Cistern and potential issues with water drainage

Hello everyone,

I have a somewhat unusual question and as amusing as it may potentially sound, I ask for the most sober answer possible and yes, it is (unfortunately) meant seriously. The following situation: There is a "larger" concrete cistern near the house - about 3-4 meters away - and a submersible pump. It has no sewage connection because that was too expensive for the builder. If it fills up completely, it just overflows and the water seeps into the surrounding soil.

So where is the problem? The builder has an irrational fear that when the cistern overflows, the water will undermine the house and literally cause it to "collapse." This can lead in the extreme case literally to him sometimes running into the garden during heavy rain, setting up a sprinkler, and "pumping" the water out of the cistern (yes, we water the garden when it rains!) to prevent an overflow. Or that he gets up at night to turn on the pump to let water flow from the cistern into the garden, or also spends half a day with "rain preparations," meaning he moves the sprinkler around every half hour to "water as evenly as possible and prepare the cistern for 'new water inflow.'"

As amusing as all this is now, it is incredibly stressful to go through, potentially setting alarms, constantly checking the weather forecast, and continuously - even with a flashlight or in the rain - running into the garden to prevent a problem that in my opinion does not even exist. So what now? Can the whole house tip over and collapse because the cistern next to it fills up? What can be said here to convince the person?

Best regards & thanks

Welcome to the forum, you are not alone with the problem. Anyone who has experienced flooding or inundations can understand that. In your case, for example, a submersible pump with a float switch helps. If the water rises to the switch-on point, it pumps automatically and empties the cistern. Where to put the water? Into a drainage system to be laid (underground) or to a large hedge (above ground) or into a rain barrel at the end of the garden. Then don't run out in the rain and panic, just watch how the automation works. Then your sleep at night should become calmer.

Welcome to the forum, you are not alone with this problem. Anyone who has experienced flooding or inundations can understand that. In your case, for example, a submersible pump with a float switch helps. If the water rises to the activation point, pumping starts automatically and the cistern empties. Where to put the water? Into a drainage system to be installed (underground) or to a large hedge (above ground) or into a rain barrel at the end of the garden. Then don’t run outside in the rain and panic, just observe how the automation works. Then your sleep at night should become more peaceful.

Hello, thanks for your answer!

In fact, we already have a pump, a Tipp 30136 submersible pressure pump Drain 6000/36. It apparently even has a float switch. Currently, it looks like the electrical circuit first has to be "armed" by a switch in the garage, then the socket is switched on via remote control, which causes the pump to run. Not a very optimal setup; the manual switch is apparently there to prevent the pump from "just turning on" if someone accidentally switches on the socket via remote control or if a "false signal" occurs or something like that.

The water is still being pumped manually to the hedge or similar at the moment, or diverted onto the lawn via a hose. However, I have now also read that such a cistern MUST overflow from time to time for self-cleaning – what about that? I don’t actually know if there is a drainage system. Both rain barrels are connected to another roof and filled separately.

There has never really been water in the basement before; I believe once or twice in 30 years water pushed back from the sewage system (which is now prevented by a backflow valve, the maintenance and problems of which are another story *sigh*).

So theoretically, the following remains:
- Understand the overflow as harmless – especially from the perspective that heavy rain here is very, very rare.
- Automate everything as much as possible with the float switch under the minimal "risk" that the pump could be activated by a "false signal." You could also switch on the power in the garage "when needed."

Am I seeing this correctly so far?
Best regards & thanks

A submersible pump with a float switch should have constant power, then it operates automatically. I do not know of any interference/noise signals that switch a submersible pump.

A submersible pump with a float switch should have constant power, then it works automatically. I do not know of any interference/disturbance signals that switch a submersible pump

I believe the interference signal is more likely on the remote control socket, or that it turns on and the pump then starts and overheats, that is the concern. However, the mentioned unit has overheating protection, as far as I can see. I will address the issue of "always on".

Regards

The pump only turns on at the upper switch point and off again at the lower one. When water comes, it rises to the upper point, is pumped out until the lower switch point, and the pump then switches off by itself.