep digging a basement when they hit water? FWIW this wasn't the house I wanted to buy but it came with the one I wanted, package deal.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

1 hour ago, BuffJim said:

The water board said I could appeal to city council, but said not to expect much.

Ask if they might consider forgiveness because of your situation.  If they don't go for that, ask if you can pay it as $100/month if 15 payments.  They get their money, you don't get sticker shock and don't have to pay interest.

If you have a local representative on the city council it might be a good time to visit his office or make a telephone call.  He might be able to grease the skids on a deal with the council.

[BuffJim]

I will ask for a 75% reductiion. Really the only thing I have going for me is my good payment record. They don't charge interest, but expect all bills paid by year end. That gives 11 months to pay.

When I bought the house 3 years ago, I was told it had a backup system. I assumed (and may have been told) it was battery backup. But I never gave it much thought until this happened.  Sump pumps are pretty standard in this area, and have been known to prevent some pretty ugly basement flooding.

[BuffJim]

Update: Water was still running this morning. I shut it off. So apparently the guy who installed it (my wife's cousin) didn't know what he was doing and left with it running. My co-worker said that unless he used a welding torch, the backup system is still there. He said to take a picture of it, and he could tell about the backup system.

I admit to being unhandy and ignorant of all such things mechanical. I just left it be after he finished in November. It wasn't til I did the water meter reading that I realized something was amiss.  This is the first time in my 20 or so years of being a homeowner that I've had a mistake that cost me $1500.

Crap.