Is Your Sump Pump Ready for a Power Outage?

January 6th, 2016 Posted in Sump Pumps and Ejector Pumps
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It is a catch-22. You have a sump pump to protect your home from flooding or water damage during heavy storms, but during storms the power often goes out. If your sump pump relies on electricity alone to do its job, this can leave you in a pickle. However, there are options available to ensure that even when the lights go out, your basement is staying dry while your sump pump removes the excess water from around your home. Here are a few alternatives to electricity for your sump pump.

Water-Powered Sump

There are sump pumps that use water to propel them versus electricity. Most people who use these pumps are on a city water system. However, they do use quite a bit of water and the water system must still be working. These would be best used with a backup sump pump for when the electricity goes out.

Battery-Backup

Another option to ensure your sump pump continues working during a storm is the use of a battery backup system. These systems generally use a car or marine battery to supply your sump pump energy in the case of a power outage.

Generator

Having your sump pump hooked up to a gas or diesel generator is a viable solution to ensure that your home stays dry during loss of electricity. However, sump pumps do require quite a bit of energy, drawing up to 1,800 watts when starting. It may be necessary to have a very large generator or at least one generator dedicated to your sump pump if you want to also power your home.

To explore your backup options for your sump pump, call your local sewer-septic service company to learn more about installing one of these power alternatives.

Posted on behalf of:
Kiddco Plumbing Inc
Sterling, VA
(703) 435-4441

 

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Power Outages Can Cause Sump Pump Problems

December 5th, 2014 Posted in Sump Pumps and Ejector Pumps
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Winter storms are notorious for cutting out power to your home. While families worry about staying warm, providing light and protecting their perishable food, there is another area in the home which may be affected by the lack of power. Sump pumps also work off electricity, so a power outage can also stop drainage in moisture prone areas when it’s most needed –during wet weather. If you have a sump pump for your home, it may be time to invest in a battery backup sump pump for those nasty power outages.

How Battery-Powered Sump Pumps Work

As a backup to a regular submersible sump pump, a second pump can be added that runs on a rechargeable battery. The benefit is that when the power goes out, this second pump is ready to take over pumping water away from the home’s foundation and basement. The battery is automatically charged whenever the power is on, so when the power goes out, the second sump pump’s battery is fully charged and can work for several hours.

Most backup sump pumps are set with a higher water level than the main pump. Once the water reaches this higher set point, the secondary sump pump will turn on to begin removing the excessive water. This can be a handy system to have for any homes with a basement in areas prone to heavy precipitation.

If you have every experienced a wet basement after a power outage, you may be a perfect candidate for a battery backup sump pump. Talk to your local sewer-septic professional about installing a secondary sump pump with battery power to keep your basement dry during the next power outage.

Posted on behalf of:
Kiddco Plumbing Inc
Sterling, VA
(703) 435-4441

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Backup Sump Pumps For Peace of Mind

August 11th, 2012 Posted in Sump Pumps and Ejector Pumps
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If your basement relies on a sump pump for protection against water intrusion, installing a backup sump pump can provide peace of mind against concerns over a pump failure.  When you only have a single, primary sump pump, any problem or failure can lead to disastrous flooding within minutes.  All it takes is a single problem to stop a sump pump from working properly.  A stuck float, clogged intake, power failure, or plugged discharge line can prevent the primary sump pump from removing the water from your basement.

Unless you are fortunate enough to notice the problem and are able to fix it fast, water can quickly rise and flood your basement.  If you are away from home or simply don’t notice the pump failure, the damage will have been done long before you will have an opportunity to repair the pump.

A backup sump pump can alleviate these concerns.  Your sewer septic contractor can install a battery operated or water powered backup sump pump that will kick in automatically in the event of a primary sump pump failure.  Both types of backup sump pumps are unaffected by power failures.  Water powered sump pumps are powered by household water pressure and battery operated sump pumps depend on a standby battery.

Water powered backup sump pumps are an excellent choice, but can be challenging to install in some basements, especially those with finished ceilings and limited access to water supply lines.  Battery powered backup sump pumps can be installed in almost any basement, but they require some regular maintenance to keep the battery fully charged.

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