I need to make a decision...

I currently have a sump pump that pushes the water out to the storm sewer. The subdivision was built in the corn fields (go figure, it is Indiana), so it's pretty "wet". Not a flood plain or anything, but the water table is high.

The sump pump runs, regardless if we're in a drought or during a monsoon. I would say it kicks on 2 times an hour.

I need to get a backup system in place. All electricity is run underground, so power is very reliable around us.


The question is... Should I go with a back up system that includes a second pump? Or should I just consider an inverter and some marine batteries that would kick on and utilize the current pump when the power goes off?

Granted the later solution does not cover me if the pump goes out. Certainly, the first solution sounds like the preferred way, but I'm curious to the types of backups you all have.

 

What size sump hole is cut into the foundation? 5 gallon bucket size or larger? 2xs an hour seems like a lot to run in dry times, but I don't know if that's normal for IN.

Is your goal to deal with power failure or pump failure (non-electrical)?

 

I believe it's a standard size, but I'm not sure. I suppose I could calculate it. It is wet where we are. No getting around it.

The goal is to keep things dry. My friend says he'd be more worried about the poewr going out than the pump. My Dad says pump before power...

Logically it seems that a second pump on battery backup is the best way to go. I've read good things about these units:

http://www.basementwatchdog.com/base...dog_bigdog.htm

 

Sounds like a good idea. So would the new pump replace the existing one or do you need to dig another pit?

 

The pit is big enough to fit both in there, I think. If not, you can stack them on top of one another.

But again, I think I can get by with them side by side.

 

I'd go with the second pump on the battery. I see that done a lot.

 

Pumps do go bad, but not very often. The house I grew up in had a pump that got used as frequently as yours. I guess that you can get 10 years out of them. However you really need to check the thing daily to make sure it is running. At 10 years old you should really consider proactively replacing it.

In all the years we lived in that house we never had power go out long enough that the water would get above the hole. We did have a pump failure though. My dad kept a replacement in a box ready to go.

If you have nothing better to do one day, turn the pump off and see how fast it takes your hole to fill up. Do it during the wettest part of the year.

If the battery pumps are cheap enough, I don't think it would hurt. I suggest you set it up so that the battery pump doesn't run unless the other one fails. Be sure to test the battery pump at least quarterly.

 

Scrib, since you're finishing the basement, you'll want to go overkill on this... second pump, and battery backup... There are local place near me that specialize in this type of stuff...

I've had the power go out one night and woke up to water in the basement... I was not happy, but most of my stuff is up on pallets so it was just water that needed to be cleaned up...

In talking with the retired couple next door (they've been here since both our houses were built), they said that this spring was the first time in about 10 years that they have had trouble... We did have a really rainy spring last year tho'...

 

Can anyone recommend a good main pump? Would the higher-end ones sold at Lowes/Home Depot do the trick?

 

Never heard of one (sump pump), but that's probably because there are no basements in Memphis...

 

Around here ours run alot also. We had power go out in a bad storm (our power is under ground) and alot of people had very wet basements. I would recomend a 2nd battery back up pump for that reason only