We all can agree that stuff happens. In the world of basement waterproofing, stuff happens when you have a sump pump installed to prevent basement flooding, then your sump pump stops pumping due to a power outage or mechanical malfunction. Yikes. Thankfully, there’s insurance for that. That insurance is a battery back-up.
A Simple Solution to a Big Problem
There are two different ways you can install a battery back-up. The first is to attach a battery to your sump pump. All you need is a battery, a protective case, an AC/DC interface, a red cable and a black cable and boom. Backed up. It is the less expensive solution of the two, but the problem is this method only backs up your sump pump in case of a power outage. We’ve seen instances where residents had a battery back-up installed, but the pump itself malfunctioned because it wasn’t a great pump. That’s why we recommend solution number two.
A Secondary Pump is the Way to Go
A secondary battery back-up sump pump is the ideal solution. It is ideal because if your primary pump stops working for any reason at all, it’s there to take over the job. Before you go ahead and order one on Amazon, consider the following.
How much battery power do you need? The next time your sump pump activates during a rainfall, take note of how often it activates. Is it turning on every minute? That’s a lot. Is it every ten minutes? That’s not as bad. The more your primary pump is working, the more battery power you’ll want so it can successfully take over the job. Get too small of a battery, and it’ll only pump water for a few hours and die, leaving your basement looking like Adventure Bay (or Water World for our nostalgic readers).
Do you have room for it? Battery back-up sump pumps are installed in the sump basin, usually just on top of your primary pump. You need to make sure you have enough room to install one, along with the pipe to connect to the discharge line.
There are different kinds of batteries. The first is a wet cell battery like what’s in your car. These ones will require maintenance a few times a year to make sure the cells don’t dry out. The other kind is a deep cycle maintenance-free battery. You can install it and forget about it. Obviously, the costs for each are vastly different, so make sure you weigh spending more time versus spending more money before choosing the one that is right for you.
It’s a No Brainer Investment
Let’s be honest. How often does it happen that the power goes out during a heavy rainfall? Well, we’ve heard varying answers. Often, you’re okay. But if you don’t have a battery backup installed, you’re really taking a gamble with mother nature. The number of people we’ve encountered who have complained about having a battery backup for their sump pump is zero. The number of people who have complained about not having a battery backup for the sump pump is more than zero.
Choosing the right battery back-up sump pump may seem complicated, which is why we’re here to help. If you have any questions about what the best solution would be for you, shoot us a message on our contact form or call us at 519.946.0363 and we’d be glad to chat.