Sorry you got flooded... But I wouldn't put the blame on the plumber, I mean he came in to do his job, the outlet is there, he installed the sink and the toilet, he sees the pump is plugged in, any logical person will think that outlet is live, so he flushes the water a few times to test it and it overflows. The question is why was the breaker off in the first place and who shut the breaker off?

This is like when you install a new sump-pump, electrician installs the plug for it, we come in install the pump and after everything is connected we go to test it to make sure everything is OK, we plug the pump in and you fill the pit with water waiting for the pump to kick-in... if nothing happens when the float is up, then you go and check the breaker.

If the basement is finished, you have all the floors in, etc and you have all the outlets in place with plates on them, any person will assume they live and in working condition.

I can see if the plumber starts running the water while the pump plug is out of receptacle that would be on him.

Just run a fan down there and it will dry out.

Good luck.

So here's my 2 cents:

1. It's your GC's responsibility to deal with the plumber.

2. GN Builders is right - the plumber tested the unit by operating it, he had no reason to believe that the power wasn't on to the outlet.

3. Probably more important than the above: So what happens when the toilet overflows because of a big BM or a kid's toy, or the pump fails, or any other reason - are you going to rip up the floor?

Back to the flooring: Let's assume your vinyl does NOT have a backing of any sort (100% vinyl top to bottom). You will need to pull up the vinyl, scrub it (in a bath tub or some other large water-holding vessel) with a mild bleach solution (5% or so), rinse it off, then lay it to dry IN SUNLIGHT for as many hours as possible (remember to flip the planks half way through the day).

While you are doing all the bathing, you will be running several industrial fans (windows open and dehumidifier running full tilt for several days) until the moisture levels are back to normal. And remember to remove and throw out the vapour barrier that was laid underneath the vinyl planks. You will need more...no use keeping something that could be harbouring dangerous pathogens.

Once the planks are FULLY dry (and have basked in sunlight/UV radiation to kill any bacterium left over from the bleach bath) you can stack them for the next install. Remember to lay them on a hard, solid surface. Do NOT let them bow or bend.

While you are "racking" the planks, inspect each edge to ensure 100% of the click-edges are intact/viable. Wait for the basement to dry out, resintall the vapour barrier and then install the vinyl planks.

Just be aware that when you remove the vinyl, you will have (roughly) 25% loss of material due to edge breakage. You will need to count up wasted planks and then purchase the same amount (or a snick more) to ensure you have enough coverage for your basement.

Or you can remove the wet vinyl, throw it out and purchase everything new. It depends on what you have more of: time or money.

^^^yes and if it’s got a cork backing it’s toast. Sorry you are going through this.

"In my opinion the plumber should have plugged the unit in and tested that it worked right before flushing and running it for the first time. I do not see how that is not 100% standard. My contractor doing the other works seems to lead me to believe the fault is on the plumber...as does my homeowners ins.."

Of course everyone else who might be asked to pay is pointing at the plumber.

Typically you don't ever run a pump dry - it will ruin the seals (your idea of testing it before running water). Nor would there be reason to believe that the outlet would be off - or that needed to be tested - etc.

The plumber did the right thing: He tested the entire thing by running water / flushing the toilet - that part is 100% standard. "Pre-testing" is not 100% standard.

So here's a heads-up: You are acting as the GC - this is a headache that GC's deal with and why they get paid to deal with subs.

Again, you really need to be thinking through what happens when this gets wet and there's no plumber to blame.

Chris, I know it's not what you want to hear, but you cannot test the pump without the water being flushed. If you have an ejector pump there is a float, you need a certain amount of water in other to start pumping the sewage out. When you start flushing the water, you cannot tell how much water is there, so if the pump is not working, you keep flushing until it runs. If it doesn't run one flush to many will over flow the water. Most likely this is what happened in your case.

The two plugs are plugged in at all time and the motor is not running unless the float will activate the switch.

So if the 2 plugs are plugged in and he assumed the receptacle had power...Most will assume the same thing and he wanted to test everything, and like I said before it was one flush to many to spill over a gallon or 2...

It is what it is.

I hope you get this worked out and get the place dried out and enjoy your basement.

Good luck