Sump overflow protection system

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for mechanically preventing overflow of a sump pit into a basement. A cap with a removable cover is placed over a sump pump with a watertight seal. A tall pipe is connected to the cover of the cap, and several auxiliary devices (e.g. egress pipe, faucet, accessory tree, sight tube, and/or alarm apparatus) can be attached to the side of the cap. The volume under the cap and in the pipe may fill with water to provide pressure to prevent further water from entering the sump pit. Water can then be drained the cover removed and the sump pump repaired. In this way, basement flooding through sump pit overflow is inhibited or prevented.

1 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a cap for a sump pit in a floor, said cap and said sump pit defining a watertight volume, said cap having a side wall and a top portion, said side wall having a plurality of openings; and    a pipe connected to said cap and extending upward from said top portion, said pipe having an open lower end at or below said top portion of said cap, and an open upper end.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said cap comprises a shell portion including said side wall and an upper hole and a cover for said upper hole, said shell portion being attached to said floor.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising an accessory connection connected to one of said openings, said accessory connection adapted for attachment of one or more conduits to allow water to flow from said one or more conduits through said accessory connection and into said volume.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said accessory connection has a tubular portion and a float valve associated with said tubular portion to prevent water from flowing from said volume through said tubular portion.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a sight tube having two open ends, a first open end being connected to a first of said openings, and a second open end being connected to a second of said openings, at least a portion of said sight tube being transparent.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a float within said sight tube.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a conduit connected to one of said openings and having an end within said volume, a float switch connected to said end of said conduit, and one or more wires connected to said float switch and extending through said conduit.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising an alarm connected to said wires, said alarm comprising at least one component from the group consisting of a buzzer, a bell, a light, a telephone dialer, and a transmitter.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising means for alerting a person when said float switch is closed.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said pipe extends at least 6 feet above said cap.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said openings includes a bulkhead fitting.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a conduit through one of said openings in said side wall for conducting water out of said sump pit.  
   
   
       13 . A method, comprising: 
 creating an enclosure over a sump pit in a floor, said enclosure defining a volume and being open at the top and otherwise watertight, whereby water rising in said sump pit will enter said enclosure instead of flowing out of said sump pit.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising connecting a drain having a normally closed condition and an open condition in fluid communication to said enclosure, whereby said drain can be opened to allow water to flow out of said enclosure.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising connecting one or more devices from the group consisting of a sight tube and an accessory tube to said enclosure.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 placing a float switch in said sump pit;    extending at least one wire from said float switch to a point external of said enclosure; and    connecting said at least one wire to an alarm.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said connecting step includes connecting one of said at least one wire to an apparatus from the group consisting of a telephone dialer and a transmitter.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said creating step includes anchoring a cap around said sump pit and connecting an upwardly extending pipe to said cap.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said cap includes a shell portion and a cover portion, said anchoring step includes anchoring said shell portion around said sump pit, and said attaching step includes connecting said pipe to said cover.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 opening said enclosure;    draining water from at least one of said enclosure and said sump pit; and    performing maintenance on apparatus within said sump pit.    
   
   
       21 . An apparatus for containing a sump pit in a floor, said sump pit having a sump pump therein for removing water, comprising: 
 a cap over the sump pit and forming a watertight seal with the floor so that said cap and said sump pit define an internal volume, said cap having a side wall portion and a removable cover, said side wall portion having an egress aperture, a drain aperture, an accessory aperture, a pair of sight tube apertures and an alarm aperture, and said cover having a hole;    a conduit extending from said sump pump through said egress aperture for conducting water away from said sump pit, said conduit having a watertight seal with said cap;    a drain apparatus extending through said drain aperture and including a drain tube at least partially within said cap and a faucet at least partially outside said cap, said drain apparatus having a watertight seal with said cap;    an accessory tube extending through said accessory aperture and having a float valve to prevent flow from said sump pit through said accessory tube, said accessory tube having a watertight seal with said cap;    a sight tube external to said cap having at least a portion that is transparent, said sight tube having watertight seals with said cap at said sight tube apertures;    an alarm conduit having a watertight seal with said cap at said alarm aperture, said alarm conduit being adapted to conduct at least one wire from a float switch in said sump pit to a point outside said cap; and    a pipe connected to said cover at said hole and extending upward, said pipe having a watertight seal with said cover at said hole, said pipe defining an internal volume that is in fluid communication with said internal volume of said cap and said sump pit.