San Marcos housing is fairly young and mostly built without basements, so a sump pump here typically drains a garage or patio below grade, a lower level on a sloped lot, or a commercial space, and an ejector may serve a below-grade bathroom. A plumber can find why it stopped and confirm the water ends up in the right place. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in San Marcos.
The median San Marcos home was built around 1994, and newer tracts are almost all on slabs. Pits come up when a lot is graded so rain runs toward the house, when a hillside home has a lower level, or when a business near Cal State San Marcos or Palomar College has an elevator or mechanical pit. Vallecitos Water District provides both water and sewer across the city, so a single agency covers the meter and the public main.
What to do now
- Shut off the breaker feeding the pump if water is anywhere near the outlet or cord.
- If the pit serves a below-grade bathroom, stop using every fixture that drains to it.
- Reset a tripped GFCI once; if it trips again, leave it off.
- Look inside the basin for a float pinned against the wall or tangled in its cord.
- Walk outside and check the discharge outlet for a crushed pipe or a buried end.
- Move boxes, rugs and electronics up off the wet floor, then call and describe what the pump does when it has power: nothing, a hum or nonstop running.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Silent pump, water rising | Tripped breaker or GFCI, failed float switch |
| Motor hums, no flow | Jammed impeller or clogged intake screen |
| Starts and stops every few seconds | Float set too tight or check valve leaking back |
| Running in dry weather | Irrigation or a supply leak feeding the pit |
| Sewage smell in a lower room | Ejector lid seal or vent problem |
Cost factors
- One part, such as a float or check valve, versus a complete pump
- A sump pump versus a sewage ejector
- How easy the pit is to reach
- Length and route of the discharge line
- Battery backup or high-water alarm
Two local rules can change the scope. A backup pump that runs on water pressure ties into the Vallecitos supply, and the district requires backflow assemblies to have its approval, to be tested at least once a year by a district-approved certified tester, and to be repaired and retested promptly if they fail. New piping or an ejector install may also need a permit from the City of San Marcos Building Division at (760) 744-1050.
Sump Pumps questions in San Marcos
Does a backup pump that runs on water pressure need backflow protection?
What should I do if the pit is overflowing right now?
Why does the pump keep running when it hasn't rained?
Is it all right to send sump water into a sewer cleanout or laundry tub?
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