Protect Your Home With a Backup Sump Pump

If you are one of the millions of Americans with a sump pump installed in your basement or crawlspace to protect your home against flooding, you should consider maximizing your protection by installing a back up sump pump.  Most experts agree that a backup sump pump provides an extra level of protection against flood damage.  This extra protection is especially important if you frequently depend on the sump pump to keep water out of your home or if your sump pump is installed in a second home or vacation home that does not get used year round.

Sump pumps are generally pretty reliable, but when the flood waters rise, you need to be absolutely certain that the pump will work.  A sump pump can be clogged by hair, dirt, debris, pet hair, or a rodent’s nest.  In addition, the float switch can get stuck, the motor can seize up, or the discharge pipe can become clogged or frozen.  You may need your sump pump to work during a storm, but this is most likely time for a power outage that will render the sump pump useless.

Most people discover a problem with their sump pump at the worst possible time – when the water is rising quickly.  If you are at home, you may be able to clear a clogged sump pump or discharge line, free a sticky float, or connect the sump pump to a portable generator, but if you are not at home or simply fail to notice the problem you can quickly be facing expensive floodwater damage.

You can avoid these problems by having your plumber install a backup sump pump that will kick in if the primary sump pump stops working or cannot keep up.  Some backup sump pumps are battery operated and others work using household water pressure.  Your local plumber can help you decide what type of backup sump pump would be best for your home.

Basic Types of Backup Sump Pumps

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.