Many experts agree that a backup sump pump is an excellent way to ensure that your basement or home is protected against flooding and damage to the foundation. A sump pump is designed to protect your home and foundation against water by collecting the water and pumping it safely away from your home. Sump pumps are installed in a sump basin or well below the level of the basement floor.
There will typically be some sort of drainage system installed around the perimeter of the basement that drains into the sump basin. The drainage system collects water around the foundation and directs it to the sump basin.
The sump pump is activated by a float switch when the water level in the well reaches a certain height and pumps the water out of the basin and safely away from your home through a discharge pipe. Most primary sump pumps are used infrequently. As a result, they can fail at the worst possible time which is when the water level is rising.
If the sump pump system is not used often, the pump intake can become clogged by debris that accumulates in the unused sump basin. In addition, the float switch can become stuck, the discharge line can become clogged, or the pump itself can fail. Another problem with a primary sump pump is that it is wired into the household electrical system and if the power goes out during a storm, the sump pump will not operate.
A backup sump pump addresses these problems. The backup sump pump is also installed in the sump basin and set to operate if the water level in the basin gets higher than it should. If the primary sump pump fails, the backup sump pump will take over before the water level reaches your basement.
In addition, backup sump pumps do not rely on household electricity and are not affected by power outages. Some backup sump pumps are battery operated while others use water pressure to operate. A battery operated sump pump needs regular battery maintenance, but can be easily installed in almost any type of sump pump configuration. Water powered backup sump pumps need less maintenance, but are a little trickier to install, especially in finished basements where access to plumbing may be problematic.
